Wichita eagle., 1890-02-12
OUR MERCANTILE MARINE.

Every citizen OF the United States who
loves his country must feel mortified and
Inundated when he contemplates how
rapidly our ocean mercantile marine de-
I clined, and is interested in its restora-
ton, maintenance and prosperity.
In 1856 American-built and American
manned ships carried 70 per cent of
value of all the exports and imports of
the United States, and 80 per cent Of our
/ tonnage was exclusively in the employ
of foreign countries, earning freight
money to be sent home to augment the
capital of this country. In 1883 Ameri-
can-built vessels carried but IS per cent
of our exports and imports, and in that
year out of the 72,276, 900 bushels of
! grain exported, not one bushel was
transported in an American vessel.
The war was the cause of the decline
of our ship building and ocean carrying
trade, but the primary cause was the
substitution of steam power for wind
and the use of iron instead of wood in
| constructing ships.
Ship building was prosperous indus
try in the United States for years. as this
country controlled the best and cheapest
material-wood-and was most skiliful
in building ships. The first iron steam
ship was built in 1887. in England.
About 1851 it was evident that for all
practical purposes iron steamships were
superior to wooden vessels. England
commenced to lead in iron ship building
owing to her having superior appliances
and means and iron costing less there
than in the United States, where it was
protected by the tariff, the tariff en-
hanclng the cost of iron in this country
at that time about "a per cent. The en-
actment of law in the United States
prohibiting any citizen of this country
from owning any vessel built in for
eign country prevented the buying of
English built ships here, and as the de-
mand for our wooden ships decreased
and the demand for English built iron
vessels increased our ships disappeared
from the ocean. Our decline in wooden
ship building dates from 1866, falling
from 50, 600 tons in that year to AZ, 900
tons in 1856, $4,000 tons in 1868 and
1900 tons in 1860. The total tonnage of
every description built in the Uuited
States declined from 5S3 ,450 tons in 1866
to 212, 1922 tons in 1865.
In 1887, $500 steamers entered and
departed from our ports and not one
carried the United States flag. In 1888
the construction of iron and steel ships in
England amounted to 100000 tons. OF
this Germany had ordered $4,000 tons,
Portugal 20, 900 tons and France, Nor
way and the colonies 10000 tons. These
countries buy their ships where they can
buy them cheapest, or buy because they
can buy cheaper than they can build.
Under the existing tariff in the United
States it is safe to say that it is impossi-
bic to restore ship building to its former
prominence as one of the leading indus
tries of the country, and with the pres
ent tariff continued, and the law pre-
venting the owning of foreign built |
ships remaining in force, our carrying
trade on the ocean can not be materially |
unless it can be fostered and |
built up by the aid of government sub
is doubtful. From /
1867 to 1917 our government paid |
the Pacific Mail Steamship company
in subsidies $4.700.000. and to line /
operated between Brazil and this coun-
try, $1,S12, 900. The result was not sat
iSfactory, and the subsidies were dis |
continued. France has tried the sub
sidy system with like results. In 1888 |
Great Britain owned 70 per cent of the
worlds steam tonnage. and not 2 per |
cent did any direct service for the Brit
ish government, or was the recipient Of |
any subsidy, and, contrary to common
belief, Great Britain, IN 1889, paid
but So, 900. 900 directly for subsidies for
the support of her mercantile marine.
So the practical question before US
now is, shall we modify the present
tariff; repeal the present law preventing
Americans from owning foreign built
ships, and thus be enabled to regain our
former position as ship-builders and
ocean-trade carriers, or is it better,
everything considered. to maintain the
present tariff and let Great Britain con-
Linue to build the ships, and carry the
products of her own and other countries
ours includedl across the ocean,
There is ga happy mean between all
extremes" and on the line of SUI CHI mean
between high protective tariff, and
Tree trade, our ocean merchant marine
IAN be restored. The writer is indebted to
L pamphlet written by David A. Wells
;or the figures here given.
III.