The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-16

washington New. 1S-The report Of me
commissioner os navigation for 1855. after
referring to the necessity for the passsns
OF free ship bin. states. Oar maritime
rank o. the Pacific il now threatened by
uew rival Japan. which. under liberal and
progressive laws. nas tast established .
trzns-P&ciac steamship line to the Tnssed
States. and with the cooperation Of Amer
tcaa capital. IL preparirg to extend this
service. In $50 the tonnage Of American
vessels entering the United States from
ports Of Asa and oceanica VAS ss7.ss
tons. and o. foreign vessels ls2-Bi tons
In 1856 the American tonnage entering was
-, sGl tons, the foreign tonnage S1.sS
sons-
The large and profitable carrying
trade once conducted between Asiasic
and European ports by American vessels
almost entirely passed away. We have
already seen the American nag. the
commissioner says. almost wholly dis
seTns sy sss nae nsrs u
lines. and the figures presented tend TO
show that the carrying trade OF the ia
cific is slipping from us
Before it is altogether lost. Commits
ssoner Chamberlain suggests that con-
gress inquire into the conditions Of trans
Pacific transportation. For the control
OF this trade the United States has oh
yioas natural advantages Within the
last five years Japan's ssagoing steel
steamers have increased from three OF
2s,sol tons TO ffty-fhres OF lo1.3g tons
The number OF American steel and iron
ships on the Pacific coast Is forty-three
OF - 81 tons
The report recommends an immediate
extension OF the act OF 1872 under which
the steamships New York and Paris were
admitted TO American register and the
steamships s.. Louis and St Paul were
huilt In the United States. Under existing
law IL Is impossible 10 establish on the
Pacific a mail service ever spproximat-
ing 20 our Atlantic mail service.
Tne report opposes at length the proro-
sssion 70 impose 10 per cent additional dis
eliminating duties on all carSoes brought
into the United States hy foreign vessels
I; points out that for over eighty years
the United States has followed the policy
OF reciprocity In shipping. Every other
maritime nation OF considerable rank has
adopted and now pursues rne same policy.
Our total imports for 1876 were valued at
SOL $50 s65, OF which 500 SO 3s2 were
brought in foreign vessels The discrin-
mating duty bill would put an additional
charge OF 50. 1900 on our international
exchanges. based on the figures for 1885,
an amount approximately equal to our en-
tire ocean freight bills on imports and ex-
ports.
In 1895 we imported So, 00c 600 OF coffee.
of which So. 90 came from Brazil Al
least nine-tenths OF this So. 0oo. 600 OF cof-
fee imported into the country from Brazil.
or 81. GOO GO. came IN foreign vessels For
the extra sum, Mr.. Chamberlain says.
which under the discriminating duty pro-
Ject the American people would be re-
quired TO pay for Brazilian coffee alone,
there could be established steamship
lines. including twenty-five steamers.
equal 70 the St. Louis or ST. Paul. or
much larger number Of the class re-
auired for South American. Asiatic and
the African trade.
The report quotes articles from our
treaties with the thirty-nve principal ma
lions In the world, all of which. IL Is
eontended, must be abrogaied at the ex-
pense of a disturbance Of our trade re-
Iations with the world II the policy OF
discriminating duties il to be adopted By
the United States
The report also favors the enactment
of omnibus bills relating 70 navigation and
TO American seamen. In the form favor
ably reported by the senate committee on
commerce at the last session. rather than
IN the form In which these bills passed the
house OF representatives.
IL renews thu argument for the repeal
OF compulsory pilotage on coastwise sail
ing vessels. and points out that congress
has spen. over 81 .ooo. 900 in the improve
ments of twenty-seven harbors at which
compulsory rilosage Is stiil expected from
domestic sailing vessels.
BY the abolition OF useless registry bonds
American shipcwners have been saved
$50 90 annually and American lake ship
owners about Si5.oso annually. In Canadian
charges imposed fer years In contrayen-
ton OF the policy OF reciprocity
The adoption OF the measurement Law.
the report states. has effected a saving OF
thousands of dollars 20 American ship
ping IN foreign ports. and IN domestic
licenses and charges based on net ton
mage. besides bringing our law on this
subject abreast OF the laws of the progres-
sivc maritime nations.