The Republican journal., 1883-02-15
A Defence of American Shipping.

| nackneyed-at least III shlpbulldlng and ship
owning communities. And, strange as it NAV
appear, American shipping needs defenders in
its own country against the paid advocates of
another nation, who would close our shipyar,ls
and turn the coasting trade over to foreign bot
toms. Mr.. Brockway maintains that s'our mari
time commerce demands further legislation TO
meet the changes and requirements of interna-
| tional trade and to compete with foreign steam
ships in ocean transportation more particularly
in our intercourse with Europe" And these
are the remedies he suggests: ''Dircct aid from
| the General Government in the form of subsi-
| dies for mail service, similar TO those allowed
| by Great Britain and France, would seem TO
be the most etfectual in building up steam
marine; and the removal of all unnecessary
restrictions upon American tonnage of every
description will render our ocean carving
trade, both foreign and domestic, more protita-
| bic to ship-owners, and tend to increase more
rapidly our commercial marine. The revival Of
>hipbuildng within the last two years is already
adding moderately to our marine tonnage The
increase the present year will be con Sidrra-
BILE But this reviva! affords no excuse for re-
aNing the efforts now being made to protect IN
interest so national in its character as our mari
time commerce, nor until we have rcganed
that commanding position as maritime power
that the United States formerly enjoyed"
Mr.. Brockway then advers to the causes
which led to the decline of our foreign com
merce. and its long continued DEPRESSION He
finds that years before the commencement Of
our civil war Great Britain, through her iron
steamship building, had dealt our European
carrying trade heavy blow. under which ii il
still staggering. The war reduced our tonnage;
why, subsequently. our shipping interest did
not revive is declared to be simply becaue OF
the fact that it did not pay. There was genr-
raj depression of business with supply Of ton
mage greater than the demand, and many Ameri-
can shlpoWncrs kept their vessels moSingeVen at
a loss, rather than them hauled up and de-
precaing at the docks. The writer holds that
the decline in shipbuilding ana in the foreign
carrying trade has not been 50 di>couraging as
represented nor attended with financial loss 10
the country. American capital Ia, been more
protitably employed
Nor does he believe that the days Of wooden
sailing vessels are numbered. lie says; For
the last two years, at least, the foreign carrying
trade i'll long VOYAGES has been moderately H.
munpratiye to shirOwnerS, and. as 4 cOnSa-
quence. it has encouraged shipbuildns particll-
larly in New England" The writer llisapprovcs
of the Massachusetts law cNcmptine the per-
>onal property in vessels engaged in the foreign
carrying trade from local taxation, and taxing
only the net increase derived from such en-
pioyment. lie thinks that IF one kind Of in
vestmcnt fer business purposes is exempted
from Il local tax il would seem but last 10 in
clude others Of equal merit and if merchant
marine i a national benefit relief from taxation
should be given IN the shape Of bounty from
the General Governments" The proposition i,
logical. hut does not fairly meet the ease. Brit
i>h >hip0Wners are only taxed upon hr nGt
earnings Of their vessels, As above and Mu~-;.-
chu>ett> is only putting her shipewncrS on al
equal footing with their principal competitor,
in this respect. Then. the taxation Of property
rests with he States ana not the General Gov
eminent, and it wo1ld be hard to bring Com
grcSs. made up as it is LARGELY of men who have
no direct interest in shipping, to the point of
giving bountie>, although We think they would
b. well bestowed.
- to iron V. wooden vessels Ii is stated
that an iron sailing vessel of a superior elias,
will cost to-day Oh thr Clyde f14 per ton: and
an American wooden ship. ready for sea. with
4 liberal outfit. SO per ton. ''iIrre is differ
ence Of ct least 50 per ton in favor of the
American sailing vessel of wood ln1iev of
the first cost. the question is pertinent: Have
We seen the last of wooden vessels? In their
construction at least 81 per cent. Of their entire
cost i American labor i'll thirty or forty Of the
different mechanic arts; and is it to be quc,-
toned that this industry deserves encourage
mrnt: Advantages are claimed for iron over
wooden ships, but when these are investigated.
they will be found TO amount to but little. If
anything. 1t is said iron sailing ships in seek
ing freights in Eastern waters obtain a higher
rate. \ Slight advance is sometimes secured
over the wooden ship. but thi, advantage i,
often reduced to "A Simple preference for HE
ron vessel in some foreign ports, and Is 10 the
delivery OF East India goods. we are assured bv
experienced ship masters that they are landed
from wooden ships of 4 good class in dror
condition. usually, than from those Of iron
The latter load deeper in the water. ana ARE
often uncomfortably wet in the waist Of the
vessel. 1t is true iron ships have tie tir>t-cla>S
rate for twenty years, and have the advantage
OF little less premium for insurance on hull>.
because insured against a total loss only but on
caf2oes the rates paid are about the same in
both. improvements in the construction OF our
American wooden SHIPS looking to the quail
lies Of Strrurth Itrab;Iit,- .n) f..
tlties in working Them have been 50 marked
that, IN classifying them, they obtain the highest
rate for fifteen years. when formerly they were
only given eleven"
And with regard TO the construction Of IRON
steam vessels it is said that ''the progress IL
ready made in constructing iron steam tonnage
assures lis that English steamships are not to
have the monopoly Of the European carrying
trade much longer" Testimony given before 4
Congressional committee declares "that the cost
OF the American built steamships will not OK
coed 10 or ID per cent. of those built in Eng
land" Mr.. Roach puts the difference at T. ,,er
cent. Nearly ZOO tons Of ocean steamers. of
iron, have been built on the Delaware dur lg
the year ending June Both, 1882, and over 10 900
tons OF iron steamers of ali classes in the United
states. The Government report gives an in
crease OF los, 1879 tons of shipping wood and
from for the same time. Since 1871 the coast
wise tonnage of the United States has been in
creasing, and the reduction in the number of
American vessels in the foreign carving trade
is less than 1000 tons for the last wear The
next report of the Government doubtless. will
show larger increase in our merchant marine
In conclusion Mr.. BrockWay points out that
shipbuildng is a source of wealth to the coun-
try and should be encouraged He takes up the
free ship question and shows that the advocates
of free ships are aiming blow at our Ameri-
can system. He points out directions in which
relief should be given our shipping interest. COW
cring substantially the points embraced in the
bill now before Congress, and renews his re-
commentator of subsidies for iron steamship
lines.
In the article published on the first page Of
this weeks Journal, the story of the Baron De
Castin is pleasantly re-told by j. G. Bourinot.