The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-02
Report on the Shipping Bill.

WASHINGTON, April 1.-Representative
Grosvenor, Of Ohio, chairman Of the House
committee on merchant marine and fish
cries. presented to the House yesterday
the amended shipping bill and the report in
its support by the majority of the COM
mittee constituting all the Republican
members. The report says in part:
"Our abundant natural resources and our
industries and increasing population
make it of great value to increase the
means of profitably disposing of our sur
plus productions, and as our export trade
Is increased so Will be home consumption
and employment. Our exporting competi-
tors have for a long time been devoting
themselves to increasing their export trade
and getting possession of markets. Africa
is an example of the methods pursued of
rartitioning territory or recognizing
spheres of influence possibly Eastern
Asia being eventually destined to receive
China" the report continues, may be
left open to fair and equal competition
with respect of trade with the United
States, in which event. the committee
believes, "one of the largest, If not the
largest, field for the trade and commerce
of other nations will be open to those
possessing the facilities of taking advan-
tage of the opportunity. The nation first in
the field with its own productions and it's
own means of transportation will achieve
the largest success for which reason
China must remove the barriers which now
almost entirely exclude foreign intercourse.
Other parts of the world in which our COM
merce holds so small a share would repay
particular study
The need of abundant establishments for
the construction, docking and repairing of
ships, IAN adequate navy" and a great
feet of merchant vessels "all in readiness
for any exigency." is asserted by the re-
port to be "self-evident proposition" On
these grounds other nations have fortified
themselves by increasing their sea power
in all the ways referred to, with the OBJ
ject of Strengthening their facilities and
power for carrying on foreign commerce"
PURPOSES SUMMARIZED.
After giving the statistics on the extent
building, wages. ETC., Mr.. Grosvenors re-
port sums up "the cardinal purposes of the
bill,'' as follows: ITO aid in a real practi-
cal way-and no doubt, under existing con-
ditions, the only possible way-in bringing
to the greatest extent possible. our own
foreign trade back into our own hands. and
thus saving to our country certainly more
than 800. 100000 transportation money an
nually, which now goes to increase the
wealth of other nations
"To greatly increase the expectation and
sale of all kinds of our supe ra bundant pro-
ductions, and especially in the vast regions
of eastern Asia. evidently very soon to be
opened 10 the trade of the world. This is
a trade that the nation best prepared to
engage i'm will necessarily get the greater
proportion of by its own ships under it's
own flag, and with its own postal facilities
and its own commercial establishments for
the disposal of it's products.
ITO bring into existence, at the earliest
possible time. great American fleet of
merchant vessels, built i'm our own country,
with our own material and by our own
labor as a most necessary means of ma
tional aid and national safety i'm time of in
ternational war or other disturbances, the
probability of which is, unhappily, not
small. even now.
ITO increase the number of our citizens
who will be educated in seafaring work,
and who will thus have the skill and be
better able to defend the honor and inter-
ests of our country on the seas however
| suddenly the occasion may happen.
1.-The bill. we think will. IL the proposed
compensation is large enough, accomplish
these great and important purposes"
General Grosvenors report concludes: at
WILL of course. take considerable time 10
reach the desired end but the sooner the
policy is entered upon the sooner and
~ sier will be its accomplishment. The
| means proposed open to the capital,
| the enterprise and the skill OF all our citi-
zens alike. and on equal terms. There is
no ground for any form OF monopoly. There
| is absolute safety 10 the treasury in the
fact that no payment can be made until In
| each and for each voyage the work is
actually performed. As we have before
CONTINUED ON FIFTH PAGE)