The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-14

this vast increase in the coastwlse
shipping under protection, the iron and
steel, the cotton manufacturing, the
leather and various other industries
protected by the tariff grew in a like
manner. The only great industry that
failed to grow, but which declined rap
idly, was that of our ocean shipping.
And, it was the only one that was left
without any protection. Cause and
effect could not be more plain.
To make up the difference in wages
in the United States as compared with
Europe, and the consequent increased
cost of carrying on an industry under
the American flag was the purpose of
the protective tariff. That 1t has effec-
lively accomplished that object every
intelligent American knows. Temper
arly it may sometimes increase prices.
but in the long run It not only lowers
them, but establishes the industry in
this country, distributing hundreds of
millions of dollars here annually that
would otherwise have been expended
principle is all that is needed to in
crease our shipping in the foreign
trade and keep at home a fair share
of the SS2,OOO.00O now paid annually
to foreign ship owners for doing our
ocean carrying trade.
There is the same average difference
between the wages paid on American
| ships and on foreign ships that there
| is between the wages paid in the iron
or any other industry in this country
| and abroad. The same difference ex-
| tends to the construction of the ships
and to their maintainance. In other
| Industries the tariff protects the Ameri-
can against the foreigner. But the
| owner of a ship in the foreign trade
| has no protection. He is expected to
| carry on his industry on a free trade
basis. The result has been almost the
| extinction of our shipping in the for
| eign trade. That is what 1t is rapidly
coming to. And in the meantime moth
| ing is done to arrest the decay. Those
| enjoying protection in other industries
seem to care little about the shipping
| industry. Hence, from paying foreign
ers $10,000000 a year for doing our
ocean carrying trade, we have come 10
the point where we are paying them
$lS2, 900, and it will soon exceed
5000, ,OOO 900.
other nations not only have the bene-
fit Of lower wages, but they subsidize
! their ocean shipping. Not many years
ago Germany had no ocean merchant
marine worth mentioning. She began
the payment of subsidies, and the re-
suit is striking. In the year ending
June 80 German ships carried $780,
100000 in value of our imports and ex-
ports, while American vessels carried
only $132,O00OO0. Germany carried
| SIG, ,O26, $3.50 of our exports, as compared
with $75,500,650 carried by American
vessels. And yet Germany is a nation
with small seacoast as compared
with our thousands Of miles, and she
had no shipping to speak of when the
United States was in the front rank OF
nations in that respect. Germany has
protected her foreign shipping and it
has grown rapidly. The United States
has not protected her foreign shipping
and it has declined as rapidly as that
| Of Germany has increased.
The Hanna-Payne shipping bill, in
troduced in the last congress, is a
measure that will protect our foreign
shipping That, or some measure
equally good, should pass at the next
session of congress. The time has
come to do justice to the nation by
extending the protective system to our
ocean carrying trade.