People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-09-08


high seas.
Mr.. Dingley. Then how did ii hap
pen that from 1856 to 1860, when we
had the tariff that pleases the gentle
man from Kansas, our merchant marine
in the foreign trade declined more rap
idly than at any time since the close OF
the war OF the rebellion under our pro
tective tariffsg
Mr.. Simpson. | am not informed as
to whether that is fact or not.
Mr.. Dingley. 1t is fact, l can in.
form the gentleman. / ask him how he
explains that condition in view of the
assertion he has just made?
Mr.. Milliken. The gentleman is not
using facts in his argument now.
Mr.. Simpson. | will state that for
eighty years in the history OF this Gov
eminent we have had a constantly in
creasing tariff, sometimes going up and
sometimes reducing a little; but the
tendency has been gradually but con
sIantly upward
Mr.. Dingley. 1t was not so between
1856 and 1861.
Mr.. Simpson. If the gentleman will
Just let me proceed now, say that the
system Of tariff had been gradually in,
creasi until it eliminated in the Nc
Kinley bill, which was the highest We
ever had. Now it is an undeniable fact
that whenever We increase the tariff
on the materials that enter into ship.
building we necessarily stop shipbuild.
ing. Why? Because the tariff was
levied on every article that went into
the construction OF the ship from the
keel to the truck at the tOpOf the mast.
Now, not alone was the material that
went into the construction Of the ship
increased, but all the machinery that
was necessarily used in shipbuildir Q
was increased in cost because of the
protective tariff, and under any logical
process of reasoning it must follow
from these facts that the building OF
ships in this country would necessarily
decline when the cost of every article
that enters into the ship is Increased
and you must come in competition with
the ships built by other nations where
no such conditions apply.
England repealed her navigation
laws aud put all the materials that
went into the construction Of ships on
the free list. The result was that she
was enabled to build up her ocean ma
rine and do the carrying trade Of the
world at such rates that it practically
drove US from the high seas.
Mr.. Dlngley. But the gentleman
will pardon me
Mr.. Simpson. Certainly.
Mr.. Dingley. understand the gen.
tleman to assert that the increase OF
duties on imports, which he calls the
increase of protection, drove our mer.
chant marine from the ocean. Now,
how did it happen that from 1855 to
1860, during which time our duties on
imports we're reduced by the tariff oil
1857, our merchant marine in the for
eign carrying trade-while the coast
wise trade inCreased-declined more
rapidly than at any other period in the
last thirtv-fve years?
Mr.. Simpson. That is a very easy
question to answer. | wish the gentle
man would ask me something hard.
Laughter.
Mr.. Dingley. Very well, | will be
glad to have the answer to this easy
question first.
Mr.. Simpson. Because Great Brit
ain in 1910 adopted free-trade policy.
In 1856 she repealed all her navigation
laws, and took the duties off OF every
thing that went into the construction
of ships; and she was enabled, and did,
as a matter Of fact, build ships so much
cheaper than we did or could do that
she could afford to carry cheaper than
we could and drove US from the ocean.
We did not have free trade here at that
time or ANYTHING approaching to it in
comparison 10 the absolute free trade
OF Great Britain. 1t is true that we
had little lower tariff than the tariff
Immediately preceding it; but still it
was burden which was levied upon
shipbuilding. And it was not alone a
high tariff on the timber that went in.
to the construction of the ship, or the
iron that goes into the shipbuilding,
but on everything that went into the
construction, material and wages. There
was an increase Of wages, increase OF
rent, increased cost OF clothing, in
creased cost Of everything that the
tariff increased and forced our ship
building to the wall by increasing the
cost Of the ship. In addition
Mr.. Dlngley. But will the gentle
man pardon me
Mr.. Simpson. Well, when get ready
l will. Laughter.
Mr.. Dingley. Well, | do not blame
the gentleman for keeping right on.
Mr.. Simpson. | hope the gentleman
will wait until | get through with a
sentence. l notice that the gentleman