The Portland daily press., 1894-07-13
Taxation OF American shipping.
(New York Post

~
(New York Post.)
A very striking memorandum has been
presented by Mr.. Eugene Cham berlain,
commissioner of the Bureau of Naviga-
tion in the Treasury Department., exhi-
biting some of the causes that hinder
the progress of our mercantile marine
The principal cause, and indeed a
sufficient cause, appears to be the bur-
den of taxation. In Great Britain, Ger
many, and France, only the earnings of
shipping are taxed, and Austria Il hungary
has recently suspended for five years the
taxation Of its vessels engaged in foreign
trade. Even the taxes upon earnings are
very light, as appears from the reports
of the great steamship companies. Thus
the Cunard Company, which puts the
value of it's assets at $9,7oo,0OO, the ton
mage being 112, 900, paid a tax of but $l3,-
973, the North German Lloyd Company
with a valuation of $15.SO0, 900 and a
tonnage of 225, 097, paid $22, 244 in taxes,
and the Hamburg Company, with ton
mage nearly as large, although the val
uation is but two-thirds as great. paid
$15,621. The French Compagnle Generate,
returning a tonnage of 49, 900, was taxed
$34, ST. The Peninsula and Oriental
Comps ny, with the same tonnage as the
Hamburg Line, although with some
what larger valuation, paid $27, 500. The
Pacific Steam Navigation Company paid
tax of but SO, 1922 on it's $4,000 tons
of.shipping. The Loyd-Austrian Com
pany, before the recent exemption, paid
ST., 592 in taxes on it's 1879. 900 tons, and
the Italian Company pad nearly the same
on tonnage of III, ia.
In this country certain exemptions ex-
ist. Delaware exempts shipping from all
taxation. New York and Alabama ex-
empt their shipping engaged IN foreign
trade, and Pennsylvania extends her ex-
emption to vessls engaged in interstate
commerce. Massachusetts,, New Hamp-
shire, and Connecticut tax only the earn
ings of their shipping engaged in foreign
trade. AS rule it appears that vessels
engaged in domestic trade are assessed
great many cases it is impossible to dis
tinguish their existence 1t is not even
clear that the exemption of vessels en-
gagged in foreign trade extends to the
stock of corporations owning such vessels.
1t is altogether impracticable to obtain
any complete and accurate returns upon
this subject, but Mr.. Cham berlain has
collected number of extremely telling
facts. AS much remains untold, it is
evident that his figures minimize rather
than exaggerate the burden.
For instance, there can be no question
that the commercial marine properly
belonging in Chicago is very great. But
the assessment rolls show only $500, 900
worth of shipping owned in that city.
The QYnIQn fi0n fn ha for1nd in he
fact that the assessors some years age
| taxed vessels at their full insuraDle value.
which compelled the owners to transfer
their property to other ports. Ia Buffalo.
on the other hand, there is in pfac-
tice no assessment of taxes upon vessels.
In States where the practice of" looming"
prevails, of course the amount of shin
ping taxed does not appear AS city
limits are not coterminous with customs
districts which, latter furnish the ton
mage returns the figures as to tonnage
give an overstatement Of the tonnage
upon which the city taxes are Levied.
Thus from Belfast, Maine, there are
the city lax of $s44 was collected from the
owners of only 2, $50 tons. The remainder
was owned, valued for assessment. and
paid taxes not inelu led in the tables of
this memorandum, at numerous places
in the vicinity of Belfast.
Making these allowances, there are
some astonishing Instances of apparently
Cham berlain. The State of Maine is
commonly thought to be interested in
encouraging shipping: but If the three
greaG transatlantic lines were owned in
that State and assessed at the valuation
given above, theyscould not be operated;
for the taxes imposed upon them would
nave been greater than the amount they
nor oc dIuid In n.@ 80
has feet of sailing vessels of which
the tonnage is 60. 206, and the assessed
value 100000. The city tax upon this
little fleet is greater than that paid by
the Cunard Company to Great Britain.
Coming down the coast, we find that
the Gloucester marine, all sailing vessels,
is 50, 81 tons, assessed at 81, 422,15O and
taxed $23, 465-more than is paid by the
North German Lloyd Company on it's
225, 900 tons, valued at over ST. 900. 900.
The taxation on shipping at Charleston.
S. c., is five times heavier than that lev
led by Great Britain or Germany. The
burden of taxation upon shipping in
Georgia appears to be four times heavier
than in France, and nearly six times
heavier than in Germany. In fact
American shipping paid more in taxes at
Savannah last year than the Cunsrd
Company paid to the British government.
So at New Orleans, $4,000 tons of ship
ping paid over S39, 900 in taxes more than
the two great German lines paid to their
government. Similar figures are given
for the ports upon the great lakes If
we are to reach out for the trade of the
world, under the anticipated relief from
tariff exactions, it is evident that we
must consider how far we may be handi
capped by heavier taxes upon our shipping
than are borne by our foreign competi-
tors.