The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-04-21

ships cargOes we shall have to force
| them to do so, just as the Germans
have done, and we are better able to
do this than Germany. All we need
| is to recognize our own capabilities.
What material advantages would
result to this country from a revival
| of American shipping, aside from a
patriotic point of view?"
Very decided advantages in the way
of increased business in every way.
For instance, in my yard 1 have now
| over a hundred men at work at good
wages, using material produced in
this country, which means that more
money has been spent for wages in
Pennsylvania, or werever the steel was
made. This number will be increased
as soon as work on the new ship be-
gins, and if more could be built, more
money that is now spent in Scotland
would be spent in the United States,
and this would mean increased pros
perity for every American producer,
whether he be farmer, manufacturer,
or only a day laborer, for it would
mean an increased demand for all COM
modities, with the result of the reten-
tention of all the profits from the hand
ling of them in this country. Con-
gressmen. in considering this matter,
should remember that wherever ships
are built there their maintenance and
repairs and profits naturally will go.
One of the heaviest drains upon this
Nation today is the enormous amount
of freight money paid to foreigner
shipownerS and spent in foreign lands,
with no resulting benefit to us. Aside
from any question Of patriotism, there
is an immense profit, as a Nation, in
encouraging our shipping.
with this encouragement it would
not be long before we should build
more steel tonnage than ever we built
of wood, and it would not be Ions
before, from PASSPORT to the Florida
KEYS. our coast would be lined with
| thriving yards. 1t is urged against
Ius that we could not build with profit.
| Today, as l have said, our material IS
! the cheapest in the world. People who
say that the Delaware will mOnOpollZe
whatever building we may have, on
| the ground that Baths supremacy in
wooden ship-building was due to our
| being in the land of numbering forget
that for the last fifty years we have
been importing our pine and other
materials from the South. Freights to
bath would not be a factor in our build
| ing, for we have the advantages of
climate, men, prestige and experience.
''AIl over the land we have tool
making works which are unrlValled,
and which can produce plants for build
ling steel vessels unrivalled in quality
at the lowest cost. There is not a
wooden ship-building yard in Bath
which could not be changed within
sixty days into a modern plant to1
making modern steel ships. Why,
could get the machinery and the mate
riaIs to build ten ships in this yard "a:
easily as 1 now build One) in less time
THAN it would take me to get out the
designs Only give US the encourage
ment and we wiz give you the ships
lin less time than you can think about
il.
This hesitancy about recognizing
IOur own strength is not limited TO Oul
Ishipping interests. We don't kOnW ou1
lOwn strength. We don't need to spend
millions for ships and defences. Ou1
strength lies in ourselves. Our inner
Ient strength is our main strength
There is not a nation in the Worlt
that would dare attack US. What /
they cid destroy every city on III
Atlantic Coast from EastpOrt to ke.
West and drive us into the interior
They know that it would take million
of dollars, thousands Of men and tn