The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-20
American SH|PDULD|NG.
THE INDUSTRY HAS SHARED IN
THE GENERAL PROSPERITY.
tommfsstoner OF Navigation's An
nual Report shows More Satisfac-
tory Condition. Than Ever He
fore and Suggeats improvements.

/ WASHINGTON, Nov ls-The annual
report OF Mr.. Chamberlain the commits
sioner Of navigation shows that Araer!-
/ can shipping industries shared In the
general prosperity OF the country during
I the past fiscal year. The returns disclose
more satisfactory conditions than those
/ OF any former year in the bureaus his
/ tory. The total decUmentei tonnage on
June 50, ISa9, comprised IT'S vessels of
I ASSESS gross tons. which is eur largest
since 1855.
The tonnage operating under our coast
! ing laws, I.3sa vessels Of 4.0iS. go gross
tons. is the largest III our history and
/ greater than the eoassiag tonnage Of any
| other nation. Our steam tonnage 2,25e.-
/ oil tons. for the first time exceeds the
! tonnage OF all othere craft. In the rest
/ OF the world steam tonnage eleven years
tonnage Of all other craft. Our tom
] mage, registered for foreign trade. re-
! mains small. and last year American ves-
| sells carried fraction less than 3 IAer
| cent. Of our exports and imports. the
| smallest percentage in our history. Based
/ on bureau returns, the worlds sea-
| going sail tonnage in the past quar-
ter Of century has decreased from IA
/ 1885 tons to s.ss3, $50 tons. a decrease OF
/ 10 per cent
| Dropped to Fourth Place.
| The decrease in the United States has
| been at the average rate. The worlds
| sea-guing tonnage. in the same period
has increased from 4.s2s.Ia3 tons TO 49,
| ss7,132 tons. or 3ss per cent. The phe-
/ nomenal increase have been Norways
| Loo per cent and Germanys nearly 700
/ per cent The increase of the United
1 States has been only IS per cent. and the
| increase OF American tonnage, registered
/ for foreign trade. the Atlantic and
| Gulf coast, has been only IS per cent.
| The development OF Alaska within the
| past few years has caused rapid In
crease IN the Pacific coast tonnage
| Within the past few years the United
! States. in sea-going tonnage. has dropped
| from the second place. next TO Great
| Britain. TO the fourth position, below
| Germany and France, and. IL steamships
| in foreign trade alone are considered, be-
| low Norway and Spain. and only slightly
| ahead of Japan.
Differences I'm Legislation.
The report reviews briefly the legislation
| Q, other nations in behalf OF the merchant
| shipping. showing that last year European
! nations and Japanese expended over s25,-
I p1,eo 10 promote X IN various forms, while
| the United States spent only $2ss,2 On
/ their steamship lines TO China and japan.
/ foreign nations expended about 100000
1
| States expended less than $ta.ooo The
| Enlistment OF two or more fast American
| steamship lines on the Pacific coast, TO con-
/ nedt with Asia, VIII furnish the capitals
| OF Western Europe with closer mail and
| passenger connections by from three to
| five days than is now possible by the
| heavily subsidized British. German and
| French steamship lines through the Suez
| canal
| The reasons which impei other nations to
| develop their merchant shipping. says Mr.
| Chamberlain, apply with equal force to the
United States. Among them are first, the
| relations OF the navy to the merchant ma
| rine. as element of national defense;
| second. relations OF merchant marine to
/ fnspar territory: third. rs relation 20 new
| markets III Asia, Africa. Australia and
/ South America: fourth, the necessity for
/ the best ocean mail facilities under the
flag fis,h, the relations OF the merchant
| marine to exports and imports and the
value Of the carrying trade and finally.
/ the promotion of shpbuilding and contri-
| butary industries. By various methods Of
| computation the annual value Of the
| ocean carrying trade OF the United States
is estimated az about sl75co1o, including
| passenger and immigrant fares ani pay
| ments for ocean malls TO and from the
/ United States,
| Difficulties to lie Overcome.
| The argument that American shipping
| In the foreign trade Is handicapped by
| tariff duties is met by reference 70 pro-
| gresssVe legislation beginning in is72 by
/ which for the last Ave years all materials
| for the construction Of American vessels
| in the foreign trade. and ali supplies for
such vessels have been exempt from du-
| ties Tonnage taxes. which are imposed
| equally on foreign aud American vessels.
| are the only form Of Federal taxation Of
| American shipping. The proposition 70
| repeal tonnage taxes would therefore in
| effect be equivalent TO n bounty OF about
| s7a0@0 annually ~ foreign shipping. ana
! would relieve American shipping Of only
! $50 go taxes annually.
/ The report then takes up the methods
! which have recently been suggested for
/ the promotion Of the American merchant
1 marine II Is pointed out that discriminate
/ ing duties ON cargoes in foreign vessels.
/ or ON the tonnage Of foreign vessels are
| an lmpractieabie remedy on account OF
! treaty provisions. The same objections
/ also apply to the proposition II grant
hounties on exports IN American vessels
| The proposition 20 grant American regis
Try 70 foreign built vessels. in the foreign
/ trade, Is not regarded as feasible in view
| q she fact that the cost Of operating ves-
! se}s under the American flag Is c0nced-
edly much greater than the cost OF operat-
I ing foreign vessels.
! The proposition - develop The merchant
/ marine through ocean NAL subsidies is
/ only "a partial solution OF the question.
. While the need Ct al least two fast ma.
| steamship lnss 10 Asa and one 10 South
/ America IS tnaisJsusabie, the establishment
% steamship Hines would not suffice ia
pat car navigation and shpbuiidiBg on "a
! satisfactory basis.
Payne-Hannu mn Amended.
The reTost e fn the main devoted 90 The
| f@nsfaera tf0n 81 senate till 5hssf. reported
| bv senator Frye AZ the last session. a. a
/ substitute fer the bills introduced by SEN
stog Hanna ard Representative Payne X
* pointed out that the maximum expeu9s-
! tufe under that bill Tor any one year IN
/ fixed at safs9ea from which. however.
/ snosid te deducted sl~S6ass she present
/ cost 4 carrying our ccean mails on AtneTf-
/ can vessels. which Will eonilnae. what
] ever the fate OF thc BIZ naY be The
annual