The Republican journal., 1885-01-08
The Shipping Interest.

LACKING AND REASONS FOR ITS CONDITION. |
SUGGESTIONS OF MEASURES TO SECURE IT'S |
FURTHER REVIVAL.
Mr.. Jarvis Patten, commissioner of naviga-
ton, has just completed his first annual report
He begins by saying that ''The recent shipping
act which went into operation at nearly the
same date with the organization of this bureau
in July last, has not yet been in force sufi- |
cient time to show the effect upon shipping that
may be expected to result from its various
measures of relief. An unfortunate period of
depression in the shipping business of the
world brought on to a great extent by over
production in the yards of Great Britain, will
probably tend to delay still further the expected
benefit.
The commissioner then gives a sketch of the
history of American and English shipping, and
at the conclusion of it says: The American
merchant marine of the present time, although
it has not in later years kept pace with that of
Great Britain. is second only to hers. Notwith-
standing the disadvantages that American ship
builders have had to contend against, the high
character of their vessels has been maintained.
Our wooden ships are probably the best and
safest vessels afloat, and the comparatively new
iron ship-buidng works of the country are be-
ginning to turn out steamships and other iron
craft of very high class.
1--WE are apt to talk if we had no ships"
said Hon. w p. FRYE in IA speech to the senate
April 30, 1884, lard you would judge from an
ordinary discussion in congress that there was
no snch thing an American ship to-day.
Why, Mr.. President, we have
THE FINEST CoAsTwIsE TRADE
in size, in ships, in material, in men, in disci-
plne. in comfort in convenience, in prosperity
| that there is in the whole world and the Sen
ate might with equal truth have said the same
of the fine fleet of sailing ships engaged in the
California wheat trade. When the guano trade,
| which gave employment to Il large number of
ships for period of 20 Years, collapsed with
! the outbreak of the Peru-C Chill war our vessels
went into the grain trade that had been spring
| ing up between our Pacific ports and Europe.
| This trade, which has since grown to gleat I'M
portance employs the largest and best equip
! ped fleet of wooden ship. in the world.'
Letters with tables compiled unotficially are
annexed to the report, showing the relative
| performance aud risk by vessels of different
/ naiGnatie-. The figures given, appear, the
! commissioner says, to prove thai the American
/ wooden ships do their work the most success
/ fully OF any vessels engaged in the particular
/ trade mentioned. The wood sailing ships of
! this country thought to Surpa>s any others
aloat in point Of safety and it is mistake TO ac
! cept the opinion that the day of wooden ships
/ is entirely past. Two-thirds of the tonnage of
| the world is probably sill composed of wooden
\ vessels while the numerical preponderance is
much greater. Notwithstanding the fact that
/ for screw steamers and many other kinds of
I craft iron possesses certain advantages. The
! money invested in steamers of various kinks,
/ from the full power and the "auXliary" for sea
/ service, to tine swift passenger boats that ply
| along our coasts and up and down our rivers.
/ ha- heretofore been con>ide able, and the out
! lay in that direction continues to increase. The
I most of these vessels are constructed of wood
/ In round numbers
THE TOTAL OF OUR SEA-GOING MARINE
!
3.100.404. OF this number 422, of COL lS6 TONS
/ were steamers and the rest sailing vessels. But
the entire number Of vessel, of ali kinds under
the flag on June 30. 1854. was a 0S2. measuring
A. Us tons.
II is difficult to estimate the value of a ma
tons floating property with any great degree
! of precision. but if we adopt the rule hereto-
fore made use Of in estimating the value of the
tonnage of Great Britain. allowing 10 per
cent. for the difference between wooden and
iron vessels, The value of the total tonnage of
the United States is at present SlS0,000 600.
The value Of The sea-@ong fleet is Sl22 300 600
Compared with the preceding year, The total
tonnage of the country exhibits an increase of
! 35.l42 tons; the enrolled and licensed tonnage
having increased 33, GIG tons, while the register
! ed tonnage has increased 2l26 tons.
