The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-08

nautical miles. The French navigation
bounty rate for such vessels is ITO
cents, the Italian Ia cents and the
Japanese IA cents. On the basis con-
sidered an average annual expenditure
of about 100000 for u or Is years,
aided by industrial development, will
give the United States a becoming
maritime rank. This sum is substan-
TALLY the expenditure for sugar boun-
ties under the tariff of 1890. BY invest
ing the necessary capital the United
states can become a building pow
er superior to Germany and a close
competitor with Great Britain. This
autumn we exported plates for the
largest steamship now on the ways in
Great Britain. Five years ago we i'm
ported the plates from Great Britain
Tor our first large steel and square,
rugged ship.
The project to develop shipbuilding
by discriminating duties is in conflict
with our treaties, and it's advocacy at
thls time involves an indefinite post
ponement of action and in the end re-
taliation. The proposition to pay boun-
ties on exports is not feasible as our
treaties bind us to pay the same boun-
ties on exports in foreign vessels as in
domestic vessels.
Trade between the United States and
Porto Rico, now by executive order re-
stricted to American vessels, should be
SO confined by statute This step is
desirable, not chiefly on a base of OPP
erations for American navigation in
the Caribbean and Gulf, incidental to
our newly born political prominence in
that sphere
The restriction of trade between the
United States and Hawaii to American
vessels is even more important for an
alogous reasons. OF that trade so per
cent is already carried on by American
vessels, and over 10 per cent of the re-
mainder by Hawaiian vessels, which
viii doubtless be admitted to American
registry by Congress. American vessels
now leaving in ballast will suffice to
supply the transportation requirements
of the islands, if foreign vessels are
withdrawn. Almost the entire value of
the annexation Of Hawaii to the devel-
opment of navigation in the Pacific is
involved in treating the islands as an
extension to our boundaries bringing
us from 1900 to 1000 miles nearer the
markets of Asia and Australia The
opposition of British and German inter
ests to the proposition is anticipated in
the line of their consistent policy by
subsidies to develop their shipping on
the Pacific. The restrictions proposed
however, are in strict accord with our
national policy and with our treaties,
and does not interfere with existing
trade relations.
Our eXpeditures for maritime safe
guards and improvements are vastly
greater than those of any other nation,
amounting to S1S,00O0OO annually for
the past decade, toward which ship
building has contributed barely per
cent Our principal and most costly
improvements are directly for the ben
eft of foreign shipping. which enjoys
over four-ffths of our foreign carrying
A table of the so largest steamships in
the world is printed of which only four
are American. OF these 50 make New
York a terminal port, while only II
enter LIVERPOOL and less than ten make
any other gn port a terminal The
table foresl .0Ws large federal expen-
ditures for harbor improvements, which
in Great Britain are met by charges on
shipping. We have recently expended
100000 600 on Galveston harbor and chan
nels. Since 1890 American tonnage II
foreign trade at that port has decreased
from 1900 tons to 5000 tons, while for
eign shipping has increased from 26O. 900
to 1,012000 tons.