New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-18
Az UNPROTECTED INDUSTRY

The dcc9dcncc of American shipping in
tercsts is attributed by Free Traders to the
operation of the protective tariff. Before
1861 they are in the habit of saying. the
American commercial marine could hold its
own against the world but for thirty years
under high tariffs it has been anguiShing until
at last it has been virtually ciaced from the
HIGH seas. Could there be moro direct
demonstration, they inquire, of the ineXpedi-
cncy of the policy of artiiiclally fostering
American industries by restrictions upon for
cicn competition than is offered by the decline
of the American carrying trade since the adOp-
ton of the war tariff This question must be
answered without cquivocation ly advocates
of either shipping bOuntcS or steamship sub
sides.
The decline of the American carrying trade,
so far from demonstrating the inherent weak
ness of the protective system, Is one OF the
strongest possible proofs of its efficiency and
power That trade is almost the only one
which has derived no benefits from the tanfi
legislation of the last thirty years. Something
has been done to foster and develop other IN
dustrics which were brought into competition
with foreign capital and labor. Nothing has
terests which were menaced with destruction
by European cheap labor and Government
patronage. American factories manned with
American wage-carnerS have been aided by the
tariff in competing with English and German
factories in which cheaper labor IS employed
American ships with American crews have not
been protected by the tariff III competing with
English. German, French. Norwegian, Italian
and Spanish ships manned with cheap labor
All other American industries are prosperng
because the tariff directly or indirectly provides
an offset for the difference between well-pah
and ill-paid labor. The American commercial
marine has declined because it has not received
the fostering care of the protective system, but
has been left exposed TO the mercilcss com
petition of European shipping with the i'll
paid sailors on the decks and Government
hountics and subsidies behind them. II j. not
Protection which has driven the American flag
from the high seas. 1t is the lack OF Plotcc-
ton which has effected the collapse of the
American carrying trade.
Why was the commercial marine prosperous.
the Free Trader will rejoin. before lsGi. and
under no necessity then OF asking for hounuc>
and subsidies? Because the conditions oil
shiDbWlding ana navigation hiu lOl '''H 'iiHo
formed. 30 long as wood was the material
usod almost exclusively for the construction
of vessels Americans had decided advantage
in their ample supplies Of cheap timber, and
could compete with Europeans even with the
wacc-scale against them. But when iron was
| largely substituted for wood as the best and
most durable material for steamships the ad-
vantage formerly derived from cheap timber
was lost. The American commercial marine
al the close Of the war bad either been sunk
| bv the Alabama. transferred 10 the English
fac in consequence Of high insurance risks. or
| worn ont in the service Of the Government
II could not be replaced with an iron fleet when
| England had relatively the same advantage IN
cheapncss of material which the United states
had formerly enjoyed.
Inland commerce and vessels engaged in the
coasting trade were protected by law against
foreign competition, and instead Of anguish
ing during the last thirty years they have pros
pcrcd The foreign carrying trade has NOT
been fostcrcd in any way but has been SyS-
tcmaticaly neglected and left at the mercy
Of foreign cheap labor and subsidized corpora
| tions