The Republican journal., 1892-07-14
Senator Frye on American ships.

~ o1leH u ldle dS many would WISH DltL
at the great celebration of the Glorious
Fourth at Henry Bowen's grove. his voice
rang out loud and clear for American
ships. Said the Senator:
We assert that not protection, but the
entire absence of it, has wrought the ruin
OF this most important national indus
try, and believe that this is susceptible of
demonstration. The wonderful career of
England illustrates it, To attain her pre-
sent position upon the ocean she pursued
persistently most remarkable protective
policy. She permitted the importation of
bulky articles in British ships only: al
lowed no foreign ships to engage in her
domestic trade, and permitted no trans
portatlon of merchandise from one British
colony to another in foreign vessels; al
lowed no imports into any British posses
sion by foreign vessels, except those be
longing to the country of growth. pro-
ducuon or Manufacture, and then only
when three-fourths OF the crews We're cit
liens If the same country.
She allowed no vessel to receive British
| registry except those built in her own do
minions. entirely owned, otficered and
three fourths manned by her subjects,
and never opened her registry TO foreign
built ships uutil 1912. d change of policy
then necessary. She could not possibly
supply her own shipping; timber Had be
come exceedingly scarce and very cNpen-
sive, while iron had hardly become a fac
tor in the problem. She then bought some
of our ships: found shortly that the eNper-
iment OF iron ships was a success: at
once devoted her entire attention to build
| ing them. From then to now she has en-
couraged iron shipbulding. compelled All
Of her subsidized lines to build steamers
of iron OF steel. rebuilt her navy of the
same materials, very largely in private
yards, to induce the establishment of
great shipyards and their maintenance
She never opened up her coastWse trade
until she knew that no nation could OBJ
tain any share of it in competition with
her; until she believed that We, in response.
would open ours and She with her i'm
mense advantages, could successfully COM
pete for it.
In 1885 England inaugurated her sub
Sidy policy for the establishment and
maintenance of great steam lines on all
the important routes of ocean traffic and
has paid out over $50, 600, 900 to carry it
out. She has commenced by paying about
-, 600, 600. gradually increased until in
1851 the annual expenditure was 50, $50
600. Her payments decreased during our
Civil War. She then feared no compe-
tition OF ours; but soon after its close.
when we were making an effort to recover
lost ground 10y the act of February, 1867,
granting subsidies to the Pacific Mail.
they at once increased until the year 1870,
when they amounted to 50, 1O7, al. Find
ing that our effort was only spasm they
gradually reduced, until in 1889, the last
year for which | have the report, She
paid 50, 2lO, 434
The first American steamer put on the
route between New York and Liverpool,
was the Omitted States built in 1917;
she made one round trip.
The Cunard company being then heav-
lily subsidized, could and did reduce
freights from eight pounds to four. In
1888 the first British steamer crossed the
Atlantic to our ports. In 1899 the Cum
ard line commence ed regular service Eng
land gave it an annual subsidy of S425-
900. In 1850 this subsidy was increased
to $3.50, 600, then to S735. 600, then in
1So2 it was made $3.50, 600. The Collins
line subsidized by us. was put ON to this
route i'll 1850 England didn hesitate a
moment to increase her subsidy to the
Iunard line for the sole purpose of driv-
ing off our line The competition reduced
llelSlllS 1U Pc cent, ana III elSnt years
we ended the subsidy and the Collins line
died. The steamers of the Peninsula and
Oriental Steamship Company received as
subsidy 81. 26 a nautical mile, besides mail
pay to India and Australia.
To establish lines to West Indies, Bra
I'll, the River Plate Country and the west
coast OF South America. Great Britain
paid the Royal Mail Steam Packet Com
pany 81, $50, 600 annually.
Now do not propose to argue to intel
Ggent men that England, in the payment
of these enormous annual sums, had in
view the encouraging of her merchant
marine, rather than the carrying of her
mails The sums paid. the manner of
paying conclusively prove it to any mind
open to conviction. Since the Crimean
war England has seen the necessity of
naval reserve, and is paying now annual
ly to a large number of fleet passenger
steamers from SO, 900 to $50, 600 each, be-
sides mail pay. What has been the result
of this prohibition, protection and en-
rouragment of England? She built in
1889, 50 per cent. of all the vessels
launched in the world that year. She
owns today over one-h half of the tonnage
and nearly one half of the 30, 900 steam
and sailing ShipS of the whole world