The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1888-03-03
The AMERICAN SHIPPING INTEREST.



provide our people with ships built at
low cost. When we can do this we
shall maze beginning. though mt first
slow one. in the work OF regalning
lost ground; and until we do this no
healthy or permanent progress is pos
sible. The higher rate OF wages paid
10 men employed In the yards of AmerI-
can ship. builders is not matter that
calls for the least consideration. One
Of the largest ship-builders on the Clyde
sad 10 the writer five years ago that a
number Of American mechanics whom
he had brought across from the United
States to work in his yard. mt more
chan current American wages. were
the cheapest men in his employ. The
labor cost Of repairing vessel in an
American port is ordinarily less than
the labor cost Of similar repairs In tho
ports OF Europe. We pay higher wages.
but we exact more than the equivalent
la faithful. constant and intelligent
service. The question hinges wholly
on the cost of materials. So long as
our shlp-builders have to pay for the
iron. steel. copper. wood, and hemp
they require for their work much high
or prices than English ship-buildcrs
pay Tor these same materials, COMPETE
ton on the part OF the former is utter
rly hopeless. The surest means OF re-
lief would be radical revision of the
tariff. placing all these articles. in
their raw, semi manufactured. and
wholly manufactured condition. on tho
free list. Such an act would quickly
place our shp-bulding interest upon
It's feet. This may be called free
trade proposition; but il must be re-
mcmberod that those who provide the
ships or own the ships engaged in
foreign commerce should be- from the
very nature Of their business, opposed
TO the advocates OF natural protection
system. The greater the volume of
exports and imports, the larger will be
the business opportunities of the form
or. while every success scored by the
latter implies a lcssened demand for
the facilities which the former have TO
Offer Besides this. the experience OF
the last quarter OF century shows
that while protection may have been of
advantage TO certain favored interests
in this country, IL has simply extin-
guished the American ocean marine,
+, A radical revision OF the tariff in
the manner suggested involves the
overthrowing OF SO many strongly in
trenched interests that as an immediate
measure OF relief 1t is perhaps imprac-
tical. although IL Is the only certainly
eilicacious means OF arriving at the
desired end. One other method has
been suggested. which has in il the
substance OF equity. in that II recog-
nizes that the downfall of the Ameri-
can merchant marine has been due TO
tho adverse influence of the protec-
ton tariff. and to that cause alone.
This Is the bill reported in 1882 by the
Congressional committee on American
shipping:
"When any vessel. steam or sail,
shall be constructed and equipped in
tho United States for foreign trade.
including the trade between the Allan
tic and Pacific ports of tho United
States. In whole or In part OF materials
OF the production of the United States,
fha otynar or nwnora 90 auoh ,,oaaoi,
shall DO entitled TO receive aud collect
from the United States drawback or
sum equal in amount to the duty
which would have been collected on
imported materials OF like description
and of equal quality with the Ameri-
can materials used in the construction,
equipment engines. boilers. and other
appurtcnanccs OF such steam or sail
vessel. Provided that In ascertaining
such drawback the duties on such iron
or steel materials shall be computed
on iron and steel advanced in manu-
facturc not beyond the point Of plates.
angles, bars, and rods. And provided,
further. that this section shall apply
only TO vessels commenced after tho
passage Of this act"
An objection that might be raised to
this proposal Is that II assumes that n
drawback eqnal TO the amount OF duty
that would be paid upon imported
articles Of the character describe
would DO equivalent to the difference
In the selling prices OF these articles
In the English and American markets