The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-09
AN ARGUMENT FOR THE SHIP SUB
SIDY BILL.

SIDY BILL.
The Philadelphia Press. arguing for the
Hauna-Payne ship subsidy bill, says:
If ships purchased abroad were allowed
90 sail under the American flag then
workmen in American shipyards would
have 10 accept the same wages as those
in foreign yards, or else the American
workmen would be thrown out of employ
ment The 10000 men employed in ship
yards on the Delaware river and the many
thousands employed in yards elsewhere
in the United States should reflect on that
fact The free traders who demand free
ships are directly striking at the wages
paid 20 those men. II the free traders can
have their way these thousands Of men
now employed at good wages ia construct
ing ships for the lake and coastWise trade
viii have TO accept a reduction OF wages
varying from 80 to 80 per cent. But
American workmen could not live on such
wages. Hence the result would be the
closing up our shipyards Then, I'm case
Of war We would be as bad off as Spain
was in the last war She had no shipyards
of any account, and no mechanics capable
Of making the necessary repairs to her
foreign-built ships. She had TO get foreign
ers TO do her work and she was unable to
Get enough of them and was without
the facilities even had she got the men.
The very statement Of the facts condemns
the free ship policy as the most idiotic and
unpatriOtc policy ever advocated. One Of
the first things the founders of the re-
public did was TO pass a law requiring
ships flying the American flag to be built
in this country, i'm order TO promote ship
building as a means Of national defense.
and that law has always stood on the
statute books, a monument to their wis
dom.
Evidently the Press thinks the foregoing
practically settles the whole question, but
does it? Have we not advantages over
England and Germany In shipbuilding
that would fully offset the higher wages
which are paid to American workmon?
Have we not cheaper steel, and iron and
lumber? And do not our workmen do a
great deal more work in day that Eng
lish or German workmen? These are
questions which must be answered before
admitting that our shipyards would be
closed If our laws should be 30 amended
as to allow citizens OF this country TO pur-
chase ships in the cheapest market-that
is. permit foreign-bui1t ships to be sailed
under the American flag.
A question that the Press should answer
is this: Why is It that American manu-
facturers OF locomotives can build better
locomotives than can be built anywhere
else in the world, and al a less price? Does
the Press mean to say that the workmen
who build our ships are a higher class Of
worImen or more sklllful than those who
build our locomotives? our impression is
that they are not. If we are hot mistaken
our locomotive builders are just as high
a type of workmen as our ship-builders
and get just as good wages. There is GER
tainly no reason why workmen I'm ship
yards should get better wages than work
men in locomotive factories. And yet the
manufacturers OF locomotives are not pro-
tected, and, as far as we are aware they
are not asking for protection. There is
free trade in locomotives, and as a result
we are selling locomotives TO avery civl-
LIED country. If we had free trade in
ships the chances are that we should not
only build our own ships but also ships
for other peoples.
The great locomotive plant and the
great ship yard of the country are in the
city In which the Press is, published. why
does it not find out why it is that the
Baldwin Locomotive Works can build To-
comotives for all the world while the
Cramp shipyard, protected by laws which
deny TO foreign built ships American reg
isrry and the right to fly the American
flag, cannot compete successfully with the
shipyards of England and Germany.
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