The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-21
Dur shipping and the D,nx,ey Act.

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sir: While
the officials OF the Government are seeking TO
discover whether imports in British vessels
coming from other than British European ports
are liable to the 10 per cent. ad valorem dis.
eliminating duty, under the provisions OF sec
ton Do OF the new tariff act. it might be inter
esting to a great many OF your readers to con.
slider what effect this ruling would have upon
the foreign commerce OF the United States and
the shipping of the world.
The tonnage of British steam vessels that en-.
tered our ports during the fiscal year ending
June 30. 1896. from other than British Euro
pean ports was $685. 37 tons. and OF sailing
vessels l.620,429 tons. From our knowledge of
steam and sail vessels in our foreign trade, based
upon the guides to estimates already used, the
proportion of these entries to the total shipping
would give us 769. 476 tons of steam and 623,.
PAP tons of sailing vessels under the British flag,
or a total of ,392, us tons of British shipping
entering our ports from ports not belonging to
Great Britain in Europe.
II the Attorney-General Of the United States
decides that imports in British vessels from
other than British European ports are liable to
under section 81 OF the new tariff act, about
one-third of the total tonnage engaged in our
disadvantage. This would. OF course, place the
remaining .two'thirds of the tonnage available
I'll though tempor SrH iiG increase sn In eo freisht re,e e,,
Thus other. foreign tonnage. not now in our
trade, would be attracted to it, and the British
shipping thus excluded from our trade would
s%upplant this other foreign shipping In its
previous trade. and, doubtless, "A large spiount
of British tonnage thus excluded would be
transferred to other flags, and thus again become
ayailn BILE In our foreign trade.
trade. was driving tie other foreign TONNAGE ont
of the trade bet ween British European and our
own ports. and snpplaniins other foreign. ton
mage In its trade with other countries, and was
also being transferred in large numbers to other
foreign flags, in order 10 still enjoy our carrying.
that would be the harvest time for the immedi.
atcly available tonnage in our foreign trade. our
own included. AS freight, rates went up foreign
Guided British ships enter into the newly absn.
dOned foreign trade OF other countries, but the
accession OF new tonnage into our trade would
soon bring freight rates down to O normal con.
ditton again.
1t is we'll that the Interested public should
y%antages and the extent OF time they will proba.
bly, last which would accrue to eligible tonnage
l nsy SaF aUss,fni n !rnfs lsG tn t a Gg thi4ds by Of th Il. A htIr.
ish shipping now In our foreign carrying trade
SO understanding, those inclined to have ships
built for the foreign trade Will be in q measure
advised Of what they may expect.
i will be obvious from the foregoing that q
ruling by the Attorney-General unfayorable Ia
the British shipping not in the trade OF British
European ports with the United States alone
advantages TO American shipping in our foreign
trade that would follow the collection OF IN,
extra 10 per. cent. ad valorem discriminating
Senator $. b. Elkins's bill would have done beT
It been adopted in toto. The adoption of a meas
ure In tho next session OF Congress that viii
subject all imports In all foreign ships enterinl
our ports TO this discriminating duty IS VIVA
tho friends OF American shipping now conf
IDENTIFY expect. When this is done there will b,
an immedia'e demand created for some tire,
classes, to be built In American shipyards. In
yolving an expenditure of between three ant
four hundred million dollars. These ships, then
will thereafter earn the 700. 900. 900 or NOR,
now annually paid IN freight charges to foreign
ships for doing our import and export carving
and, relieved from that colossal drain, the dnan
cial distress of the United States will be perna
nsntly, relieved. Coincidentally with this, til,
worlds. affairs. financially and commercially
from which the lack of a strong shipping polio,
has SO long excluded II, and tho advantage O
which has been continually strengthening and In
tensifying Great Britain's control OF the world
ALEX, r.. SMiTH-
NEW YORK, Aug. 10,