The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-20

s. .psn. vs sn .s tP VS Oh h the S1tHd
Rh or the sn%s
purpose the United States e1pendei less thnn
American .teamship lines " on a. the Pacific coast
TO connect with Asia VIII furnish the capitals
OF western Europe with closer mail and pas
than 10 now possible by thu heavily suhsidze
British, German and French steamship lines
through the Suez Canal.
The argument that American shipping In the
foreign trade is handicapped by tariff duties IL
met by reierence TO progressive legislation.
years. ali materials yoT the e"nstruesion c Of
American. vessels in the foreign, trade and all
supplies for such vessels have been EXEMPT
vessels eSsT ,hs only orm q Fsaarn
repeal tonnage taxes Would. tSer~fSrS in efrec,
be equivalent to bounty OF about SI5O,OOO
annually to foreign shipping and would re; re-;
lieve American shipping OF only SSOOOO OF
The report thep takes up the Ave methods
promotion OF tho American merchant marine.
II Is pointed ont that discriminating duties
mage OF foreign vessels are an imprac,icabie
treaties with, nearly all the nations ~ the
world. prescribing equal treatment FOR foreign
and charges. The same objection also applies
In American vessels as by the forms OF our
principal treaties we are obliged To grant
ss sane IN q" IN
ton. to grant American registry to, foreign.
built vessels in the forete9 trade Is not
rejection OF that proposition four years ago by
the Senate Committee on Commerce. and on
and shiphuildeTs are united in Opposition to
that measure Il L. also pointed out that, re-
point It's advocates. In view OF the fact that the
cost OF opera,i ting vessels under tho American
nag In concededy much greater than the cost
OF operating foreign vessels,
The adoption OF the free; ship policy by Great
maritime development. as vessels for many
years have been buiIt more chcaply In Great
Britain than elsewhere and II point Of fact
dom registered undcr the British nag. with
occasional exceptions IN the colonies. The
thr'ugn ocean mail subsidies s only a partial
solution Of tho question While the need OF at
least Two iast mail ste2mshP lines to Asin and
| Establishment OF snch lines would not suflice to
Put our NAVIGATION and shipbuiIdng on salts
The report In the main is devoted to a con-
! sidcration, OF Senate Bill 900. reported ~
tuts Tor the bIls introdTctd by Senator Hanna
and Representative Payne. 1t is pointed out
thSt the maximum eXp"ndl,nrG nnhH rro MAJ
from which. however. should be deducted
si,50O.OOn. the present cost OF carry NJ or
OCEAN nlullh ON AMERICAN NcNNtlS, .WHlVH VIII
continue Whatever the fate Of the bill may be-.
The actual maximum annual expenditure pro-
posed TX the VII is thus, IN effect. fixed 9t
registered for foreign trade were fully occu-
pied throughout tho year, at the pre-
sent time the rev expenditure, under the bin
would be, In round numbers, $1,000;
900. Before the maximum IL reached
the capacity Of our shiprards must be
increased many times and the tonnage nlcr
our flag engaged In the foreign trade mus be
multiplied several fold This Increase In tho
in foreign trade will show ability on our part
to compete on more nearly even terms with
foreign nations. Tn" pro rata reductions In
compensation proviho for when the ma Ximum
expenditure OF SO,OOOOOO Is reached will thus
coincide with tho less4nrd necd OF Government
assistance During the decade ending 1899
our shipyards pro 'uced ont 2l3OOO gross
tons OF ocean steamships, while, N the same
period. German yards turned out S5O,OOO gross
tons and British yards u, bSO,OvO gross tons
The report recommends moderate increases
IN our tonnage taxes, equaIIlng them with
those imposed at the principal European ports /;
favors the passage Of bills applying the laws Of
the United states rotating to commerce, pavi-
cation and merchant seamen to Hawaii and
Porto Rico. thus bringing those islands under
the coasting laws OF tho United States. IL Is
recommended that vessels owned by Cubans
be placed by law on an equality with vessels
belonging 10 the most favored nation. Under
an eXlsting statute, It has been. necessary to
inpcsn IA tonnage tax Of 81 paF gross ton
practically prob bitory-upon sncA vessels, and
this injustice both to ourselves and the Cubans
can DO remedted only BY lsgislatioh.