The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-22
Professionalism and shippin=.


Following che protective taria plank in
the republican platform comes one favor
( ITS discriminating duties for the protec-
! zion Of American ships in the foreign car
ryiug trade" The idea Of the promoters
OF this plank. according to senator-elect
Foraker OF Ohio. is TO impose discriminat-
ing duties. or increased duties. upon i'm
ports which come in foreign ships.
The demand is one by the ship builders
and not the ship owners. It is the old de-
mand Of the New EngIanders that unless
they are permitted 10 build the American
merchant marine there shall be no Ameri-
can merchant marine. IL does not require
a great deal Of reasoning to see what the
consequence Of discriminating against i'm
ports in foreign ships would be. Suppose
the ships Of Great Britain were discrimi-
mated against How long would it be be-
fore the British government would come to
the aid Of its snip owners with discrim.
nation against shipments of American
products in American vessels TO the Unit
ed Kingdom that would amount 10 prohi-
bition? The policy Of the government of
Great Britain is TO uphold its merchant
marine at all hazards. The effect of such
a war of retaliation in trade as is propos-
ed by the republicans would be to greatly
reduce the volume of traffic and conse-
quently the demand for ships Of any kind
in the foreign carrying trade.
The republican party stultines itself in
this shipping plank. According to all of
the tenets of the protectionist, the impor-
tation Of foreign goods. made by Euro
pean pauper labor" is a very bad thing
for this country. TO be discouraged by all
possible means. Yet according to the re-
publican doctrine. we are to stimulate our
shipping by Offering the "pauper labor Of
Europe a bonus to ship their products TO
us in American vessels.
What is needed for the uphuilding of the
American merchant marine is not pro
tection' for the few ship builders. in or
der that they may monopolize the con-
struction of American vessels, but the
privilege to merchants and ship owners Of
purchasing ships wherever they can get
them cheapest, and sailing them under an
American registry and the stars and
stripes The ship builders need no protec-
ton. 1t does not require more skillful la
Dor to build a ship than it does to build a
locomotive. The locomotive builders have
no protection. yet all of the locomotives
In use in this country are of American con-
struction. Nay, more: American locomo-
tive builders. IN competition with the.
world. are selling their engines in Russia,
South America and other foreign coun-
tries At least two steamships carrying
cargoes of locomotives have sailed from
Philadelphia this year for Russia, and it
is understood that other similar shipments
are to follow.
If the cost Of vessels to American ship
owners We're cheapened, through a re-
vision of the antiquated navigation laws
which would permit them to buy in foreign
markets if the prices in the home market
were too high the ship building industry
would be benefited instead of injured. This
has been proved in Germany. Under liberal
laws in this regard the German merchant
marine has had a splendid growth in ten
years, and the ship building yards now
find themselves with plenty of work TO
do, in the way Of repairing as well as
building The shipyards at first feared
they would have to go out of business
But they have found that the increase of
business has not only enabled them to
meet competition but to make money. And
so it would be in this country.
A Change in the Ratio Suggested.