Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-11-29
Senator Frye on Reciprocity.

The Lewiston journal recently pub
lished an interview with Senator Frye in
which some very interesting opinions
we're presented upon the great question OF
reciprocity and consequent enlargement
Of our foreign trade. senator Frye said ;
II have been considering the subject for
some time, in connection with my efforts to
revive our foreign-carryiug trade. Sue
cessful reciprocity with any country other
than Canada, AMI the restoration Of our
m. rchaut marine, are as inseparably con-
nected AZ were the Sismese twins. Two
bill. intended = accomplish the latter we're
reported by me from the committee on
commerce at the last session OF Congress
and passed the Senate. after consideration.
one known as the Tonnage bill,' intended
to encourage the maintaining OF frei9hiing
lines. the other as a postal subsidy bill. for
the establishment Of mail communications
with foreign nations swift, certain aud
direct. Neither of these bills proposes any
bounty for building. none being necessary
so lonc as the Law requiring American
registered vessels to be American built
remains unrepesied, for under that, what
ever demand is created must be responded
to In our own ship yards. Besides, under
the provisions of the Mckinley bill, all
materials for the building of vessels to be
engaged in the foreign-carrying trade are
admitted free Of duty. But governmental
assistance is required for the maintenance
of freighting lines. because in this business
they are exposed to competition with the
Grid and are without any protection
hatsoever. Every other great industry of
our country is protected, this alone being
left at the mercy of its FOES. France.
Spain or Italy can today drive any such
line from the ocean. Why? Because the
pay of officers and sailors under the flags
of these competing countries ia about fifty
per cent less than under ours, they keep
on board ship from forty 10 sixty per cent
less. while the aid rendered by their govern
ments gives them an enormous additional
advantage. Take tao STEAMBOATS, today
one Spanish, the other ours, of the came
size and speed, let them ply between New
York aud Buenos Ayres, and the difference
10 favor of the Spanish. from these causes,
is ten thousand dollars month. She can
carry freight for ave dollars ton and real
i've the same profit the American can from
seven dolsrs aud fifty cents a ton.
Equally necessary is the strong arm of
the government for the establishment and
maintenance of nail steamship lines. Every
maritime nation in the world, except ours,
recognizes this fact by the payment of very
large subsidies. while we discriminate
azains. our own flag and carry our mails
chi, Il Y under a foreign We pay about four
hundred thousand dollars a year for our
foreign mail service, three hundred and
fifty thousand of it to foreign vessels, and
make out of the business about = million
dollars Annually, while England pays from
three and half to four millions of dollars
year for Transporting her foreign mails,
at an annual cost TO her of million and q
half of dollars beyond her receipts from
postage.
"All the nations follow the example sci
hy England. The result is, the United
States has no fast mail line on the ocear
today. and is reduced 10 the humiliation OF
Transporting its mails under foreign flags
We have mails and are helpless to provide
for them in ships Of our own. We have ar
enormous foreign commerce, billion and
a half of dollars year. and cannot our
selves carry more than IL per cent of it.
| Now for the building up of trade with
/ ANY iUIClkh NbhhtiF tNhtf pHtH W st'
attempt, these swift and certain mail line,
are absolutely necessary. The me:chan
must know when the letter, the order or The
draft can leave, will arrive and the return
/ be made. He cannot, in these DAYS
be remitted to the slow freighter for hi
mails or his light and costly freights, an,
certainly will trade with ,hst country which
affords the requisite facilities
But the restoration of our flag on th'
ocean requires the enactment into Law o
both these bills. The steamer of four o.
five thougsnd tons, capable of msintainin.
at sea twenty knots an hour. cOnsumio,
from two to three hundrsd tons of coal I
DAY. employing in its handling from on,
hundred to one hundred and fifty men, ha
no room for coarse and bulky cargoes. au'
could not afford to carry them if she had
She must be the mail carrie, and the pilo
for commerce The Chicago Limited is
necessity nov, but the freight ,rsin csnno
be dispensed with. The same condition
attaches to the ocean and its commerce"
Blu. is not the bounty in the 'Tennsr
bill adequate for both clssses of vessels? ?
"Yes. Thirty cents a ton for each thous
and miles sailed is ample, and If il was Ger
tain to be the law for ten years would Civ
us sill the ships reQuired but no such Ger
tain,y atts ches TO It, nor cau. The enor
nous capital required for these swift maj
steamships. the immense cost of ihei
maintenance. ard the consequent. impossi
billy of employing them in ordinar
transportation. make It imperative that tn
parties entering INFO such enterprises shs
know in advance just Whist thew may Deepen
upon. The postal subsidy bill meets thi
. req liremeut by bouoty about the same
with authority in the postmaster general t
make contracts for its payment for a teri
of year
.But suppose. senator. you come bao
to RECIPROCITY for while
why, my desr sir, have never left
for a moment Reciprocity with an
South or Central American republic
and there is where we may ress onabl
look fer the creation of markt
would be only such in name wi'hou
mail steamship and fteighting lines of GU
) own. What. seed our mails and freight
. in an Enslish steamer to Liverpool, the
trsnsship and forward to Buenos Ayre'
The STANDARD G.
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