New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-10
THE MERCHANT MARINE,
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE UNANIMITY OF CON-
GREssMEN FOR IT'S RESTORATION
a nr11 SIMILAR TO THE CUMMINGS BILL TO BE
INTRODUCED AT THIS sEssloN-soME
INSTRUCTIVE SUBSIDY STATISTICS.
,rY TELEGRAPH TO THE TaIBuSEI

ny TELEGRAPH TO THE ihibSNnl
washington. Nov. o.-Tho extraordinary degree OF
unanimity shown by more than three-hi's Oh inc i.
publican Congressmen-eloct in favor Of the
restoration of the American merchant
marine Is all the more remarkable anu
gratifying when It is considered that the opinions eN
messed were wholly independent OF one another anu
not the result Of any previous conference or cosu"
ton between the different members The Jos Repre-
,sntatsves who have thus independently reached the
same conclusion in regard TO one of the most I'M
porant matters Of current public interest represent
districts IN all the old States which have Repuphcah
Representatives from Maine to California, save '"o
In the South, and Colorado, Nevada ana oreson'
Representatives from the great grain and catue grow
ing states of the West and Northwest are as codia'
and emphatic in the expression OF their opihio"S
as those from the great manufacturers
States on the Atlantic seaboard. They ~alno ua'
the extenslon of foreign commerce under the Aio'r
can flag means not only cheaper anu moio -
facilities for them. but better markets anu 80
demand at home for everything "es a
They regard the policy one Of Natiohai ono.
prosperity, in opposition to the ignorant tho
borboods or provincial policy which dominated wv
majority of the House during the last sN '0~ -.
the nIgcar,iy administration OF the fos'oino0 D'P~
,aent during the last four years III. ,a
b., ,ha PennbI,cans will have some Democratic aid
rh REPRESENTATIVES, from of the southern o'a'0
who demand an outlet from their own ports VIII sup
,ort tho nroposed measures. They can afford TO uo
4..Nd
10 ,aos and some of them already stand cOmm'ou
"a a. On this question az least score oi 0ou'n
man will vote with the hoPuU
MANY Of them favor a Tonnage Dill iihc uno V".
introduced in the last Congress by Kepreson'"",o
Cummings. of New-York well as liberal pay 70
,aa ,oarners carving the foreign mails ana
will sunnort bin substantially like the fcrner "h'
x,m he offered by Congressman Farquhar at the oe-
Ginning Of the session. such bill was uhal'i"ouSN
reported last year by committee oil inc ''1,"
sbipp,ng League of which eN-ConsieSSmdn '
u p,,er ot New-Yolk was chairman, and congress
man Whtthorne, of Tennessee, also Dcio0ia'
. ,nonber Another Democrat, a member OF the Lis'
Conoress General Wheeler of Alabama, Is pfesoeh'
of the League. ,s, 4,
The tonnage bill in the last Congress provided, ID
general terms, for the payment OF 80 Genus pel '
@ TON wears for each 900 miles sailed in the foreign
trade by any vessel built and wholly owneu Ill '"o
United States and for further term OF nlne years
with an abatement of cents per ton per ahlun
during tho latter period. This bill was lePor'ou ~
the Committee on Merchant Marine ard tlshoncS DS
a vote of 10 6. Three of the eight Democrats WIN
voted 10 KIN the bill have been RELOCATED 10 pl'a'o
life and Amos J. Cummings, the only Democrat "i'o
voted with tho Republicans, has been almost uhai-
mousy reelected 10 the list Congress
The majority of the committee was 100 lazy vi j"
different 10 prepare an argument against 'ho "oaS0
and adopted as It's own an adverse report Oh siIa
hill made more than two years before, most OF u'c
had bcen contributed by of the most remarAaoie
mon IN the country sr7 WOrthington c. Ford, VINO
had boon invited into the State Department oy MI
Bayard to edit the Consular reports, ana "rl'e Hoo
trade ESSAYS for the benefit OF reform" sa"Pio
Of this Young mans report which was highly ap-
proved ought 10 be quoted, to sho" Ills loai'
lessness of the truth. lie gives table OF the tonnage
Of France for series of years, showing a. the ton
mage Of vessels built in France; (2 tonnage poueh'
abroad; go tonnage sold to foreigners After stating
that the paying of bounes began In 1881, TINS oauu
and sapiont youth remarks The bountes have sue
ceeded In infusing LIE INTO hel'hcr shp'ue ava
ship navigation
Now. an inspection Of tho table shows that In the
first three years under the bounty system, the ION
nsqe built In French shipy exceeded Dy oo'o-o
TONS or more 81 per cent, the amount OF 'oasr
there built In the three preceding the Adoption
of the bounty system; that the amount OF tonnage
bought abroad in order take advantage OF the
bontes FOR navigation Of so cents per ton increased
90 OIL. or about l29 per cent; while the amount oil
tonnage sold TO foreigners increased only 9'4lo
tons. or about 81 per cent. IL may
ba worth while to add that France has
,ousnued her policy of bountes, both for construction
aud navigation despite Mr. Ford's warning, aud that
last year the former amounted TO $o72,16O, and tie
latter to S2,115,000. These sums are exclusive vi
sA 6T777s of subsidies paid on account OF man con
trscts OF this enormous about one third, 81 PIP
45l was paid 10 French steamship INES poon a ~
FRANCE and In South and Central America McAicO anu
the West indies. In the same year t!o Ollou so :.
laid 10 American steamships for carrying the nals 10
Pps same countries much less than $4,000, Including
some si1 600 which the United states and Brazli
Steamship Company declined 10 receive on the gfouo
that IL was Inadequate compen alton , M,
But 70 return 10 the report on the cummings Dill;
The views of the minority prepared by the author of
the bill, who awaited himself freely OF information
contributed by Captain W. W. Bates, the newly ap,
pointed Commissioner of Navigation, IS docnmenl
which should be widely read by all Americans whether
Republicans or Democrats 1t appears that the TONNAGE
OF American vessels in the ioreirli trade March l,
hafo
Jefferson had declared that I'VE must resume ouf
trade" and Congress had approved his decai@a a o..
IL was observed that twenty-five states and one lerr--
tory OF the Union border upon tidcwater coasts
On the subject of subsidies the minority group some
impressive facts. Years ago fleet of American
steamships ran between NewYork and Havre. II has
been replaced by a French line, which receives bounty
OF 80 cents per 900 miles or $4,000 per round trip
In the Mediterranean: 1t also has disappeared aud the
commerce is largely in the hands OF French line,
New-York and Havre. our West Indian fleet IS now
being driven 10 the wall spain has adopted The bounty
system and a Spanish line between New ork ana
Havana receives a bounty Of 81 so per mite steamed
A new British line between Vancouver and China and
Japan under subsidy Of Si5ooOO year is sappine
the life Of the American line ard has maze san
Francisco a port Of call on the route TO China. An
American line between New-York and Bremen has
vanished before German line, which receives sub
sdy OF nearly 81 100000 per year.
The owners of swift British steamers plying between
NewYork and Liverpool, besides liberal pay from both
reserve payment of $4,000 per year for each swirl
vessel What commerce destroycrs' the Teuonlc
owning the Italian tine between NeSYork and Italian
ports receives Is per ton per 900 miles. and
Italy pays In steamship subsidies each year 81 ,57Og35
The " Red DS line. Of New York the American line
running steamers and carrying the mails TO Curacao
and venezuela receiving from the United States there
ior the compensation Of $50 per year, now brought
into competition with Dutch line which receives a
subsidy OF sl72 500 per year