/ NJ. Patten says that 1.-The credit of passing
the first great measure of relief with view to
| the restoration of American shipping is due to
/ the urtv-eighth Congress. The relief afforded
~ 't''T 'tNU "'tii ti'N '-N' I'''h "a N'''oh -
/ which provides for drawback on foreign ma
| teflals USED III pulIulh9 EesselS) appheS chlelly
to the sailing ships and the removal of burdens
in navigation. These different measures which
had been loudly called for by the shlpownerS
of the country for the last fifteen years const-
tute in the aggregate an amount sufficient. it is
! ihoh%ht; 10 piace the American salnhg SHIPS on
an equality with the vessel, OF other flags IN so
/ Iaf as the expenses OF navigation are concern
ed But II Is not necessary to multiply opln-
| IONS while all coincide rs TO the grave cOnSid-
Grafton thiS question deserves. lis importance
4 Ill
FINANCIAL POINT OF VIEW
/ ,.itlou+ ,,,, ,for.,,a &, +.iti ,t;
bnI lac "'i '0' a. ilo'' I'VE g.,
means some .ri.I,,io,, th,t wi, ,nt an, sIin-
hniIIor. on y, f7ntin wiz tb,o * tt Io. ,i
fries, The shjnnin@ art m.,sseI durina me last
session of Congress has effected great relief to
snip owners by NE removal OF certain burdens
that theA hau 70 pear ~ mas Deen >alu, II puts
our shipping On a loOIih& WIN lofelSh shlp>,
"itei Nht IS tiloat' ne counterpart OF thal
WISE tnacl uncut ""uu seem 70 DE Il measure
equa'lA.hS 'l coNt % uctIoii ol IRON SnipS
=" 'usiHtSS ldi - Vol!lPaiauNtil ne" ~ lhIs
COUNT ne ta' "nlch ol'eIa't> 10 Itl>c 'he
| pi We VI l"ool iH"ht9 'Ht tos' vi the American
sup hiShei "n''e II SiNt> no support an" can AZ
toN Nv ~ 'h"N, tiS'7e i'll 'it loitlSn
iltiSn,lns lFauG Sihtt thc'l business Is one OF
:o'hl t','pn WI H"ito" nels "i an haltons
iii " ns''' pef onu t'le ie"cn oi our IA" IL II
,liPoi '"I' 'il"' tn' N"""uN Hnou.t "o Pitpaitu
10 tompfl1 loi We supply OF tne "oF'u WIN
shlPS' an" tqUd'lA lhil'oi'dii' lhdi our Sn'ls
Hhouu Ht"lt VIII INC saii' du' "htiSt lndt lhtlf
competitors ehj"H AZ we 'iiht OF tle ia>l cen
sus ~ EUROPE lo,i Ht"listlcai INQUIRIES were
lliue Ill itPect To lhe s'iif Oh 'hG oversee COM
iileiet 81 t'lt siope' ~ 'ile result ol .ntse re
ga raes ~ :, Was do''hu ~ ppioA't the sum
VI 3lf'fVo'o'o'0oo """ " We increasing at tne
rdte ol 40 per ten'. e"ch ue'i'le' VI thiS com
iieIte "Iea' DIita'n WAS tStllattu 10 cohlroi
neailN one nan, WINE iht ION Wiich othtr ma
,ohs ila'i i,'l i"l '"lhS tht carving tFade was
th1u9i, 10 Dc F'iu.' 10 near. per cent OF 'he
N"'u' VI ne 81 IN pip'uC's' III point Oh TACT
no piahyh "i 'Ht ""i'u "1in1>N. except per
iiap> i""" 4! ih'eit>t' h'S pee'l. increasing Oh
ia'' tt'i> my t'Suu VI more ldpiulH tuali
9hiPP'nS' lh' lay ."'v 'h' 'oihltl HAS hau
SUM- Si''' HU''e>> III 'HlN COUNT - "hie
OUR OCEAN CARRYING TRADE
has heen u..>in, to fnrei.,n .bore. i lour,Ia.,
owing ia :. curt.,;n avtenf to nir.un,.t,,,. h
vnnJ orr central h,ti i, rnnnnt ~. dn,';ad ~.
tho nrns,nrity If n,,r r.ilrn.,l n,, ~ t"i ,a
the fostering care and assistance of the govern
,h Inr Nav, 1,, Iff t '''' na.nN y .o'i'i
,u,in.t tha w,h ,,I rt,,r,I
,4n,,ntitnr. ,,hnsn ,'r".''n,it, ,s,,,a' VI
,,r,.,t ,.,r, ~, ,o,,!,I ~ ILL., - ,r;,l Ill -