Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-09-08

LnOho COnultlOnh cOlno hDOub III cVih-
petltive market, like the carrying trade
OF tho great ocean, when we have 10
compete with nations that build ships
more cheaply than we do, tho man who
ships his products aboard will avail
himself OF the Bhipmaster who will
carry HIS goods the cheapest. Now, ]
have shown, and IL 10 Of record In his
tory, that we have been building ships
at a disadvantage because OF our pr0teC-
tive tarifI,a disadvantage In comparison
with the people OF Great Britain, who
built ships under better and more
favorable conditions. fa
Mr.. Dingley One important fact
the gentleman has evidently overlooked
In this ma ter. Ie not the gentleman
aware that by the act OF 1879 nearly
all OF the materials that entered into
the construction OF vessels were put
on the free list, and in 1890 the whole
range was covered, 30 since that time
this question OF duty upon materials
entering into vessels for the foreign
trade has not been Il factor In the
question at allp
Mr.. Simpson. Now the gentleman
bubbles. There Is no question but
what he Is quIbbling on the question.
Mr.. Grout. Does not the gentleman
from Maine state factp
Mr.. Dingley. Is not that the factp
Mr.. Simpson. No, II 10 not the fact,
and l will tell you why. Because you
misapprehend what 1T takes TO build
vessel.
Mr., Dingley. Oh, you mean to say
that labor costs more here than II does
aboardp
Mr.. Simpson. You can not tell what I
mean to say In advance OF what | do
say. Laughter. You may be very
smart and wise, but ! do not think II is
possible for you tell what | am going
TO say now.
Mr.. Grout. VIII the gentleman
state what material entering into the
construction OF a vessel has not been
duty free since 1902
Mr. Simpson. / want TO say that
during that period shipbuilding chang.
cd oil over the world. We we're going
through the transition state from
wooden ships TO iron ships.
Mr.. Dingley. We went through
that before the war,
Mr. Simpson. We commenced TO 60
through 1t about that time. We began
to feel the effects Of that transition.
Now the materials out OF which ships
are constructed are iron and steel. Does
the gentleman mean TO say that the
OF ships In this country
has been cheapened by the taking OF
the duties off OF iron aud steel2 Does
not the gentleman know that duties are
levied on iron and steel In this country,
a very high protective tariff, which en-
hances not alone the machinery which
makes the iron and steel but the iron
and steel ITSELF And II you plant your
self upon the proposition that materials
from abroad were put on the free list,
you still have to pay the freight and
the cost OF transportation for 5000
miles.
Mr.. Grout. That Is what England
has to pay.
Mr.. Simpson. Another thing. Your
tariff system has increased
the cost Of living to every laboring man
In this country, and increased the cost
Of labor necessarily, and therefore put
your shipbuilder at another disadvan-
tage.
Mr.. Milllken, You believe in cheap
labor, do you?
Mr.. Simpson. OF course the gentle-
man wants to make political capital to
bolster up barbarous system OF pro-
Lective tariff, and he Is trying to take
this opportunity Of doing II. But in
view of the fact that Great Britain,
under different policy OF absolute free
trade in regard to shipbuilding and
navigation laws, has been able to wrGst
from us the ocean carrying trade--that
TACT ought to be sufficient to every in
telligent man, ought to be sufficient
proof to enable him to come to wise
conclusion as to the cause OF IL.
Now, Mr.. Chairman, In conclusion
lot me say again that / entered upon
this discussion for the purpose Of OPP
posing the construction OF these battle
ships. think that the committee and
the members Of the House ought to
investigate this subject thoroughly be-
lore they vote this very large apprO-
priation to place this extra burden up
ou the tax Of people already over
burdened with taxation.
Let US go slowly. Let us wait awhile,
until science anu discovery have prov
On beyond dispute whether those ships
are really what they claimed to be as
. means Of defense. There will be time
enough In the future to build these
ships II 1t Is proven that they are super
Tor to all other means Of naval defense.
Let us wait until the inventive genius
Of this country has determined