Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-16
MAKING A MERCHANT MARINE
Commissioner Of Navigation Discusses
Ways and Means,
FREE SHIP BILL THE FIRST NECESSITY
Maritime Rank on the Pacific Does
Not Grow as IL should and II
Seriously Threatened by
Jnpnn's Rivalry.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15.-The report OF
the commission Of navigation for 1896,
after referring to the necessity for the
passage of a free ship bill, states our mari
time rank on the Pacific is now threatened
by a new rival japan which, under liberal
aud progressive laws, has jus; established
a trauspaC iC steamship line to the United
States. and with the cooperation Of Ameri-
can capita. is preparing to extend rapidly
the service In 1850 the tonnage Of Ameri-
can vessels entering the United States from
the ports Of OceaniCa and Asia was 2Sj S95
tons. and of foreign vessels 442, PSI tons
In 1895 the American tonnage entering was
2OS ,iSl tons. the foreign tonnage 657,2oC
tons. The large and profitable carrying
trade once conducted between Asiatic and
European ports by Amerlcan vessels. which
seldom entered American ports, has almost
entirely pasGed away. We have already
seen the An orican flag. the commissioner
says. almos. wholly disappear from the
midatlantic save as borne by the mail
steamers Of the American line. and the
figures presented show that the carrying
trade Of the Pacific is slipping from the
United States. Before it is altogether,
Commissioner Chamberlain suggests tina;
congress irquire into the conditions OF
transpacifc transportation. For the control
Of this trade. the United states enjoys OBJ
viOus natural advantages. Within the last
FIVE years Japan's seaEoinE steel steamers
! have increased from thirteen Of 27.Ool to
ifty-threc OF 106,3S3 tons. The number of
steel and iron steamers on the Pacific coast
is forty-three Of GS 625 tons.
BIZ EXTENDING THE OLD ACT
The report recommends an immediate ex-
tension OF the act OF 1892 under which the
steamships New York and Paris were ad-
mitted to American registry and the steam
/ ships ST. Louis and st. Paul were built in
| the United States. Under existing law II
| is impossible TO establish on the Pacific a mail
| service even approXimating our Atlantic
mail service under equal conditions with
| those necessary to the recent creation Of the
| American line.
The report takes up at length the PROPOSE
| tion to impose additional discriminating
I dutieg OF 10 per cent on all cargoes brought
/ 10 the United States in foreign bottoms. 1t
/ points out that every nation has followed
/ the principle Of reciprocity in vessel mat
/ ters. Every other nation Of considerable
maritime rank has adopted and now pursues
/ the same policy. our total imports for 1895
| were valued at 1871 969 s65 Of which $3.50
/ 53s .362 were brought in foreign vessels. The
| discriminating duty bill would put an addi-
| tioual charge Of $50 600 600 on our interna-
| tional exchanges based on the figures for
| 1895. an amount approximately equal TO our
| entire ocean freight bills on imports and
/ exports. In 1885 We imported Sy5 900 600 of
/ coffee OF which SEQ 600 900 came from Bra.
/ zil. At least nine-tenths OF the $50 900 O0C
| OF coffee imported into the country from
! Brazil. or S54 100000. came in foreign YES
sells. For the extra sum, Mr.. Chamberlain
says, which under the discriminating duty
I project the American people would be re-
! Quired TO pay for Brazilian coffee alone
! there could be established steamship lines
| including twenty-five steamers equal to the
! St. Louis or ST. Paul, or a much larger
! number OF the class required for South
American Asiatic and African trade.
! TREATIES ARE IN THE WAY.
The report quotes articles from our treat
! les with the thirty-fve principal nations
OF the world. all of which. it is contended
must be abrcFated at the expense OF a dis
| tuTbaace OF our trade relations with the
world II the policy Of discriminating dutiC-
| is to be adopted by the United States The
report also fayors the enactment Of the
| omnibus bills relating to navigation and
! to American Geancn in the form favOrably
| reported by the senate committee on com
merce at the last session rather than in the
! form in which these bills passed the house
| Of representatives,. 1t renews the argument
! for the repeal Of compulsory pilotage on
Coastwisc sailing vessels and points out
that congress has spent over $27 GOO 600 in
! the Improvement OF seventeen harbOrs, al
! which compulsory pilotage is still exacted
| from domestic sailing vessels. BY tho
! abolition Of useless registry bonds. Ameri-
/ can ship owners have been saved $50 600
/ annually and American lake ship owners
| about $4,000 annually in Canadian charges
| imposed for years in Contravention OF the
! policy Of reciprocity. The adoption OF the
| measurement law the report states has
/ effected a saving OF thousands of dollars
/ TO American shipping in foreign ports and
/ in domestic licenses and charges based on
| net tonnage. besides bringing our law on
| this subject abreast OF the laws OF the
I & IN