The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-11-24
THE PROPOSED sHIPYARD TRUST.
II the shipbuilders Combine They VIII
Get No Encouragement from Con-
QreSS.
philadelphia Press-)


The outlook for legislation oy con-
gress at the coming session 10 promote
the growth OF che nations ocean mer-
chant marine Is very promising. The
need of il is admitted by all. The Tree
raiders assar thai the legislation
should be on Tree trade lines and pro-
vide for free ships" The u~Tsoeaksoie
folly of such a curse has been 700
often demonstrated TO make u n~ces-
sary for much more 70 be SAD on ina.
point No free ship bill Of any KIND
can pass congress or receive President
McEfnIey's signature. The free snip
men have been sufficient In number IN
the past 70 prevent anything IRON De
ing Gbne TO help the ocean meTcnah%
marine. and as a result, u mas p~eh
declining from year 10 year. l. ms
decline Is not Arrested we WIZ haNe
hardly any American ships engaged IN
the foreign trade. Under these circum-
stances the friends Of American snip
ping should be careful about doing
anything tha< may chill the growing
feeling IN favor OF wise Legislation
II the shipya-ds are combined into
what is popularity known as a trust,
the prospect for any legislation VIII
materially decrease. Until some meth
III IL AVAilA VA =
they will continue to be an object VI
public dislike. Hence. If the shipyards
are combined into a trust any ap-
peal ITO congress for legislation which
might seem indirectly TO help that
trust would be fruitiess. The demand
for ships for the protected coastwise
and lake trade is now SuffiCerG 70 keep
all of our shipyards busy. They could
easily enlarge their yards and new
ones Nnyz11 no hlilF in a r0mnaTaJlNDl
short time TO provide ships for the for
eign trade. But if the shipbuilders are
short-sighted enough to go into a
trust" they Will not be called on 10
build any ships for the foreign trade.
If the promoters Of this trust as
sumo that they can compel the gov
TO pay excessive prices for
war vessels they are mistaken. Mr..
Cramp h $ warned them against such
folly. ThG experience of the armor
plate manufacturers ought TO be SUI
ficient on that poinit- Congress refused
to pay the excessive prices demanded
by the Carnegie armor plate com
bine," and preparations We're made FOR
establishing a government plant. The
only thing that prevented the gov
from going a head with the
armor plate plant was the long time
required before III could go into oper-
alton, though the combine reduced
it's prices for armor plate. The gov
eminent has shipyards and can build
its own shops. A shipyard trust
would unquestionably result in imme-
diately putting the League Island yard
in this city in a condition to construct
war vessels, and the yard near San
Francisco would be similarly improved,
giving THE government, with the New
York and Norfolk yards, four first
class plants in which ito build its own
ships. Congress could be depended
upon to see that no trust" had any
thing to do with building government
vessels.
The promotion of the ocean merchant
marine is necessary for the purpose Of
opening new markets, as we'll as for
economic reasons. 1t will be unfor-
tunate if the greed of promoters" is
allowed to interfere with THE necessary
Legislation to carry III his great IA
tional work.