The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1891-03-24
WHAT THE SHIPPING BILL WILL DO.

Now that the Mail Contract bill has
become a law ii is well to consider what
ITS effects are likely to be. Ii is COM
monty spoken OF as bill for the restora-
ton OF our merchant marine, but those
who expect very substantial results
in this direction viii be disappointed. 1t
can hardly call into existence more than
forty or fifty new steamers of 150,0 900 or
2O0, 0,000 tons in all. This will not go very
far toward matching the 10000, 600 tons
OF British shipping, the 2.5o0,000 tons
that We had in the foreign trade before
the war, or even the 100000 tons we
still have in the same trade after thirty
years of tariff starvation. Subsidies will
not build mp great merchant marine
1t takes freedom and individual enter
prise to do that-but they may perform
certain special services OF value.
In the first place the aided lines will
give our merchants rapid and regular
mail communication with their custom
ers. 1t will be possible for Z South
American importer to send an order TO
New York or San Francisco, and know
definitely how soon it will be filed.
Again, the representatives OF American
firms viii find it convenient to visit
other countries to solicit trade, and for
eigners will be able to come more easily
to America TO inspect our processes.
In the next place We shall be almost
entirely relieved of the necessity of add
ing new cruisers to the navy, and can
eonfne ourselves principally TO coast de-
tense vessels. The new mail steamers
will supply us with commerce destroyers
in time OF war.
Finally, we shall be able to fortiiy our
trade at strategic points, such as San
Francisco, where rivals now threaten to
suppiant US. The position of Vancouver
is purely artificial. 1t is built up by
Government aid and nothing else. The
Shipping bill will enable the American
steamer lines centering ct San Francisco
to maintain themselves against this
unfair competition.
The Pan-American Conference made
some recommendations on shipping
manners which are of interest at this
time. With regard 10 the Pacific trade
the conference advised that the nations
lying along the western coast OF the
continent should subsidize one or more
lines OF steamships OF the first class, TO
make regular voyages between San
Francisco and Valparaiso and interme-
diate ports. These vessels were 10 make
bi-mOnthly trips, ct least, each way, and
were to be OF nos less than 1000 tons,
with triple expansion engines OF not less
than $500 horsepower and minimum
speed OF fifteen knots. The various ma
tions along the Pacific were to pay, in
proportion to population, subsidy not
exceeding in the aggregate so cents per
gross registered ton for each thousand
miles sailed, outward and homeWard.
For = vessel OF 5000 tons this subsidy
would be equivalent to SS per mile on the
outward voyage. The Shipping bill au-
thorizes the payment to such steamer
OF 81 per mile. The contributions o. the
Spanish American countries would not
quite make up the S. To get any SUBJ
sidv at all under the Pan-American re-
concentrations the Pacific Mail, or
whatever company might bid, would
have TO furnish vessels OF at least 1900
tons, which would come in the third
class under the Shipping bill and would
be entitled to only 81 per mile. 1t would
pay the company to increase the size of
its ships to 5000 tons, so as to come
within the 81 class.
One of the first fruits of the Shipping
bill is likely to be 3 through line from
San Francisco to Valparaiso, whatever
may be the character of the steamers
composing it. And as the inducements
increase so rapidly with the size of the
ships, there is good reason to hope that
at last we shall see some vessels fit to
bear comparison with those on the At
lantic.-IExaminer.