The herald., 1898-02-26
AMERICAN SHIPS
F++++++ +++++++4+++++a RI
BY ABBOT KINNEY

/ nv ABBOT KINNEY
| Tho one thing upon which all Americans
! are agreed is the re-establishment OF tne
| American merchant marine to It's proper
and legitimate standing in the commerce
| Of the world
| "How shall we do this?",is the question.
In 1S4s the ocean carrying trade was prac-
| tically divided between England anu the
United States More than this, the carry
ing trade of the United States was then
outgrowing very rapidly that of England
and the prospect was that we would soon
| far surpass her.
Ships were then built of wood. and our
| facilities of construction were better than
those of England. Besides this, our ingenu-
lty in labor-saving devices enabled us TO
work our ships cheaper than they did. our
| ships had better carrying capacity anu
| were faster sailers than those OF any otner
| country. Our clippers were celebrated the
world over for their efficiency, economy
and beauty.
| The English became thoroughly aiarmeo
| at the outlook.
| At that time all nations had the same
| type of narrow and restrictive Navigation
| laws, with which we are still afflicted. Ihe
| United States is the only nation that mas
retained and handicapped its shipping IN
terest with this stupid and destructive
| code.
In 1S4S England, confronted with the
prospect of losing its great and valuable
| ocean-carrying trade, revolutionized its
policy, struck the shackles from It's mer-
| chant marine, and adopted broad, hberai
| and intelligent system.
In this new departure 1t has been more
or less followed by every other nation
except the United States. But by none to
the full, liberal extent of its own laws The
| salient features of the English navigation
laws then established and further strength
| ened by such acts as the Plimsoll laws,
are as follows:
Ships and materials for ship construction
are absolutely free. An Englishman can
buy a ship anywhere and register 1t under
his flag. Intercolonial and even the coast
| ing trade is open to ships of any nation,
| whereby English supremacy on the sea was
| made to depend upon excellence OF con-
| struction. efficiency of service. up-to-date
, mana cement and economy of charges, ana
not on artificial restrictions of pauperiz-
ing kind, protecting antiquated types OF
| maintaining monopolistic combines.
| The crews were protected by strict and
effective recurring examinations OF officers,
/ to secure seamanship and capacity. Onic-
/ ers cruel or negligent were deprived OF their
| licenses The loading of ships was care
| fully regulated to insure safety, and the
| fair and humane treatment of the crews as
/ to quarters and diet was secured.
i Tho prompt effect of these intelligent
laws was much aided by the change shortly
| after occurring in ship construction. Iron
/ in construction came to supplant wood,
| and steam in motive power to suppiant
| wind Under these laws, together with the
changed conditions mentioned. England
! took new start in ocean commerce Ioday
she dominates the world, equaling all 9TH
/ er nations combined.
! The United States has sunk back from
an equal share of the worlds ocean COM
merce to the position of a tenth-rate power
The ocean marine of England is now about
| $4,000 900 tons. largely of the most efficient
i steam-power character. That of the United
States is less than 1t was after the civil
| war, and is now confined to about S0OOOO
tons, or one-twentieth that of England.
This is q large fall-from one-half to one
twentieth. While the losses of shipping by
sale and by destruction during the civil
war were undoubtedly heavy blow to us,
three things must be remembered:
First-That the comparative growth of
the shipping interests of England and
America commenced to show Immediately
after the English changes in their naviga-
ton laws. and that by 1856 our merchant
marine had not only stopped growing, but
had commenced to show rapid shrinkage.
Second-That the period of the civil wal
was most active in the change from wood
| en- TO iron SHIPS, anu lEOil Sdii " StOdhi
power
Third-That our merchant marine on the
ocean has failed to increase with the vast
increase of business, and has absolutely
diminished since the war.
The result of the English laws is before
us-the control of the worlds carrying
trade.
The result of the American laws is be.
| fore us-a merchant marine on the ocean
| shrunk to practical impotence.
There is today but one first-class steam
ship line ,.1der the American flag on tho
ocean. T<s line has four steamships. two
of which, by special act of congress. were
allowed to be purchased from foreigners
| A few third-rate lines run to Mexico ant
Cuba Outside of these, we are on the
ocean outclassed and not in the running
at all.
The coasting lines are all third or fourth
rate ill-regulated as to loading or safety
and of antiquated. inconvenient types. Fo
instance nowhere else in the world is first
class accommodation for passengers SOLE
with cabins of three-tier beds. Nowher
else in the world are such unsafe boat
| allowed in service as are now doing tn
| Klondike business. Nowhere else in tn
world Is such disregard of the safety lin
in ship loading allowed as in our coast
Mexican and Alaska business.
The wreck of the Colima was a case II
Il point. InlS NeSsel was 10 30 GU
of San Francisco with a full passenger lis
c and top heavy deck load of lumber A
Mexican port they unloaded heavy freigh
a from the hold increasing the top-heavi
ness Of the boat In a squall she wa
Il wrecked with terrible loss of life largel
due to the blows from the floating lumber
If No such deck load on a passenger steame
II should have been allowed.
The numerous wrecks in the Alask
10 business are doubtless due to smila
causes. b.,
n The idea that the English maritime su
premacy is due in any way to subsidies
/ absurd Only few lines among their vas
-s shipping interests have mail subsidies. Th
French pay eight times more subsidies tina
he English to their ships and have nc
even remotely approached the Englis
l., power.
Let us realize at once that on the fre
II, ocean, success in obtaining merchar
= marine can never come by defying the Law
nj of natural trade. 1t can never come b
favoritism or special privilege. ..
. can only come by removing the handica
and destructive restriction under whic
nj we have gone to the wall. Our shipping me
must be put upon an equal footing wit
,r those of the most favored nation, othe
wise they can not compete.
he'll 1t is not generally known that under OF
,,s obsolete navigation laws ships are ranke
with obscene literature. but such is II
,t fact. Both are absolutely prohibited. A
~ American NAV s,Irrentitiously import nj