Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-02
UiSuRjuIydT1yg prTIEs.

At the last session Of congress Senator
! Elkins OF West Virginia introduced n
bill proposing to tax imports in foreign
! ships 10 per cent nd yalOrcm more than
the duty on such imports in American
! vcssclS-in other words TO impose a dis.
! eliminating duty ON merchandise I'M
! ported in foreign vessels. This policy
| was endorsed IN u number of state re-
| publican platforms and received the APP
| proyal of the republican national con-
vention. It's chief purpose is to cncour-
age the building up of an American
merchant marine-a most important oh.
| iect the contamination of which would
be OF inostimablc advantage to the com
mercial progress of the nation.
IL is announced that Senator Elkins
intends to press his bill at the coming
session, but there is little probability
taht hc will b. able TO do more than to
have 1t taken up and discussed in the
senate. There is not the least likeli-
hood that it can he passed and the prob
ability is that the obstacles to such lcgis
lation will be found So great that the
author of the measure will he induced
to withdraw 1t or allow it to die in
committee. 1t appears that the Amcri-
can Shipping and Industrial league,
which had ardCntly supported the pro-
posal Of discriminating duties, has
dropped the matter since obtaining the
opinion of Senator sherman that such
duties are impossible. Writing to the
Il. y
that existing treaties with foreign M
tions are in the way of discriminating
duties. Senator sherman said: II
think without exception there is an eX-
press stipulation that no discriminating
duties should be made against the couu-
tries with which we have treaties" and
he further stated: "rhC subject has
been considered and discussed and it
was decided that we could not afford to
make the determinations, as they would
undoubtedly involve retaliation by for
eign countries 10 our injury" In view
of this ii seems safe TO say that Senator
Elkins will not be able TO accomplish
much for his measure, either in the
present or the succeeding congress.
But if the proposed discrimination be
impracticable under present conditions
as manifestly it is. its discussion will
he valuable in directing public atten-
ton more earnestly to the very i'm
portant question OF building up the
American merchant marine. 1t is most
desirable that the producers should be
come more familiar with the practical
facts in relation to this subject. For
instance. it is consevatively estimated
that SIT 100000 is annually paid to
foreign shipowncrs for freight charges
on imports, while on exports the sum is
over $SO.OOOOOO. Here is IN annual
drain of S127 100000 for freight on mer-
chandise imported and exported that
goes to the foreign shipowners. And
this will of course increase from year
to year with the growth of our com
merce. 1t is sum which, invested in
ships of our own, would in not many
years give us the finest merchant
marine in the world and create n ship
building industry that would give in
vcstment to II vast capital and employ
ment to an army of well-paid labor.
And when we should have secured this
we would have attained commercial
independence we do not now enjoy and
placed ourselves in position for greater
commercial eX, anson.
The republican party must not leave
this question unsettled after the next
two years. The new administration and
congress- must find n wise and Drac-
ticable way for encouraging the build
ing up of n merchant marine commen-
Surate with the demands of the cOun
try's commerce. 1t being evident that
the plan of discriminating duties is not
practicable or eXpedient, republican
statesmen should address themselves to
the task of devising some other policy
that will not conflict with treaties or
invite retaliation.