Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-07
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE.
Congress Should Adcp Some Plan
for Encouraging It.

There is present general desire TO extend
our foreign commerce. In order TO keep our
mines, furnaces, founderies, rolling mills,
machine shops and factories in successful
operation, and find profitable markets for the
excess of our agricultural products, we must
keep on extending our foreign trade and find
now customers in new markets. In plain
language, we must increase and extend our
export trade.
The value Of our imports from the West
Indies and South American States and other
countries far exceeds those of our exports 70
the same countries. The coffee, sugar, tea,
silks, dye woods, India rubber, hides, tropi-
cal fruits, ETC., ETC., that we import we pay
for largely in specie. Tho export trade we
have is carried on in foreign vessels. We
produce and manufacture those things that
are wanted, produced and imported by
the inhabitants of the countries we so largely
import from. Their wants are, however,
supplied by other countries that have the
ships to carry on this traffic. we have no
suitable ships with which TO engage in for
cign trade. Nearly all the goods we import
and export are carried in vessels belonging
to persons of other nations. Even our mails
to foreign countries are mostly carried in
foreign ships. We cannot hope to extend
our foreign trade, unless we own and sail,
under tho protection of the American flag
the United States and the countries we de-
sire to trade with. This much, think, is
conceded, and requires no further argument.
How then TO create, maintain and success
fully keep niioat such a commercial marine is
the question, and the only question. We
have the necessary capital, the skill and
push. Let it be shown how 1t
may be done and its accomplishment IS as
sured. The governments of the leading
maritime nations pay large sums TO compa-
niog owning lines of atpamship
ployed in foreign carrying trade, either as
subsidies or for carrying the mails, and also
exempt the property in them from taxation.
AS a rule the owners are taxed mere nom-
NAL rate on the profits only. The United
States pays no subsidies or large sums for
carrying its mails to any American compa-
nies of ocean steamship lines employed in
foreign trade, and the property in their ships
Is subject to local taxation upon an assessed
valuation Such foreign companies engaged
III foreign carrying trade receive large sums
OF money from their respective govern.
ments and pay little or no taxes,
while ours receive nothing from that
source ana have to pay out large sums in
taxes, II is this difference in the income and
expenditure that insures a continuance of
the prosperity of foreign lines, and stands in
the way of tho establishment of an Ameri-
can commercial marine. The successful es-
tablishment of American lines of merchant
ships would seem 10 clearly lie IN the direc-
tion of government aid and exemption from
taxation. And if government aid is neces-
sary to secure an efficient merchant marine,
considering the great advantages that would
accrue to the United States therefrom, sound
governmental policy should dictate that aid
be literally provided.
Should congress, however. think it not
good policy to vote such aid, there is no rea-
son why it should not provide for exemption
from taxation, as suggested, under proper re-
strictions. But it has been asserted that
congress is without constitutional authority
to exempt property Ill merchant ships from
| local or state taxation. in my next / shall
| cndeayor 10 show how such exemption may
| be provided for without violation of any Of
| the provisions of the constitution.
URIAu BRUNER.
WraT poIST Nah