The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-06

Washington, March 1.-The report
prepared by Senator Frye upon the
shipping bill reported by the commit
tee on of the n a was
made public today.
The report begins by asserting the
s~elf-evident value Of a national mer-
chant marine, explains and deplores
our almost entire dependence upon for
eign shipping for our ocean carrying,
suggests the danger of reliance upon
the merchant ships Of other nations
which may become involved in war, the
possible complete exclusion of Ameri-
can Exports from their regular foreign
markets in lei a contingency, and
points out that the wholesale transfer
Of the tonnage OF a belligerent nation
to a neutral flag would unqueStionably
involve such shipping in difficulties,
seizures and detentions. The British
BoeL&Tar has materially reduced our
means of transportation and embar-
raised our ocean mail service. The
humiliation of our reliance upon for
efgn vessels bought and chartered dur
ing our wal with Spain is referred to
and the broad ground is taken that
under those sections of the constitution
which empower congress to provide for
the common defense and general well
fare is found the highest authority for
the promotion Of our merchant ma
rine."
Three prime reasons are given for the
decline of the American shipping in the
foreign trade, namely, ID the greater
cost of building ships in the United
States than elsewhere; CD the greater
cost Of operating American as COM
pared with foreign ships, and 30
causes based ON foreign legislative en-
enlargement.
The suggestion tina this situation
may be overcome by the free admission
of foreign-built ships to American reg
lister Is met by pointing out that if
such admission were unconditional, it
would result in destroying existing
American shipyards on the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts.
The passage of the bill, it is claimed,
would probably effect a reduction of
SIS, 600, 900 a yea in ocean rates on
American commerce, through the adj
dttfonal shipping and the competition
that would be created.
Foreign opposition" the report
says, lis being concentrated upon the
bill, because foreign shipping interests
clearly see that they will be seriously
injured by the replacing of American
for the foreign vessels now in our for
eign trade.
THE maximum annual expenditures
are HAeu DIT SS,UUU, UUU III the Dill. ABOUT
81, see, 900 is now being paid to Ameri-
can ships under normal conditions for
carrying our mails, a sum which
should be deducted from the additional
expense of the operation of this bill.
About 400, 600 additional tons of new
shipping, costing approximately S40,-
900, 900 and occupying several years In
its construction, would have to be
built in h United States if this bill Is
passed, before the maximum expendi-
ture of IS, 600, 900 could be reached"
The special high compensation pro-
Vided for steamships OF twelve knots
speed and over Is also deliberately eX-
planned There are but 361 SeagOfng
screw steamships in the world today
that come within the size and speed
conditions that higher compensation is
liked for, and of these twenty-five are
protected by the coasting laws of the
United States, while the balance re-
ceive from their respective govern
ments upward of $780, 600, 900 annually.
1T eq1alizes the advantages enjoyed
by the foreign rivals of prospective
high-speed American vessels. 1t is
expected that some 340, 900 tons of for
eign-bullt vessels now owned or build
ing for American citizens will be ad-
mitted to American register under the
terms of his bill. their owners being
required to build equal tonnage in the
United States before receiving any
compensation"
a vessel cannot receive full compen
Sation unless she carries one-half of a
cargo
The committee states that when
shipbuilding yards have been suffci-
emily developed and have work enough
to keep them going all the time, the
cost of constructing ships in the Unit
ed States will be reduced. The growth
of ~shipbuilding in the United States
would give employment to a vast army
of men in the shipyards and in the
iron, steel and other industries con-
neeted with shipbuilding."
The report also states: AS the
most promising field for the futur de-
veIopment of our markets for agricul-
tural products is northern n temper
ate Asia, the committee believes that
our grain fields and cotton plantations
will gain in greater proportion from
the enactment of the law than the sea
board ~shipbuilding and shipownins
states"