Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-06-11
OUR MERCHANT MARINE.
MINORITY REPORT AGAINST THE
FREE SHIPPING hill.
1t would Not Help Our shipping.
The Chanae Would he saiisfac-
tory 10 England, so II is Claim
ed--No Appeal 10 Congress.


BY Associated Press.
Washington. June 10.-The Repub-
lican minority OF the house committee
on merchant marine and fisheries has
submitted to the house report against
the free chipping bin introduced by
Representative Fithian Of Illinois,
which the Democratic faction OF the
committee has recommended to the
house. Representative Perkins of Iowa
is the author of the report. and II also
bears the signature OF Representatives
Gillette OF Massachusetts and Phillips
OF Pennsylvania. THE measure is more
htly entitled to designation as a bill
to destroy American ship building In
the interests Of foreign countries,
says Perkins. .The report OF the ma
jority Is wholly occupied in placing
the worst possible estimate upon the
present condition of our merchant ma
rine. The minority are not disposed to
accept 80 dark view, nor disposed to
make argument wholly ON the darker
side.
would Not Help shipping.
THE majority oonhne themselves to
the most discouraging view of Amerl-
can competitive efforts. and make this
the only excuse for an abandonment
of a distinctive national policy that
has been undlsturbed throughout all
the successive changes of the party
and administration since its initiation
at the very threshold of our govern
ment. No attempt is made to claim
that the passage OF this bill into law
would prove helpful to the government
OF the United States or to the shipping
interests OF all citizens. The PROPOSE
tion is for an unconditional surrender
to foreign powers, both of the profits
ana safeguards involved in the main
tenance Of our independence as the
builder OF our own ships.
satisfactory 10 England.
THAT the adoption of this course
would prove highly satisfactory to
Great Britain and important marine
powers need not be questioned: that
1t would prove other than humlliatine
TO this republic, certain disgrace
and possible disaster may be ac-
eepted as equally probable"
The discussion OF the question: con.
tinues the report, may be carried ON
apart from the matter of "bountles"
and subsidies" to which the majority
VI the committee devote so much at.
tention.
1t is improbable that a bounty sys-
TEN in the sense pointed out would
be resorted to and Yet the statement of
an American shipbullder that steam-
ship owners who perform public SER
vice by transporting ocean mails un-
doubleday expect pay for 1t. and there
Is no reason why this country may
not pay for such service as well as
countries with which 1t Is chiefly In
competition During the year 1898,
England, France, Germany, Russia and
Italy paid roughly 1861. sG5 for trans
pOrtnton OF mails by sea.
Good ship Builders.
England is acknowledged TO have
been so entirely successful in Its mari
time policy that it is now urged as
useless for the United States to stand |
out longer against the complete DOM
inntlon by England OF the shipping of
this country. The question is asked
whether IL We are to depend upon for
egn ships because they are cheaper,
foreign countries should have been
depended upon for the new navy and
an Inferior line secured and thus re.
tard the DEVELOPMENT of Embellishments