The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-27
AMERICAN SHIP BUILDING.
england ana Germany Make lmpoF-
tant AAait1oas to Their Fleets,
While the Fleet 81 the UniteA
States Remains NJ . StanastiIl.

Tho necessity Of measures to revive the
merchant marine of this country, 10 en-
courage American ownership OF American
built vessels. was the subject Of q recent
paper by Charles III. Cramp. OF PhilaGel-
phia. read before the fail convention OF
the New York Board Of Trade and Trans
portation. He said:
The condition OF our merchant marine
= too Well known 10 need analysis. While
foreign nations. notably England and Ger
many, are making large ana important ad-
oluoLS 10 their merchant fleets. that OF
sae United States remains at u standsliil.
Inc year las Witnessed the greatest out
put OF new steam tonnage tor one year
KNOWN 10 history. IL was nearly all En-
xfish ana German. At the present time
Germany has work In progress which viii
make the accretton to her merchant ma
rine for lss9 the largest ever known. Old
ships more or less obsolete are giving way
10 new ones embodying the latest Develop
ment OF the ship-Duiiding art, and with
IL economies in operation that must give
10 those nations = vast advantage IN COM
petition Tor the carrying trade OF tho
ocean. These great strides OF progress on
the part OF those nations arc due to wise
discretion OF public policy toward favor
Ing and fostering such development
ABOUT seven years ago a Jaw WAS en-
acted oy congress which. II was hoped,
would give new impetus to our merchant
marine; 6ot experience has SHOWN that
tne poiicy embodied in the law referred TO
Was not sufficiently broad and its execu-
uon not sufficiently comprehensive to stim-
Yale progress commensurate with the
needs OK this nation or to meet the COM
petition resulting from the policy Of other
nations. No subject more nearly concerns
the prosperity and substantial independ-
ehce Oh the country than that Of our mer-
chant marine. Under existing conditions
almost the entire cost Of Transporting our
exports and imports 10 paid to foreign
owned ships. and amounts TO a tax To that
<Nr,lxa xl&Tst< o..
dement, or foreigners. 1t represents an inn
portant part Of the ceaseiess and uncom-
psnsated drain upon our national earnings
which Is the prime cause or existing inan-
cial and Industrial conditions.
What Is true OF ship owning In the
universal sense OF national importance is
nas1 xiI Tae o. ,ss One ex
been able to maintain ship owning by pur-
chasing its ships from the ship builders of
another nation. The greatest shipbuilding
owning nation as the current history Of
England and the history Of this coun-
try. up to forty years ago. proved beyond
IF Norway be cited as an exception the
answer-well known to every one CONVEX
Rnt with the fac,s-is that Norway is not
bona fide ship owning nation. The ships
that ny her fiag-that is to say. the iron
steamships-are of English build, and they
are still owned and operated by English
capital having been transferred to the Nor
W. ,, nag by pretended conveyance for
requirements aS to loading and manning
ana OF avoiding certain dues and taxes and
aiso TOT the purpose Of cheaper operation
que 10 the lower wages and more wretched
fare which Norwegian seafaring labor is
willing to accept. Hence this seeming ex-
ception proves TO be no exception at all,
pat rather additional evidence in support
From the financial and Industrial point
OF view the situation is equally Notifying.
AS the American people cannot own ships
unless they are able to build them. so also
they cannot Build ships unless Americans
wish to own them. The prevailing indispo-
sifion on the part of Americans to own
ships Is due to the fact that. under exist
ing es son mo. t such investment is not
desirable investment. OF course, mean
trade.
in our coastwise and lake traffic from
which foreign competition Is excluded by
law, ship property Is profitable and con-
stantly invites investment. But the posi-
t nilitiss OF that traffic are limited. aad its
units are always crowded.
In recent number of the British Uni
ted Service Magazine MIR. NJ. Rees Davies.
a well-known authority, says In a paper on
English ships convey nearly every bushei
OF wheat exported annually from Oregon
and California, and they would quickly
drive the American ships out of the San
Francisco and New York trade but for the
law which limits the carrying trade be-
tween American ports to American ships.
Probably no member of this board will
not suit the English because IL prevents
them from driving American ships out of
the New York and San Francisco trade. 1t
would seem that II one law can prevent
the English from driving American ships
out OF the New York and San Francisco
trade. an equally wise law could produce
similar results as to other trades"