The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-20
Mt Chamberlain Makes His Annual
Report.
American Shipping Industries Shared Gen.
eraI Prosperity.
Returns Disclose More Satisfactory
Conditions Than Those or ANY
Former Year in the Bureaus
History Tonnage operating
Under Our Coasting Laws
Greater Than Coasting Tonnage
Of Any Other Nation.


of ANY Other Nation.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19.-The an
nual report of Mr.. Chamberlain, the
Commissioner of Navigation, SHOWS
that American shipping industries
shared in the general prosperity of the
country during the past fiscal year.
The returns disclose more satisfactory
conditions than those of any former
year in the bureaus history. The total
documented tonnage on June 80, 1889,
comprised 22,72S vessels of Ash 3S
gross tons, which is our largest since
1865.
The tonnage operating under our
coasting laws, q, 1897 vessels of 4,015,-
922 gross tons. is the largest in our his
tory and greater than the coasting ton
mage of any other nation. Our steam
tonnage, 2,476,011 tons, for the first
time exceeds the tonnage of all other
craft In the rest of the world steam
tonnage eleven years ago exceeded sail
tonnage. Our tonnage registered for
foreign trade remains small and last
year American vessels carried frac-
tion less than per cent. of our ex-
ports and imports, the smallest per-
centage in our history. Based on bu-
reau veritas returns, the worlds sea-
going sail tonnage in the past quarter
of a century has decreased from a.
1886 tons to S.693 T69 tons, a de-
crease of 40 per cent. The decrease in
the United States has been at the aver
age rate. The worlds Seagoing tonnage
in the same period has increased from.
1925, 1913 tons to 1S,SS7, 132 tons, or 800
per cent. The phenomenal increases
have been Norway's ], 400 per cent. and
Germany's nearly 700 per cent. The in
crease of the United States has been
only 6S per cent and the increase of
American steam tonnage registered for
foreign trade on Atlantic and gulf
coasts has been only SO per cent. The
development of Alaska within the past
few years has caused a rapid increase
in the Pacific Coast trade Within the
past 20 years the United States in sea-
going steam tonnage, has dropped from
the second place next to Great Britain,
to the fourth position, below Germany
and France, and if steamships in for
eign trade alone are considered, below
Norway and Spain, and only slightly
ahead of Japan.
The report reviews briefly the legisla-
ton Of other nations in behalf of their
merchant shipping, showing that last
year European nations and japanese
expended oyer S26,0O0,00O to promote
it in various forms. while the United
States spent only S99S, 211. On their
steamship lines to China and Japan
foreign nations expended about 3d.
O0,00O, while for the same purpose the
United States expended less than $40
UU0. The establishment of two or more
fast American steamship lines on the
Pacific Coast to connect with Asia will
furnish capitals of Western Europe
with closer mail and passenger connec-
tons by from three to five days than
is now possible by the heavy subsi-
died British, German and French
steamship lines through the Suez Ca
nal. The reasons which impel other ma
tons to develop their merchant ship
ping, says Mr.. Chamberlain, apply with
equal force to the United States. Among
them are first, the relations of the
navy to the merchant marine as an
element of national defense; second, re-
lations of merchant marine to insular
territory; third, it's relation to new
markets in Asia, Africa, Australia and
South America; fourth, the necessity
for the best ocean mail facilities under
the flag; fifth, the relations of the
merchant marine to exports and i'm
ports and the value of the carrying
trade, and finally, the promotion of
ship building and contributory indus
tries. By various methods of compu-
tation, the annual value Of the ocean
carrying trade of the United States is
estimated at about S175,00O including
passenger and immigrant fares and
payments for ocean mails to and from
the United States The argument that
American shipping in the foreign trade
is handicapped by tariff duties is met
by reference to progressive legislation
beginning in 1872, by which, for the
last five years all materials for the
construction of American vessels in the
foreign trade and supplies for such YES
sells have been exempt from duties
Tonnage taxes which are imposed
equally on foreign and American YES
sells are the only form of federal taxa
ton of American shipping. The prop
osition to repeal tonnage taxes would
therefore in effect. be equivalent to a
bounty of about $4,000 annually to
foreign shipping and would relieve
American shipping of only $4,000 OF
taxes annually
The report then takes up the methods
which have recently been suggested for
the promotion of the American merch-
ant marine. 1t is pointed out that dis
terminating duties on cargoes in for
eign vessels or on tonnage of foreign
vessels are an impracticable remedy on
account of treaty provisions. The same
objections also apply to the proposition
to grant bounties on exports in Ameri-
can vessels. The proposition to grant
American registry to foreign built YES
se.s in the foreign trade is not re-
garded as feasible in view of the fact
that the cost of operating vessels un-
der the American flag is concededIy
much greater than the cost of operating
foreign vessels. The appropriation to
develop merchant marine through
ocean mail subsidies is only a partial
solution of the question. While the
need of at least two fast mail steam
ship lines to Asia and one to South
America is indisputable. the establish
ment Of ship lines would not suffice to
put our navigation and ship building
on satisfactory basis. "a sse
The report is ia the main devoted2tc
a consideration of Senate bill $3.50. re-
ported by Senator Frye, at the last ses-
sion as substitute for the bills in.
troduced by Senator Hanna and Rep
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