Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-07-18
foreign trade, and no American ship

builder IL known to oppose 1t.
Perhaps one of the best evidences OF It's
effectiveness Is shown In the earnest and
influential opposition OF foreign shipping
interests. Another Is found in the dis
cussions 1t has evoked In the foreign
press, which disclose serious apprehen-
sions regarding the unfavorable conse-
quences to foreign shipping likely to fol-
low Its passage. That 1t will cause pro-
nounced and long-continued reductions
in freight rates by creating large fleets OF
new American ships, they concede, and
that this would result In substantially
increasing American expectations, arouses
the fears OF foreign manufacturers. This
explains the violence and persistence of
the free trade opposition In the United
States, and 1t is significant that the open
opposition to the bill has SO far been con-
fined almost entirely to free trade sources.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION.
Another straw showing the bills real
fairness Is indicated by the contradictory
arguments used by its opponents. One
set asserts that the bill unduly favors
fast passengers and mail steamships, the
other set alleging that 1t is too promo
tive OF the slow cargo-carrying ships. A
few others, who admit . desire to pur-
chase foreign built rat her than American
built ships, favor the free American regis.
try Of the former almost without limit,
provided they are given compensation
equal to that received by the latter.
Opposition has focused upon the only
American line in the transatlantic trade
on the alleged ground that too much ia
vor is shown for fast ships of the kind
most useful as auxiliary cruisers. But
this opposition has only brought into
greater prominence the fact that OF the
2.15 per cent. Of our commerce with
Europe carried in American ships, all but
two-tenths OF per cent. is carried by the
line In question. To drive that line out
OF existence W hich seems to be the real
purpose OF one faction opposing the bill
would leave but two-tenths OF per
cent. of two-thirds Of our entire foreign
commerce to be carried in Amer
lean ships. This one American line car
ries nearly oue-quarter Of all the foreis n
commerce carried in American bottoms,
and its extinguishment would reduce the
proportion Of American carriage of Amer
lean foreign commerce to per cent.
The decline OF our shipping in the
foreign trade from 2, SOC, 600 tons in 1861
to 600 tons in 1888 is due to but one
cause-lack OF protection. Excepting
the very few ships receiving mail sub
sides, American ships enjoy no protec-
tion whatever in the foreign trade, al
though in competition with the cheaper
built ana cheaper operated foreign ships
that also receive subsidies and bounties
exceeding S26 100000 yearly from their
several governments. The pending bill
offsets these disadvantages by placing
American ships OH terms OF bare equality
with their foreign rivals.
Where American ships carried 66 per
cent. of our foreign commerce in 1861,
they carry to-day but SO per cent. II
American ships upon the sea had been
protected against foreign competition to
the samu extent that our industries upon
the land Lave been protected, there would
b
on every sea aud seen i'll every port Of
the world. Long ago we should have
been building ships as cheapiy as our
foreign rivals, We should have operated
them rs economically, we should have
greatly Increased our foreign trade
espec ally IN exports, We should have for
many years been creditor nation, and
We might nov be the leading shipbuiideIs
and commercial carriers of all the world.
TERRIBLE COST TO AMERICANS.
An eminent member OF The British
parliament said only few years ago In
an American periodical that the refusal
Of our government to pay in su bsidies
5000, 600 IA year TO American ships for
tnIrtS Jears, mad resulted in the payment
during the same period OF $1,000, 100000
To foreign ship-owners for carrying
American Commerce. Not only has the
negiect vi our merchant snlpping III the
foreign trade been OF THIS colossal ad-
vantage to our foreign rivals, but for
elgn governments are fortified with
merchant ship, and trained men, which
our own paramount necessities should
long ago have Induced US to provide for
our OWE government.
1t Is obvious that what We have ne
elected to do for forty years with such
DISASTROUS consequences, we must yet do;