The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-18
THE SUBSIDY BILL.

There is no answer to the arguments of
Mr. Bingham. Chairman Of the House Com
mittee on PoStoffices and Post Roads, on the
subject of ocean subsidies. Doctrinaires
may argue from theoretical standpoints
against the principles of the bill reported by
Mr. Bingham, but he gives facts which can
not be gainsaid. 1t will be grave misfor-
tune if Congress adjourns without acting on
the bill.
Forty-two years ago II per cent of the
foreign commerce of the United States was
carried in American ships and considera-
bic proportion of the commerce of foreign
nations. Now we only carry Is per cent
of our own commerce and none at all of
the commerce of other countries. The de-
cline in our shipping began thirty years ago,
when England inaugurated the policy of
substituting lines Of steamers. If we had
followed her example Immediately after the
war there is every reason to believe that
we would have had mercantile marine as
large as hers and that we should have re-
tanned the proportion of the carrying trade
which we held before the war. In dollars
we should have been large gamers.
Mr.. Bingham estimates the aggregate sum
paid out for freight-money on goods inl-
ported into and exported from this country
during the past thirty years at S3,000,000,O0
OF this over so per cent, or S2,400, 000.C00,
has been paid to foreigners. To have in
duced our ship-builders to build and our ship
owners to run lines of steamers equal to
those OF the English, so as to retain the pro-
portion of the carrying trade which we held
before the war, would have required annual
subsidies amounting in the aggregate to
about 5000 600 a year, or S150,G00,000 for
the thirty years. Thus by an outlay Of
S150,000,00O spread over thirty years we
should have retained business which
would have yielded gross not less than
200, 100000.
The carrying trade is only one branch of
business which we have sacrificed. Trade
follows the flag. If we had had American
steamers in every port that is frequented by
European steamers, we should have sold
nearly as many goods in those ports as the
Europeans have. General VaDdever OBJ
served the other day that the attempt to
compete with Europeans in South American
markets would prove futile, because the
Europeans have the start of us. But why
have they the start? Simply because the
only transportation they possess is Euro
pean, and their inhabitants naturally trade
with the nations whose ships ply TO their
doors. Chile, for instance. sends one-half
her exports and receives one-half her i'm
ports from England. About three per cent
of her foreign trade is with the United
States. Does any one suppose that the dis
tribution would be so unequal if we had
line Of steamers running between San Fran
cisco aud Valparaiso? Chile imported, in
the last year for which we have returns,
S11, 10000 of textiles, 5,64S, 900 OF machin-
cry and tools and $780,. 600 of furniture and
household goods. All of these we can fur
nish as cheaply as Europeans and of better
quality than their goods. Yet Chile got them
from Europe because there are four lines Of
steamers connecting Valparaiso with Euro
pean ports
There are few measures before Congress