Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-06-14
Am. ricsn Ships Versus Foreign Ship
ping

The Commercial BglIe 10, u New York,
/. an Intelligent r.presentsii" d the
Fre. Trade doctrines and interests. IL IL
rss.onaily fair in its statements and ar
gun int, but ia peculiar economic Vie~s
n.e,,asrily give coloriBg u what u has o"
say - American manufaefnr"s commerce.
ant Shipping. The vast importing inter-
e.r. II the great eopmercia' metropolis
% much cngross ia attention that II can
mot well comprehend how much more
important and extensive ia the nome
trade u thi. country, which il chiefly fos-
tered and maintained BY the manufaetnr-
iny and other productive industries OF
the American t,eopie II j. not strange,
Therefore. that the New York Commercial
HuIl.,In Ia In favor o, free ships, and Of
ALLOW ing the American ship-yard- 70 take
care II Themselves in a hopeless compe-
,itnn i,h the foreign 'hip-yards ruh by
cheap labor.
Bat the Boston Commercial Bulletin
helm w.. IN American Protection not only
f.,t our factories and labor, but for A'n"r'-
can .bip. and -bip-yards. II clearly aces
Tho. si,aurdity pf the free ship Idea a. a
mran. 10 restore our mer hant marine
JIete t. y hat that journal has 10 lay In
fav,ir 81 = tonnage bounty:
To sum up. calculations show that. on &C
count u subsidy payments, Spanish 'lnp
can carry cargo SO per cent less than az
-. fgRu nj
English ship. ~ per cent less; a German
ship. ~ per cent less, and 80 on. In view
Of these facts 1t ia plain that the admission Of
foreign built ship. 10 American registry will
not meet the requirements Of the case, but
that subsidy is necessary to place our ship
mn in the foreign trade on an equal footing
with foreign vessels The pay ment Of a
foprsye bounty would enable the government
To have merchant steamers constructed on
plan. approved by the Navy Department 81
that they could be easily turned into service
able cruisers IN time OF gar
Not only do the British -hipyar,ls on
the clyde have cheap labor and the
advantage Of iron made by cheap labor
but they have the enormous patronage OF
those grent British stenm-liDe coinpan o.
when nave tHfN TOT lhdH1 3fhi- w "iHE
large subsidies from the British Govern
ment Treasury. It il plain that American
ship ow nrrs cannot pay higher rate ol
wage. Tor 4hip'- officers and seamen, aud
compete successfully with British ship'
directly and Indirectly favored by th'
Government, any more than American
manufacturers can pay more Tor their fh"
material and higher rate of wages fol
workman. aud ain compete With the for
eIgn producers without the Protection
arising from the duties on the imported
articles. 1hu4 IL il clearly obviou'
that the only possible way ioi
American shipyards and American
shipping to increase aud prosper is II
give, them the same protection that l. tx
tended to other industries and interests
This IA what the leading nations of Europe
arru4w doing, even with their cheap labor
aud precisely what Great Britain ha- long
h.rn dniug though she has been foi
m,ut Ncnrs boa. tiug of her Free Trade
Ia 80 IL This country who are rhmorou-
fni TRIO hips are h"pclesSly blinded by
TIN, f. datfriaair, Free Trade notions, oI
ARE vill1 Z that \mcrican ships should be
sNctt IT, m The -cn-, and American ship
ynr,l- ., io ruin md decay.