The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-09-19
AMERlcAN SHIPPING.

They Becout Laws--Every Citizen OF the
United States should Interest himself In
These Questions
The Senate has passed the Farquhar
Subsidy bill, giving American built and
owned vessels of over 500 tons Is cents
per ton for the first 500 miles or fraction
thereof sailed outward and inward; the
same sum for the second 500 miles or
fraction thereof, and 80 cents for each
additional 1000 miles. and pro rata for
fractions, when the vessel is engaged in
foreign commerce. such vessels being
Differed by citizens of the United States
and carrying one native born apprentice
for each 1000 tons register. And 1t also
passed Senator Frye's Postal Subsidy
bill, giving subsidies to four classes of
steamers that shall be capable of main
tanning speeds of 90, 16, IA and IL knots
an hour, and be fitted to carry guns and
act as war vessels when required. They
are to receive So. 50. $3.50 and 81 per
mile as their only and maximum COM
pensation.
This is extremely opportune for the
industries OF the whole country, and
particularly so for those of the South;
for. in addition to the employment and
profits offered to the sixty odd trades
employed in shipbuilding, each 1000
tons of steamers built giving a years
employment to about seventy men after
the materials are laid down at the ship
yard, there is Just now, in consequence
of the high price of English coal, a very
good opportunity to introduce the con-
sumption OF Southern coal in Mexico,
the West India islands and in South
America This as has been noted, will,
by destroying large part of the carry
ing trade of English ships visiting such
ports, increase the freight on their man
ufactured wares, and to great extent
neutralize their advantage of cheap
freights, for which they have expended
SO much money. The coal carriers from
Southern ports soon commencing to
carry manufactures, will in short time
increase the sales of American goods to
such an extent as to call for steamer
service.
One admirable provision Of the bills
is that calling for an apprentice for
every 1000 tons, though it would have
been better If it had been fixed at one
for every 500 tons, for there are in all of
our large cities many boys who are
liable, through the freedom from re-
straint and the many temptations Of the
city, to go astray, but who under the
restraints OF shipboard would make ad-
mirable sailors and develop into bust
ness men of integrity. ALI such re-
sources to our boys have been cut of, as
there was neither incentive to ambition
nor even opportunity with our rapidly
diminishing shipping.
The sooner these new avenues for en-
ployment and trade are opened the bet
ter 1t will be for the country. Firstand
foremost would be the direct benefits
that would accrue to labor in the revival
of the shipbuilding industry. When
we have established our lines of steam
ers there will be at least hundred and
fifty millions of dollars annually saved
in freight and passenger rates. But the
greatest benefit will come to all indus
tries throughout the length and breadth
of this broad land in the extension of
our trade with foreign nations New
markets will be opened up for our sur
plus products. The universal testimony
of nations asserts that commerce fol-
lows the flag. Lindsay says that when
the Pacific Steam Navigation Company
first started. the trade that its protector
to develop was comparatively
and the prospects of the COM
pany at that time were far from en-
From 1850, he says, "the
trade Of the Pacific rapidly developed
itself The inhabitants of the coast
now saw the incalculable advantages to
be derived from regular and increased
intercourse between other countries
Steam here, as it has done everywhere
else, opened UP new and hitherto I'M
thought Of branches of commerce" In
deed, Lindsay regards 1t as an axiom all
through his great work on merchant
shipping that trade increases with reg
ular and rapid intercourse between ma
tons 1t was the argument used in the
French Parliament in support of the
Marine bill of 1851. Figures
were quoted to show how enormously
French trade had increased after the
of steamship lines to
South America and Eastern Asia
England" they said, has given the
Of using mail steamers as the
pioneers for the creation and extern
sion of commercial relations" There
are the South American peoples who
ire naturally pre1udiced in our favor as
against European countries, adjudging |
American goods the best in the market |
md raising in abundance products that
We use in large quantities Yet we can |
lot sell to them because We have made
Iuate communication with them. A |
was appointed in accord
lnce with an act of Congress ITO ascer-
ain and report upon the best modes of |
securing more intimate international
md commercial relations with the sew
raj countries of Central and South
America" The commission spent q
rear in visiting those Countries confer
ing with merchants and the represent
'tives of the various governments and
n their report made in 1885 used these
xact words: I'm truth the question of
rade between our country and South
America hangs, first of all and above
II, on an adequate steamship service.
An American dealer fills an
rider for a merchant of Montevideo or
'uenos Ayres. or Valparaiso. or Lima
y shipping the goods to. Liver
DOL, Hamburger, or to some other
European port and thence to be re-
hipped by some foreign line to his Gus
omer. In such a condition Of affairs
he struggle for supremacy in trade be-
ween our merchants and the European
) so unequal as to be absurd" All that
ich trade is down there waiting only
Or American steamships to develop it