National Republican., 1884-12-02

ships and skill in the use OF those mate
rials are regarded. Great Britain has no
advantage over us; on tho contrary, Is
not tho advantage on our side2 Appre-
hended difficulties aro magnihed until
they are encountered. When steel rails
wero In demand beyond tho homo supply
at S75 per ton, and many were imported,
subject to a duty Of $2S per ton, who
would have dared to express the opinion
that in four years they could be made in
this country at less than $50 per ton, with
profit to the makers2
The obstacles in the way Of o restora-
tion of our foreign shipping will not, /
conceive, be found in the cost of ships
which are to be built in the United States
but in tho absence of demand for them.
If our navigation laws wore so modified
that American registers could bo granted
to foreign built ships for foreign trade,
there would be little, If any, improve
ment in our shipping interest. Such
modification some years ago might have
done something to prevent decline; it
would now be insufficient to restore. Tho
great and profitable carrying trade be-
tween the United States aud Europe has
been permitted to pass into tho hands of
the shipowners of other nations. SO
complete IL their control of it, 80 largo is
the capital invested in it, and so sharp
and persistent would be the contest II we
should attempt without government aid !,
to share in it, that our capitalists would
not compete for it. There is, in my
opinion, no prospect whatever that the
United States will ever share to a consid-
cradle extent in tho foreign carrying trade
without government aid. Ii is for congress
to determine whether this aid shall be
granted, or whether our foreign shipping
interest shall remain in its present death
like condition. Tho let-alone policy has
been tried for many years, during which
OR ships have boeu swept from the ocean,
and we pay overy year many millions Of
dollars to foreign shipowners for froights
and fares Ought this condition Of things
to be continued2
Entertaining these views, 1 do not hesi-
tate to express the opinion
First. That without government aid to
United States steamship lines the foreign
carrying trade will remain in the hands
of foreigners.
Second. That as we ought to have an
interest in the business which we create,
and as the restoration of our shipping in
| terest is important, If not essential, to tho
extension Of our foreign trade, subsidies
in tho form Of liberal payments for tho
transportation of mails or in some other
form should be offered as an inducement
to investments of capital in steam ships.
The amount of necessary aid would be
Insignificant in comparison with $hat
has been granted to manufacturers by
protective duties, and nothing would be
paid until the services were rendered. If
the subject were Investigated, it would be
found that all tho European steamship
lines that led the way in the great traffic
by steam power have received govern
ment aid. 1t is admitted that all pro-
tective duties and subsidies are incon-
sistent with the teachings of political
economy, but true as these teachings
may be in the abstract, they are disre-
garded by all nations when they stand in
the way Of national welfare. No rules
are equally applicable to all nations.
nor to the same nation in the different
stages Of its growth. Political economy
is not one of the exact sciences. 1t is
rather adaptive than exact, and all ma
tions so regard it.
Protective duties were undoub ubtedly
needed to induce investment in cotton,
iron, and woollen mills, and what not in
tho various lines of our manufacturing
industry. Whether or not protection has
been extended too long or too far, and to
what extent it now stands in the way of
other great interests, are questions that
can only be settled by full investigation.
Government aid is now needed TO induce
investment in shipping. To what extent
and for what period this aid should be
granted must be settled in the same way
1t is to be regretted that tho United
States is not in condition to participate
! in the trade which is soon to be opened
with the interior Of Africa.
Tho attention of congress is asked to
the table aud statements which exhibit
the present condition of our shipping in
terest, and which refer to the relief al
ready obtained by recent legislation, and
| to tho further relief which is required
aside from the question of subsidies.
Statistics of the tonnage of vessels of
American ownership and Of tho distribu-
tlon of tho carrying trade are given. In
relation to the new bureau of navigation
and the provisions of the act which estab-
| lishcd it the report thus says:
BY the reduction of tonnage dues, relief
from the necessity of carrying mails, tho
abolition of the system of extra wages to
seamen except in certain cases, the re-
moval of consular fees for services to yes-
sells and to seamen, the repeal of the laws
imposing marine hosipal tax, the right to
withdraw supplies for and material for
the building and repairing of, vessels free
of duties, the limitation of the liability
of shipowners, the right to ship seamen
for stated periods or for foreign ports,
and the right to doliver cargo in certain
instances at places not ports-all of which
privileges and benefits have been con-
ferred by recent legislation-the burdens
Of shipbuilders, and of persons interested
in shipping, have been somewhat light
ened, and our navigation has been placed,
rlG n n nf r,y,;, IL
more on footing with that of foreign
countries Other antiquated restrictions
on our maratime commerce, such as tho
division of the Atlantic coast into two
great coasting districts and the limita-
tious as to tho quantity of duty-paid
cargo which may be carried in coasting
| vessels, might well be abolished Mat
ters of pilotage should be regulated by
congress in such manner that tho sys-
tenn shall be uniform. At present each
seaboard state has its separate rules,
which, in some case are burdensomo to
commerce.
In this connection, tho Importance of q
| fleet of vessels engaged in commerce in
time Of peace as training school for
sailors and as n preparation for war by
their easy conversion into armed cruisers
or transport vessels should not be over
looked. So much Importance was for
merly attached to this idea that congress
for long series of years appropriated
bounty to vessels engaged in the fisheries
for the express purpose of encouraging
shipbuilding aud the training of seamen,
and in the late civil war immense advan-
tage to tho government was derived
from the ready enlistment in the navy of
sea non trained in tho merchant service.
Great Britain, with her 100000 mer-
chant seamen and her immense fleet en-
gagged in the transportation of merchan-
disc and passengers in all parts of the
world, may serve our country in this
view, both as warning and as an ex-
ample.
After giving q table of the public debt,
showing that the net tamount was on Nov.
|, 1881. l.AOS. .4s2. .Ols. 80. the secretarY