Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-07-08
History Of American Shipping.

History Of American Shipping.
In 1883, only 20 per cent of the for.
eign commerce of the United States
was carried in American ships, al.
though American ships were built from
3S to 90 per cent cheaper, and better,
and lasted longer than foreign ships.
The first act of the first Congress, and
subsequent acts of that and other Con.
gresses during the latter part of the
last century, created a preference for
American ships in the carriage Of
American foreign commerce, by tax
ing imports in foreign ships more than
they were taxed in American ships.
That policy, during the nearly forty
years twas in force, enabled American
ships to carry 80 per cent of American
foreign commerce.
In the mistaken belief that American
ships could thereafter carry all of our
foreign commerce, without any stat
utory preference, the legislation that
had created that preference was
partly repealed in 1916, still more was
repealed in 1917 and in 1928 was wholly
and finally repealed. From that time
American ships carried less and less Of
American commerce, and at the begin
ming of the civil war they carried but
90 per cent, which had fallen at the
close of the war to but 2S per cent, and
today is but II per cent of our foreign
commerce.
In 1892 an Actwas passed which con-
fined our coastwise and inland COM
merce to vessels Of the United States,
an Act that has never been disturbed,
and which has given to the United
States the finest inland shipping in the
world. In 1902 American registry was
denied to foreign vessels, which Act
has been continually in force ever
since. But the Act of 1928, above re-
ferred to, nevertheless permits foreign
ships to freely compete with American
ships in the carriage of American for
eign commerce.
From time to time attempts have
been made to again give the carrying
of our commerce to our own ships, by
bounties and subsidies. In 184S sub
sides were granted to two transatlantic
American lines and withdrawn in 1859,
whereupon the lines failed. The sub
sidy act of 1891 has, by the help Of an
other act, placed four vessels under
the American flag, two of which are of
American construction. This is the
sum total of accomplishment under
subsidies in the United States. There
has never been bounty act passed for
the benefit of American ships, al
though such bill has been di scussed
and advocated.
The foreign commerce of the United
States annually consists of between
one and half and two billions of dol
lars worth of imports and exports, and
employs several millions of tons of
foreign ships. In order that American
ships may be restored to the carrying
of this commerce, an agitation has
has been begun for the readoption of
the policy of 1889, to create a prefer
ence for American ships by taxing inn
ports higher duty when brought here
in foreign ships. Senator s. B. Elkins,
of West Virginia; and Hon. S. E.
Payne, of New York, have this year in
troduced in the United States Senate
and House, respectively, joint bill
which provides for duty of ten per
cent more upon importsin foreign ships
than is levied upon imports in Ameri-
can ships. This policy has this year
been indorsed by the Republican Con.
ventions held in the following States:
Massachusetts, Oregon, New Jersey,
Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Alabama,
Georgia, Michigan, Delaware, West
Virginia. North Carolina, Washington,
Colorado and Maine. The Ohio Repub-
lican platform favored the use of Amer
ican ships for the carriage of American
: commerce without specifying any pol.
icy.
Whether the Democratic party can
be induced to favor this policy, which
Thomas Jefferson was particularly in
, fluential in having first established,
| and which is the only policy that has
q ever been successful in giving to Amer
> ican ships the carriage of American
7 commerce, is not at present known.
+ If the Democrats would join the Repub.
q licans and restore and maintain that
policy, in the same non-partisan and
8 unanimous manner that it was q hun
It dred years ago, its permauence would
f be assured, it would continuously EN-.
: ploy hundreds of thousands of skilled
3 workmen in American shipyards, and
r would cause the retention in the United
b States Of the hundreds Of millions Of
i dollars annually sent abroad in gold
g to pay foreign ships for carrying Amer.
IS lean commerce.
q
r Mr.. White--I heard Mr.. Rhymsr re-
d fer to the moon, last night, as the pale
n moon. Why should the moon be palep