Morning journal and courier., 1888-07-27
No roRrraN TRADE LEFT.

The Prestige OF the Merchant Marine
Has Departed-If a Free ship BilI
Passes. Kvenshe COastfng Vessels WIFI
MISREPRESENTATION ships Conn.
handed by Foreigners I'm spite eR the
Law en- the subject.
A leading Washington, D. G. paper has
the following article headed as above in re-
lation to an important national topic. The
Captain Sawyer spoken of is prominent
navigator well known here, having formerly
sailed for the Armstrong;, and is commander
of one of the largest and finest American
built ships afeat that lie engaged in our
ooastwisa commerce:
ssAn the trade we seafaring man now have
1 Is in the coasting line, and If free ship bill
ever becomes law there win be no more
such vessels like this built The speaker
was Captain Sawyer and the vessel he re-
ferred to was the huge four masted schooner
Pocahontaa of Bath, Me-, which is now at the
Ninth street wharf diseharging her cargo of
ice.
"If you once remove the protection which
now guards out little bit of shipping We will
be badly situated" he continued. ,EoEa
Scotians would then bniId our ships, would
| do IL for half the money they would cost in
the States, and after putting them under the
American flag and scraping in all the money
| that could possibly be reached, would retire
I to Nova Scotia and live 1uxnriously ca the
proceeds. 9
ssDu Won anffer much from foreign compe-
/ tionf' asked the reporter.
1--WE are being crowded right out OF the
market, and especially by the Nova Scotians.
They come down into Maine and Massachu-
sets and underout everybody-even the
Swedes and Norwsgians. They can live for
months on the smell of an oiled rag, and
when they get ready to go home-they gen.
orally migrate in the spring-they take away
about an much money as they have received.
IA white man cannot compete with that kind
of labor"
"Does that apply to the crews alone, or
does It include the offcersF'
SIT hits both. We are an intensely pat
riotic nation, but In ninety-nins cases out
of hundred our patriotism can be entirely
obaenred by dollar. There are great
many competent masters out of employment
right now, and If you could only make the
necessary inquiries you would find out that
every idle man Is an American, and he is idle
because some cheap foreigner has under
bid him and Is in command of an American
vessel. /"
EDO not masters of American vessels have
to be American citizensf"
1.-THE law says So" replied the captain;
sbut, and he shrugged his broad shoulders,
s.The law is evaded every day in the year.
The vast majority of American vessels are
commanded by foreigners; but you never
heard OF q foreign vessel that had an Ameri-
eau for master, or, If you have, you have
heard more than have in all my wander
irge.n
| ssWhat is the condition of our foreign
shipping tradei"
completely-and am one of the stranded
wrecks. have been engaged in the foreign
trade all my life up to q year ago, but am
ont of it now, and I haven't the slightest
idea when shall return to it. Conditions
will have to change very materially before
the happy day vii! arrive when the suprema-
cy of American shipping and Ameriasn sea-
men shall be apparent to the world. We
don't carry bushsl of grain from the Pacific
cost In American bottoms because we are
underbid by fraction Of a cent. I know of
lots of frst-olass American vessels mot suit
existence fer their owners because they can
not come down to italian and Swedish
1 freight rates and because they viii not at
teRpt to starve their crews."
How does the building of such large yes-
sells as the Pocahontas affect the smaller
craftan
sob, Il lust swallows them up. think 1t
would be much betser If there were no vessels
| larger than 900 tons. Then there would be
more active competition and consequently
| increased business."
els 1t not saving to the owners to build
such vessels as thisl'
Certainly. The Pocahontas has tonnage
of 1900 tons and il worked by a crew that
numbers only eleven, all hands told. A
schooner of only 1000 tons would need just
"a many men. OF course we make steam do
the major portion of our work and the en-
CINE in our forecastle is worth ak or eight
men,
els there any disposition to construct
larger schoonsrs than this"
Eyes; they are building 5, 000-ton schoon-
or up in Maine that will Garry Eve masts.
That, however, regard as an experiment;
4 and in my mind it is doubtful one. You
cannot improve to any considerable extent on
4 the Pocahontas.n