The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-09-24
A MARINE MONOPOLY.
How England Maintains Her Sea
Supremacy.
the British Lloyds . Ciassfncatfon
and Rating m Favorable ~
Those Accorded to Brit
fsh ships.

| II was asserted on the floor of the
United States senate, in q speech de-
uvered by Mr.. Elkirs. OF West Virginia,
on April 8, 1897, that among the causes
which have contributed to the decline
of American shipping Is:
The hostile discrimination OF British
Lioyds Register In inspecting. rating and
| classifying American ships, obliging them
| to pay the highest rate OF insurance on
| cargoes and take the lowest rate OF freight
and wait the longest In various parts OF tho
| world for charters. Added TO this the war
! OF English insurance companies In the
| United States against insuring cargoes In
| American built ships.
This, TO the uniformed, may seem
TO be an extravsgant statement, but
II is nevertheless substantially true.
British Lloyds Register contains the
names and description OF every vessel
of over 100 tons burden in the world,
and the classification or rating is rec
ognized as indisputable authority at
least by Lloyds and by every British
insurance company. The success OF
the early British Lloyds Register led
TO the issue of the Bureau Veritas Reg
lister in France in 1898, and now there
are issued similar registers by the
Austro-Hungarlan Lloyds. the Nordst
Veritas, OF Norway, the Register
Italiano, of Italy, and the Germanic
Lloyds, OF Germany, while for the past
80 years the Record of American and
Foreign Shipping has been issued in
this country.
The rules of Lloyds and other as
sociations issuing registers require
that ships TO be entitled TO classified
tion shall be constructed according TO
certain strict regulations.
II will be seen by the above state
ments that the registers issued are
standard authorities as to the charac-
the classification are accepted by
underwriters of the hulls and cnrgoes
of such vessels as entirely reliable.
"The hostile discrimination of Brit
ish Lloyds Register in inspecting rat
ing and classifying American ships"
was most active when the oversee
commerce was extensively carried In
American wooden ships. This trade
was at It's zenith from 1921 TO 1896,
falling of gradually In the next %
years, Influenced by the discrimina-
tion of British Lloyds Register, by the
competition OF British iron steam
ships, which began In 1888, and by other
causes to which reference will be here
after made.
How such discrimination by British
Jloyds register could be made effect
I've will appear from the fact that II
was In the power OF the association to
rnderrate all foreign ships, and 1t is
easily conceivable that, during the ac-
tive rivalry OF American ships. these
vessels would most likely receive In
the Lloyds disparaged rating com
pared with British vessels. Since 1883
the practical extinction OF American
oversee commerce has made such dis
elimination less hostile, though even
now IL Is practiced In various ways to
the great detriment OF our shipping
interests. When the fact Is considered
that rating is absolutely essential to
vessel seeking cargoes or insurance
II will be seen that the absence OF
rating or disparaging classification
must be almost fatal 10 successful
competition.
Great Britain not only owns and
operates 90 per cent. OF the vessel tom
mage of the world. but she enjoys an
absolute monopoly In the vital matters
of classifcatlo rating and insurance.
While this vast power IL not so mer-
cilessly exercised to-day az IL was at
time when Americas ships did 90 per
cent. OF Americas oversee trade-on
the principle that one does not need
TO use cannon balls In firing at lame
ducks-it Il fact that no American
ship Of the most modern and approved
construction can obtain from the Brit
ish Loyds a rating and a classification
as favorable as those accorded TO Brit
ish ships. The lower the rating, the
higher the cos. OF marine insurance.
in this way tho American ship owner
L. held at n perpetual disadvantage.
Even X the American standard Of
wages and subsistence on shipboard
did not involve larger cost Of operat-
ing the ship, the higher rate of In
surance would prove an effective bar
TO competition. What with better
wages, better subsistence and higher
rate of insurance arbitrarily imposed
because OF unfair classification and
rating, II Is easy 10 see why larger
proportion Of Americas oversee com
merce In not carried In American bot
toms. II Is also easy 10 see why some
measure OF fair and reasonable pro-
lection Is absolutely necessary as a
condition precedent 10 the restoration
Of the American merchant marine.
Wearing American Fabrics.
CAS- regards the other textiles" (cot-
ton piece goods being the exception),
saws the Textile Mercury OF Man