The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-05-23
IN THE HOUSE.
Che Representatives Discuss
the Free Ship Bill.
REGIMENTS FOR AND AGAINST
NeEs Items from Various
Quarters.
HOUSE.

,g,sE1yerox, May 22.-The Speaker
ia before the House a communication
ON the first comptroller of the treas
~ stating that there is a deficiency in
80 snpropristion bill for fees of United
S.stss iurors and witnesses for 1888 and
0.i,1 wears. Referred.
Pm motion of WeilOorn, of Texas the
S.nate bil passed extending for two
-ssrs the time within which the St.
ioris 4 san Francisco railroad com
asnv NAV complete its road through
ne ChoctaW and CkickasaW Indian
-sservatiOn.
Reagan, OF Texas from the COM
-'ittee on commerce, reported back the
cnIIom Interstate commerce bill, with
= substitute therefor. Referred to the
committee of the whole. ft"ft
After passing a few private measures
the House went into committee of the
whole for general debate on the Dunn
free ship bill .r.l.n.
Mr.. Dunn, of Arkansas. submitted an
argument in support OF the bill. which
E0uId repeal the restrictive law which
worked great injury to the people OF the
country. 1t had been reacting most
limited States engaged in the foreign
carving trade. The citizens of the
limited States had passed out of competi-
ton because they. of all nations, were
denied By their own laws the privilege
OF purchasing ships where they could
buT them the cheapest and having them
registered as vessels of thsir own coun-
trT. while wooden sailing ships led
the ocean carrying trade of the world
and these ships could be built cheaper
in the United States than elsewhere. We
took and steadily maintained the leading
position in the worlds ocean carrying
trade, but about the year 1856 com
menced 70 build iron and steel steam
ships and as fast as they were built and
equipped, the commerce of the world
was transferred to them because of
their superior speed and supposed
safety. There was but one hope left to
US for a further effort at maintaining
our position, and interests in the carry
ing trade, and that was TO do what all
other countries wisely did-repeal
our antiquated navigation laws
aud allow our people to buy
non and steel steamers where we could
get them as cheaply as our foreign
competitors and register them as YES
SEES u luE Ol4-C4 lAdACcs LIZ R-AoIOa OA
then TO an atiack upon the policy
which the nations had entered upon of
granting bOuaties TO steamship COM
panies, and which ne characterized as
4 game OF national poker. France gave
some millions. Germany saw that and
went some millions better. Italy, with
out money, had 10 leave the game, and
the United States was asked to raise
both France and Germany. The contest
which had been entered into by
the nations would be fought
10 the universal bankruptcy of
the taxpayers of the nations.
There would be a bounty, strapped on
the back of every taxpayer. Such a
policy must fail.
Dingley deprecated such Radical
change in the policy of the government
SIS was contemplated in the pending
bill. The policy which it was proposed
to overthrow had been adopted by the
founders of the government, and had
continued for hundred years without
until very recently. To pass
this bill would be to discriminate I'M
Justly against the ship building in
terest. Should it become q law, and
hould the .only Morrison tariff bill be
passed the complete manufactured pro-
duct which would be placed on the free
list would be 3 fully equipped vessel.
90 per cent. of which would be
labor. II ,fully-eQuipped British
vessel should be admitted to register
under our laws, then from that hour
the ship-buiIding industry was doomed,
and the owners of our ship yards and
many thousands of skilled workmen
employed by them would be irretriev-
ably driven into what were already
oyererowded industries. Il was an APP
probation of this fact which led loo, 900
laborers from one end OF the country to
the other, TO demonstrate against the
passage Of such bill as this The bill
should be entitled. bill to close Ameri-
can shipyards, and provide for the con-
sruction hereafter in the British yards
U whatever vessels may be needed
1Sr the American merchant marine.
~. ne trouble in competing on
tHe sea with Great Britain did
t lOt arse iron the fact of the cost of
tne vessel. A vessel built on the Clyde
y, va out 10 or u per cent. cheaper than
lat QUILT IN America, which dis
lIlputed over the life of an iron ship
n ~ a small consideration. The great
uIHerenee arose in the cost of the SAL
ing vessel, growing entirely out of the
nlgher wages and better food demanded |
On The American vessel. The free ship |
Pohcy was an invitation not only TO !
Guy foreign ships. but also TO sail !
! Suoer British register after they were !
bought. Such policy would serve to
s;1lunguish the cOmmendable and in
IiSpensabie patriotic instinct which led |
ne Americans to look upon Ameri- |
ean-built and registered shins as |
representing the power. ambition,
Heaith, prestige, prosperity and
civilization of the United States. His
!ory demonstrated the fact that no ma
non was able TO obtain and retain mari
me supremacy unless sh~ built her
own ships. To rely upon , 1at Brit
an Tor cur vessels would be 20 destroy
our foreign trade and our means OF |
naval defense. The eyes Of the country
were turned 70 the defenseiess condihon
ot our navy. The navy was bit the !
sSusprng Of our great merchant marine, |
punt In the home ship yards. The
naVies rose and fell with the merchant
sS. ,-.ne and the policy which the United !
''a'es should follow was to give every