New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-10
FREE TRADE IN SHIPS.
THE FTTHIAN BILL WOULD RUIN AN
AMERICAN INDUSTRY.
A1MITTING THE DREGs AND TRAMrs or FOR
r:rGN FLEETS SPICY COMMENTS
Dy CHARLES ~ CRAMP.
TBy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRlByNEI

IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TIlRVNE]
WASHINGTON Dec. 9--Chairman Fithian. Of the
House Committee on Merchant Marine is confident
that the ma jorty Of the Committee on ltues wa!
renort a specia! order for the consideration or Inc
Free Ship bill. and provide that a vote shaH ne
taken at the end of a certain time spec!neu' i"e
text of the bill has already been printed in ines
dispatches 1t is purely a free-trade measure anu
II enacted into law it VIII strike fatal BIO" 10 one
n the most important and necessary Of American
industries II vote can be reached in the House OF
Representatives. Chairman Flthan ana o'hci
free-traders strongly desire. the iniquitous meas
ule will probably pass that body, despite 'le I'N'
that the voters of the country, within rev weeks
have placed Republicans in two-thrds oil the seats
now occupied by members of the Democratic ma
jority
The bill goes much further than the one offered
in the House .ast year by Mr. Tracey, OF New-forh'
which provided that any foreign-built ship might
receive American registry II owned ny cl'%e!'' "a
the United States on condition that they woaid
build in American shipyard ship OF equa' ION
mage and value, and that the foreign snip so au'''
ted should not have been built within longer p
riod than eight years previous to her free ADMISSION
TO American registry. \ copy Of Mr.. Trace!S Dill
WAS sent to Charles H. Crarnp of Philadelphia. by
Mr. Chamberlain. the Commissioner of Navigation
for any he might desire to offer ana MI
Cramp promptly furnished them. In part, ne SAID:
The bill you propose. like others of similar pur-
Sumption that the existing state of our merchant
which it is fashionable to denounce as Obsolete. IL
is true that the NAVIGATION laws are nsem Enacted
in December 1I92. But If mere age renders law idM
obsolete then you would have to condemn the Noh-
stitution which is nearly three yearS older man al
the ma igation laws. The act of December 81
Grant marine was at its zenith of prosperity as
now. when it is PROSTATE THIS is a lac, Mh. zen
why a law which promoted. or. If you choose. per,
mit:ed such prosperity as our merchant niaidne
t trary effect in 1895
You remark in your letter that under present s,
cred This is another Fashionable m.sapplica-
any subsidy Steamship owners who perform the
public service OF transporting mans eNpvIo' pa;
when paid to a railroad company for carrying
mails should be called compensation and when
H.subsdy'' The maritime Powers Of Europe pAd
last year $,6.e57se5 for transportation OF thTir
lngs per ton per annum. which England pays ioT
the vessels enrolled in the auxiliary feet But
have never heard such payments described as
subsidy" 1t seems that mail pay becomes SUD
sdy only when PAID to American be
recalled in order to satisfy the Anglomana wh h
d denbes So viii Be the leas harmful form Of sub
stituton But the causes Of the existing depression
of the American merchant marine are not 10 De
found in the OF December 81. l'2 They are
the result o. persistent and dSi6erate promGoon
neglect Of it, worse. by our government lhS.
of ,hree ships plying between Vancouver ani CHINA
Germany gives subventon to ships. plying under
SO much as touching any German por; France
pays a tonnage bounty. Russia maintains what !.
known as a volunteer fleet" which are merchaht
Steamers In peace convertible into cruisers for war
The United States initiated an naosous p9 ,rc5
though on a niggard,y scale. by the act or March
g. 1891, and why not give American snip'u n.
ann Tbe prese; depression Of shipping nicres,
&c due TO general causes aai wheneVe. tne gem Ia!
financial situation is relieved there VII De gedte
arvity in shipping matters than az any tim, since
1859 know this because we are sbi9r which
era era be ordered as soon as financial situation
becomes easier . oo, -,
A few weeks later ION February 10. 1894 Mr.
Cramp wrote letter on the same SUBJECT u MI
Tracey in which he said:
The bill as whole seems to he based upon n. the
idea Of giving genera scSpg ana and d Paris were adj
United TO American registry ana oo}ec o tho
New-York and Paris bill
After reminding Mr.. Tracey that the America"
merchant marine had enjoyed its highest prosperity
as well as suffered its creates; depression unue'
tho nave tlon avs which have been the statute
hook for more than a century, and suggesting ,i-'
it would require method OF reasoning - shoN
that they have operated both ways. Mr. Cranp con-
tinued:
However is no; ny purpose 70 discuss KEW KEW
main nrooositlon. | speak only OF section T. W ~
go back eighp years? At his tine tha s .in w c
t in the dress Of 5ns Enssn Tamps whc
every English ship-owner wants 10 se;l-lioin t i
DoIoH goT Ui new e and improved tonnage the Top In
The case OF the New-York and Paris We got the Dc
act This IS very different proposition from o you,
section II YOU ws 1 TO %on firn no hSe the Cd
The Lame and the malt. You would. II possible. re-
strict nd b yoS Sale 8ew %he do not
peal of the navigation laws in any form Is rgqua,,'
that must be done the oI P5pc RDri l6e
SS Sqr g barring your Section OF eourse
even with that section left H. you wSala Sc, neM
on!y s' half Of the accreHon would be decrepi' Why
any lame ducks at alp , ,. ..yr,,
build in American shipyards vessel or yesse
Of an aggregate tonnage and value aGo,t,ed t,
registry Now Section is inconsistent WIN IN, ' sn
anguage and would defeat s eS}e except by limit
ing the privileges TO absolutely ne" Snpin, q
example ont a the w sne "ot or owned in whole
mart by an ellen aliens. and insert inc woIus
pTey ,Snk you viii agree With TIA, IN
grand desderatum is to get only one oe Ss S Th
opera,ion ton OF your Section would defeat it,
But the House Committee has gone much fur
ther and the pending bill imposes no limitations
or conditions whatever. Any vessel that VIII noat
M matter what her age condtion-the "dreSs
and cramps" OF every foreign merchant fleet
could be brought In free OF duty and the puf
chasers would not be obliged to buy or puiIh al
ounce OF tonnage in American shipyards. Whei
Mr. Cramp was asked few days ago whethe
American shipbuders could compete WIN ihos
~ C:reat Britain in case the bill should become
law he replied:
mot without further legislation
"What further legislation would be required?
he was asked.
..Well." he replied. IAN amendment might d
added TO the Fithan BILL reducing the wages o
American workmen In the shpyards OF the ,hite'
States to the British level For example something
IKE this. Provided that hereafter the wages o
American pattern makers shall be 80 week IN
stead OF SIS week now; OF American machih
lists IS 50 a. week instead Of $50; OF American boiler
makers IS 50 instead Of SIS. and so on Throughout
the thirty odd general trades represented In first
c,ass sbinvard IL the Commissioner of Navigation