The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-02
snA14Ln. TUESDAY, JANUARY >.
Figures WIN 4 Moral.

Figures Win 4 Moral.
The Statistics Of shipbuilding in the
United States for the year 1899 are in
strong and nournful contrast with
those which show the progress Of the
nation IN all other directions II has
been year Of unexampled industrial
activity Factories everywhere have
been enlarged or duplicated. The re-
view Of manufacture will show such
additions to our facilities for turning
out goods ~ must fairly startls the
world. And these concerns. old and
new. are running 1T full capacity, while
many o. them open the new year with
orders on their books sufncient to oc-
cupy them for from three to six months.
This ID q consequence Of our conquer
inE march to supremacy: and a very
large share Of these products must be
carried over sea to the foreign GUS
toners who ordered them.
How. now, about this carrying trade?
VINO will do It. and gather In the
profits2 Where are the ships being built
to satisfy demand that with tax the
commerce OF the worlds For 20 many
Of our orders have been placed abroad
that the increase in our merchant ma
rine ought to be almost a. pronounced
Al the expansion Of our commerce. The
hursau Of navigation Of the treasury at
washington reports that there has been
an actual falling on in the shipbuild-i
ing industry In the United States in
this year SO phenomenal for its Develop
ment In all other respects. There were
954 vessels built and numbered official
ly in 1899, and there were 955 in 1898.
An actual decrease in the face Of great
prosperity ut home. of unexampled ex-
pansion In foreign trade. Of activity
on the Pacific such as has never been
seen before.
Even this does not tell the whole
story. The steam vessels built were
less In number and less In aggregate
tonnage. The only advance was made
In the construction Of small sailing ves-
sels such as are engaged In the coast
Ing trade. The seaboard cities are SO
fiourishing that a host more OF these
little craft find employment In cruising
between them. But as for the great
ocean carrying business. we are not fit-
ting ourselves for 1t. II goes TO the
shipyards of other nations, because they
offer to the capital engaged in 1t supe-
rior inducements. Moreover. the dearth
OF shipbuilding is most marked on the
Pacific coast, exactly where there is
most need. On the whole coast there
were built last year only ia vessels,
aggregating only a little over 10000
gross tons.
Figures like these speak for them
selves, and call upon congress in no
uncertain tones for speedy and proper
action. Our other great Industries we
have built up by policy of encourage
ment that Is now bringing In it's gold
en- returns. Are we worried lest war
should cut us off from our sources Of
supply in manufactured products? We
could shut ourselves In with wall
and never feel the pressure of need.
Are we dominating the world with
manufactures that excel all others in
quality? II is because our ingenuity
was tempted and our capital attracted
by security against a killing foreign
competition while home manufactures
were being built up. We see the re-
suits of this policy everywhere. Shall
we fail to apply 1t to the last great in
terest that stands between us and COM
mercial supremacy?
The facts demonstrate that capital
win not go into the shipbuiiding busi-
ness in this country under present con-
ditions TO any considerable extent. Our
commerce is carried under alien flags
and pays toll to every other nation.
On this coast there IL developing trade
with Alaska and with the Orient that