Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-04-26
DAILY
POST MTELLIGENCER
.,,ysscAs suIPBulLDsNG.

: MTELLlGENChl
AugRscAs suIPBGlLDsNG.
We clip the following from a late
;.sus of the San Francisco B@'ieffn;
II American ship building be in de-
cline. Il ID q allow kind OF eonsotn p,ion'
snd there are good reasons for pei'ss.
ina that the industry may survive .ae
n,sIsdv, Why, We are Just peg, an.ng
10 bald ships, - sv1dencso ~ .a
soscimeus Of marine architecture pay
sHoet from Eastern shiggards n ne
M three or four years. We are oono
~ better aud larger ships tnaa sser
Va have e7en made some assemp.s q
iron shiD building. foil rieReo vs
of that class having Just besn iauncos3
a Chester. This u the third ,ron ~
- veaeel built in the United Csa
ehouoh quite Q number OF iron sss..
shins have BEEN constructed IA so's
coantrv. We have builf one OF Two
shir,s Nth auxiliary steam power 10 sne
rsaf year. the arst expsrinsnt o. ,ne
Tina The George 8. Homer - OF TINS
cisss and 10 now 90 days out IRON rev
York Tor P6liand. II Is the oeslRn 20
Ne atsam in oalms only, and 70 sno!.en
the trip on long distances. cnoo.a W.
stvls AZ vessel meet the expect"tlon OF
ne builders, more will follow. ossan
~h.Isra have worked we'll, and three
havs i,sen turned out at Ban Francisco;
ana another il nearly ready 70 come on
the stocks. We arc doing good deai
IN The ship building line ON this COAST,
and ne are going 70 do q great osai
mora in the future. We have tofneo
ont some Of the finest and fastest YES
ala afiost. The Cassandra Adams,
vhich has Just arrived a. New YORK IN
3 trio OF 9i days from San Francisco =
a Puget Sound built vessel and u ownsu
here The fine steamer Mexico nov
rnnnine between San Francisco ana
Nnxioan ports, vas built here. we
have built the largest and best Terry
boats found in any water. Gfana ~
have been the results in American snip
buildiup ia the past few years, tue
achievements OF the future will surpasS
them.
In view of the statements foregoing
and in view Of the positive knowledge
OF ell citizens Of our seaport cities, II
seems absurd TO argue the question OF
the ability Of the people Of tho United
States 70 build ships. OF course they
can build them, aud they do build
them, and their ships will compare In
smiling or stsaming speed, In carrying
capacity. in appearance, in durability
and actual worth with the finest vessels
Of tier class In the world. Beyond all
question the fastest, this largest and the
most magnificent inland steamers are
those of the United States. There IL
nsthing elsewhere on ! he globe to CON-
pare with as in this respect. Our coast
ing craft are likewise the best afioat,
the only vessels 10 compare with them
being the iirat class ships in the foreign
commerce Of Great Britain. Again, the
American wooden ships engaged in tho
foreign trade. few though they be, have
GO superiors, and 70 believe no equals in
their class. Our only lack Is the first
GLASS iron and steel ships for the foreign
passenger and freight trade. These,
too, can be built a. well In the United
States a. in Great Britain. but not
quite a. ohssply. nor can they he sailed
no chsaply. The difference In the cost
Of construction IL comparatively trifiinR,
and would not b allowed TO stand IN
tho way Of our having q mercantile
feet equal 70 that OF England were il
the only obstacle. The chief and only
real drawback TO the extension Of our
ocean commerce IL found in tho greater
cost Of sailing American ships, and
the decreased encouragement given
them by tbs Government. Every vessel
engaged In the foreign trade IL subject-
Cd 70 numberless Official fees and costs
from which the coaster In exempt,
the like OF which are unknown In
British commerce, and which should be
removed. Again, II costs nearly 100
Dor cent. more to maintain and sail An
American ship than Il does one OF
Europe. They are better proyisioned
and kept nsater. and tho wages paid
ssamen are nearly or quite double those
Of the foreign ship. In good times,
when charter rates are high, American
ships can b sailed With fair profit, bot
when rates are low they must lay up or
90 coastinR. Ship building itself needs
no encouragement, but ship sailing
does. AZ said before the official fees
should b stricken OF, and, besides,
Official domestic costs should be dimin-
ished. The coaster pays NO tonnage
TAI. and neither should the vessel going
FOREIGN. 80 far from depressing the
foreign going craft her burdens should
b liahtsnsd - against the coaster even.
Local TAXATION might veil b abolished
N her case. and generous subsidies
given her for mail carrying. This has
been done In other countries, and can
b done here. and until some sach relief
10 Afforded No need hardly expect much
development Of oar trade in that
OuartaP.