New-York tribune., 1900-10-25
THE MERCHANT MARINE
NEED OF ITS INCREASE ENIPHATICALLY
sHoWN-THE PROPOSED SUB
SIDY BILL.

ms nseu OF sniarging the merchant marine OF
s was never more acutsly felt than dur
ins the last summer when the nina owners AZ tbfs
country We're unable to meet the European demands
1or American coal because OF their inabufrv 70
charter enough ships to I'LL the orders that came
run 'ne Other side So many foreign ships were
PIesSeu INTO transport service to China and South
Africa that freighters were dihcuIt TO secure ans
IN consequence rates rose 70 an extremely high
IeVeL II Is obvious. moreover that the bandicap
which. as in this instance. American commerce A
subjected TO from time time will be materially,
heightened in the future. with the constantly ex-
pandinS trade OF this country with It's new pos
sessions and with other nations. The remedv ia The
building Of American ships
Should the Republican Administration be retained
in power a new policy viii be instituted under
which American maritime growth will be rauid
and permanent The necessity for the adoption OF
maritime policy pointed out BY The Prssi-
dent IN his 1885 annual message to Congress. He
discussed the subject much more earnestly. urgent
~ and extensively in his last annual message IN
which he gave 1t a prominence second only 10 that
OF currency legislation II Is generally con-
ceded that the revival Of the American merchant
marine is one Of the most pressing OF the great
problems yet awaiting Congressional solution. An
effective policy along the lines pursued by the more
successful maritime nations OF Europe is what has
been hoped for. \ bill on such lines but adapted
TO American necessities. introduced at the
short session OF the LVth Congress II provided
compensation from the National Treasury for YES
sells engaging in the foreign trade under the Amer
lean flag This compensation was 10 De uniform
for all vessels under fourteen knots speed. with
graded additional compensation for steam vessels
OF greater speed The Secretary OF the Treas
ury into contracts with
ers Of these vessels for the payment of the COM
pensation provided for period Of twenty years.
in return for which the vessels were 10 carry tho
mails free and be subject 10 the Governments pur-
chase at any time.
The bill referred admitted 70 American regis
| try and half rates Of compensation such foreign
vessels then owned by or building for
American citizens, provided the latter contracted
to build in American shipyards tonnage equal 70
| that admitted, besides which owners Of American
vessels for which compensation was sought were
mage equal to . per cent Of that 50 compensated
/ No payments We're to be made from the National
/ Treasury until the vessels thus required were
/ built and in operation Although it favOrably
| reported from the Senate Commerce and House
Merchant Marine and Fisheries committees action
was found impossible during that session because
of the prolonged discussion OF the Peace Treaty in
| the Senate.
Early in the hrst session Of The, LvIth Congress
senator Frye reintroduced the shipping pill IN the
upper branch OF Congress. and Representative
| committees TO which the bills were referred held
/ numerous public hearings, at which the over
/ With number Of amendments they were favora-
sacb bToncb of So11.-rssS ,rliIi,t - to- u
One of the chief merits of this bin is that it diff
It does not single one line for the sole enjoy
rnent OF the cOnpenSa ton. 10 the d1ScOuTageunen
| or competing American lines receiving no cOmpen-
| satiOn- Perhaps of the best evidences Of the
| effectiveness OF the measure is shown in the ear
nest and influential opposition OF foreign shipping
| interests Another is found in the discussion it
i has evoked in the foreign press, which disclOse5
| serious apDrehensions REGARDING, unfavorable con-
sequences TO foreign shipping likely 70 follow its
| passage.
That it will cause pronounced and long con-
| tnued reductions in freight rates by creating
| large fleets OF new American ships they concede.
| and that this would result in substantially in
| creasing American expectations arouses the fears
| OF foreign manufacturers The decline or
| American shipping In the foreign trade from
4 due to only one cause-Lack or protection EX-
| Cepting the very few ships receiving mail
| subsidies American ships enjoy protection
| whatever in the foreign trade. although IL
operated foreign ships. that also receive subsidies
and bounties exceeding SO 100000 yearly from theil
| these disadvantages by placing American ships on
| terms Of bare equality with their foreign rivals
| foreign commerce in 1851 they carry to-day only
| SO per cent. If American ships upon the had
| been protected against foreign competition 10 the
| same extent that our industries upon tne land
| have been protected there would be great
| fleets of our sbi>- sailing on every sea and seen
/ in every port Of~Sbe world.
/ That IL would Iea%re little stimulus 10 make the
| United States the laIS@st shipbuilding nation in
/ the world IS shown IN sfsc quarterly return which
| has Just been issued IN LOnSon by Lloyd's- This
| return exhibits a notable deye>SnrnenI OF Amer1-
/ can shipbUiding in the last three or four years.
| covers the United States, next 70 creat Britain,
had the largest tonnage under constr. lotion The
1 return attracted much attention ana The stat
ist" one OF the leading English financial and COM
mercial papers. in the course OF long article on
the subject pointed out that the actual AID pros
| pective development Of shipbUldtng in America
Is even much greater than might be inferred from
I IIovd's report The Statst'' expressed the oStu-
ion that the Impetus 20 shpbuiding given by chee2
| materials and the large demand for tonnage will
| receive further stimulus from the marketing or
American coal abroad