Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-31
OUR MERCHANT MARINE.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COM
mis- sIONER OF NAVIGATION.
Domestic and Coastwise Commerce Pro-
moted by Favorable Legislation.
The Trans Atlantic Trade
.-~ LaDguishing.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 80 e. 9. O'Brien,
commissioner of navigation, in his an
nual report expresses the opinion that
the exclusion of foreign vessels from
participation in our domestic and coast
wise commerce, provided by the act OF
1873, has alone saved our shipbuilding
and shipping interests from ruin, and
that in this absolutely protected branch
of our merchant marine we have OBJ
tanned success in nautical affairs far sur
passing that Of any other nation on the
globe.
Referring to shipping on the great
lakes, the commissioner notes an in
crease il tonnage from I'll, ,269 tons in
1882, to 1 1888 .582 tons in 1892, and says
it now embraces feet of large steam
vessels, models Of beauty and efficiency.
fHeeays while American steam navi-
Isation has been absolutely driven from
S1e tran6-Atlantic trade, it survives on
the Pacific ocean first, for the reason
that the trans Pacific lines are liable to
sustain themselves, through association
with an absolutely protected steamer
line between New York and San Fran
circo. and the benefit of the protection
which arises from their association with
transcontinental railway line.
The commissioner, however, calls at
tention to what he regards threaten
ing danger on the Pacific, and says the
fact that the Dominion government has
enabled the Canadian Pacific railway
to construct it's line across the
continent and place on the Pacific
ocean line of steamers which receives
from the Canadian and British govern
ment an annual subsidy of $600,O0 a
year, which is five times the amount
paid annually to American steamers
carrying to and from Asia, which several
times exceed in magnitude the mails
carried by the Canadian line. The total
annual subversion to this combined
Canadian and British government line
of railroad and steam navigation
amounts to about $10,000.0O0 year.
Besides, the Dominion government has
passed statute in terms allowing
the Canadian Pacific to discriminate
unjustly against American transporta-
tion lines, and in order to make the
securing of the Asiatic trade that gov
ernment has imposed duty on tea and
coffee when imported into Canada from
the United States. ~
Commissioner O'Brien regards all this
as an assault upon the dignity. as well
as upon the commercial and shipping
| interests of the United States, and as a
protective measure recommends the i'm
position Of a discriminating duty upon
| Asiatic goods when imported into the
| United States from Canada.
While the tonnage of American-buili
vessels employed in the protected do
mestic trade of the country has ad
vanced, the unprotected foreign com
mercc branch of our merchant marine
has declined. He does not regard the
measures of relief already adopted al
!. adequate to the restoration of American
shipping engaged in foreign commerce
The commissioner says the adoption
of the house committee on merchant
marine and fisheries for admitting
foreign built vessels to both our do
mestic and foreign trade would in
flict upon the ship-building and ship
owning interests more severe blow
than it received from the confederate
cruisers during the late war.