The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-24
coAsTwIsE OR FOREIGN,


by the double proposition that Puerto
Rico is entitled to all the privileges and
rights of trade existing between the sew
eral states, and to all the provisions Of
the laws regulating the domestic COM
merce of the country. Whether Puerto
Rico is an integral and constitutional
part of the United States, and her people
entitled to all the rights of trade that
exist with the people of he rest of the
republic, is of far more~importance than
a mere question Of Is or % per cent tariff
wise navigation laws, which define what
Shall be deemed vessels of the United
States entitled to the privileges of vessels
employed in the coasting trade or fisher
les" Among other of the provisions of
this law, which was primarily enacted
in 1898, and which has been several times
and offering by American citizens es-
sential to the procurement of enrolment
papers and a license to do business. No
vessel not enrolled and licensed can carry
goods between ports of the United States.
The vessel must not only be- owned by
citizens of the country, but Its master
and mates must also owe their allegiance
to the Stars and Stripes.
1t is common for US land lubbers of the
Mississippi valley to misunderstood and
fail to comprehend the meanings of our
navigation laws but it Is important to
know that the purpose of a register is
to declare the nationality of a vessel en-
gagged in trade with foreign nations, and
to enable her to assert that nationality
wherever found The purpose of an "en-
rollment'' is to evidence the national
character Of a vessel engaged in the
coasting trade, or home traffic, and to en-
able such vessel to procure license for
the coastwise trade. The registry and
enrolment merely admit to the privilege
of procuring a license, and obligate to
certain duties to the country. Under this
law the home traffic of the country has
been for hundred years entirely in the
hands of home vessels, but it was not
until 1874 that the law was enacted re-
and mates of American vessels-a provi-
sion of law that brought into the United
States a great many of the best shippers
of the Canadian provinces, who had pre-
and retained their residence In and al
legiance to the Dominion of Canada.
American registered tonnage is based
upon the cubical capacity of the interior
OF the hull of the ship, known in English
registry as met tonnage, while English
registry is most frequently quoted as
gross" tonnage, being the displacement
of the huh in the water. So it happens
that the tonnage of the English marine
is sometimes quoted as IS, 0o0.OOO tons, and
sometimes at 100000, or Whereabouts.
The shipping engaged in the coastwise
trade of this country is very much more
formidable than is supposed. the total
of all vessels exceeding twenty tons each
being 3965,s1S tons registry.
AS the total registry of all our yes
sells In 1899 was but 1866, 23S tons, it will
be seen that the bulk of all our shipping
is engaged in the home trade. the total
being a registered tonnage of only $751;
229 engaged in the foreign trade, while
of Great Britain's registry over three
fourths is engaged in her foreign traffic.
The coastwise business is all that has
been of sufficient profit to attract invest
ment by our people, but into that capt.
tai has flowed freely, until the bust
ness of the great lakes alone almost
equals the whole coasting trade of Great
Britain. For example, In 1898 the total
tonnage entered and cleared coastwise
at British ports was 81, 41S,S65 tons, While
the total entrances and clearances coast
wise in the ports of the United States
were probably double that, If we are to
accept the reports Of the various boards
of trade of the lake. coast and gulf
cities, from whom we derive all the In
formation that can be had relative to the
eoastwise business, as the treasury de-
partment has not yet interested itself or
its statistical experts in that branch of
our traffic. We do not know that the"
tonnage passing the 500 canal in 1883 was