The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-19

ORR MERCHANT MARINE.

A few years ago a law was passed by
congress admitting TO American registry
two English-built steamships, the City OF
New York and the City OF Paris. The law
was enacted with the condition that two
equally well-built vessels should be con-
etructed In this country. One of them, the
ST. Louis. Is finished and In the Atlantic
eervice: the other will probably he COM
rieted next year. AS all these steamships
~ the Stars and Stripes ii has been
thought by many that a new era is open
Sng for American shipping; that the seas
once ruled by us as merchantmen are to
he regained. and that day of maritime
prosperity has really dawned for the
American people.
In this connection It IS interesting to
note the recent profits made by the steam
ship lines OF Great Britain. the mistress
Of the seas. the nation with which all
others must compete. Out OF 147 state
ments II Is found that thirty-sx compa-
MES paid no dividends at all, thirty-nine
paid less than s per cent. seventeen paid
silghtly ever s. eleven paid or and a
fraction, and forty-seven paid per cent
or over. The Cunard company. for exam
pie. paid per cent. in 1890. per cent in
1891. per cent. in 1899 and 1893 and nothing
last year. but during that period II has
built and put in commission the Campania
and Lucania, two modern leviathans. cost
Ing three or four million dollars each.
Her shipping has always been the apple
Of Britains eye. She has fostered II I'm
every way man could conceive OF. Boun-
ties. subsidies. liberal shipping laws.
reasonable port egulations-everythinr
which would build UP her maritime
interests-has been tried and whatever
served tho purpose has been adopted. As
. result. on the ocean British bottoms
practically carry the merchandise OF the
world. She Is envied by all nations whose
people so down to the sea I'm ships. and
by none moro than tho United States. the
merchantmen of which at one time were
FOUND I'm every .aoI. all over the globe. and
were feared as competitors by every sea-
faring people that sought portion Of the
carrying trade.
In view OF the constant agitation now
heing made TO determine what NAV be
done 10 revive our shipping. II is wcu "a
look at the influences which were instru-
mental in raising our marine 20 so high
rank IN the early days OF the republic.
Two systems Of protection TO our ocean
carrying trade were adopted by Hamilton
and Madison IN i5Se. one Disseminated
by duties IN favor OF goods brought in
American bottoms and the other discriuI-
cd IN
irving in American ports For example
teas. II brought in ships all the way from
China. paid a duty Of only from 6 70 -
cents per pound. ana x brought, IN Amer.
lean ships from Europe only from 70 y
cents FER pound. But Il brought from
China IN foreign ships they paid from IS "a
u cents per pound.
The result was marvellous growth =,
our shipping. The trade was thrown into
the hands OF American owners with no in
crease In tho rates OF freight. bn. rather
with marked decrease. because OF The
rapid increase IN the competition OF Amer
scan vessels. Our tonnage in the foreign
trade grew from i27.sa tons IN l7Ss 70
SIS sos tons Ia 1907, while the British ton
os.es5 tors sn i7ss 60 10 50 tons in l-es
This splendid showing would no doubt
have been maintained had not English
high-handea ousrages on the seas called
forth JeSerson's emharxo and finally re.
suited in the war OF INs
one outcome Of the war was the repeal
OF the discriminating duties on Imports
by the reciprocity treaty or 1916 with ing
land. We were stin on an equality with
that power 80 Tar as carrying trade was
concerned ard easily bad a supremacy
ever all other nations. 50 that. I'm our con-
fdence OF heinE able 20 maintain orr pres
sige, the discriminating tonnage dues were
cne after another abolished. When this
was done. however. England. which had
heea carefully protecting her iron and
steel manufactures. was well advanced
n the revolution from sal ana wood 70