Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-06-08
rhs Restoration Of shippsng.

The Restoration OF Shipping.
An article on the restoration Of Amer1-
can shipping, in the current number Of
the North American Review, by Nelson
Dingley. member Of Congress from
Maine, acquires special interest from the
fact that Mr.. Dingley has been the recog-
nized leader Of his party In shipping legi--
lation for several years. Nov that the
party Il in the majority in Congress, his
statement may De regarded a. al outline
of the legislative programme 20 far a. ~
ha. been formulated, or any member OF
Congre.. "a In position to forecast It,
FOR .everal years Mr.. Diugley ha- dev0t-
ed himself 70 the correction of minor de-
feet. Of the navigation Law. and has
brought forward .eries Of bills remoy-
ing burden. and restriction. nsediezsly
imposed on shipping. These bills have
commanded the approval Of congress ana
the President, and represent the sH'h OF
the shipping legislation Of recent years
These sO-calied Dingley bill, although
Of minor importance. have been whole
.ome and well directed, and have afford
ed some relief from burdens imposed
by our antiquated and -ensele.- nayiga-
ton laws. While accomplishing good
work in this direction however, Mr.. Ding
ley ha. per.i-tentiy opposed the so-cailed
free ship policy, and ha- been jealous
advocate 1f bounties and Subsidies. There
ia nothing surprising, therefore, in Thu
late., declaratio' Of hi. views. except the
audaclty with which the programme Of
the bounty seekers l. act forth IN IT. full
extent The presentation i the more in
trre.ting for the fact that the ritter evil
IDENTIFY believes that congress IL likely to
follow the programme which he outlines.
What Mr. Dingley proposes IL simply a
merchant marine fostered and maintained
from fret 10 la.t hy appropriations from
the public treasury. starting with the
assumption that the trilest principle would
be the exclusion Of foreign competition
from our ocean commerce as well a. our
domestic navigation. he -ays; IF We
could return to the policy OF imposing di--
terminating dues and duties on foreign
vessels and their cargoes, which was In
nugufated by the founders of our govern
ment and finally discarded in 1850, this
protection against foreign competition
would be ample to restore our shipping in
Fs
of maritime reciprocity has been adopted
by nearly all commercial nations on our
own invitation, II would probably lead to
rcpri-al4 II W. should now attempt to re-
turn 10 the old policy
Thus prevented from returning to a
~ stem which civilization and enighten-
lnent have outgrown, the only alternative
that Mr. Dingley sees Is to adopt some
other policy that will ueutralile the all
yantages which foreign vessels have over
American vessels from the OCEAN The
free-.hip policy i rejected on the ground
that orr merchant marine must be com
posed Of American built vessels "at what
eyer cost
The policy TO which Mr.. Dinglcy gives
his unrc-crvcd approval il ~ follows
The gov 'rnment should begin by cncour-
aging the enlargement Of old ship-ynrds
aud establishment of new ones on the At
lautic, Pacific and Gulf coasts and on the
Great Lakes. The government should pay