Amador ledger., 1900-04-13
E.T. CHAMBERLAIN REPORT
United States Commissioner
Of Navigation.
NO DUTY ON MATERIAL FOR SPECIFIED VESSELS
Over Fifty Per Cent. of the Amount
Paid for Finished Ship Goes
to Shipyard Labor.
NO DUTY ON MATERIAL FOR SPECIFIED VESSELS

There is very general impression in
certain parts of the country that if the
materials used in shipbuilding were ad-
mitted free of duty our shipbuilders
would be able to build ships as cheaply
in the United States as they can be
built in foreign countries. Compare
lively few people know that such ma
terials have for years been on our free
list. Many think that American ship
builders are compelled to patronize
home steel producers, and that they
are compelled to buy of these manu-
facturers, no matter what prices they
demand.
Commissioner of Navigation E. L.
Cham berlain, of the Treasury Depart
ment, who is constantly administering
the laws relating to merchant vessels
of the United States, referring to the
mtsapprehension of our laws for free
raw material for shipbulding, said:
Congress inaugurated the policy of
admitting free Of duty materials in
tended for the foreign trade, and for
the trade between the Atlantic and
Pacific ports of the United States, as
long ago as 1872, although at that
time it was not so broad in its scope as
at present. Section 10 of the act of
June 6, 1872, is the first bearing on this
point. and it exempts all lum Der, tim
Der. hemp, manila, and iron and steel
rods, bars, spikes, nails and bolts, and
copper and composition metals, which
may be necessary for the construction
of vessels in the trades named, from
any duties. The same articles, if in
tended for vessels in those trades,
needing repairs, are also, by that act.
admitted free of duty.
''By section of the act of February
s, 1875, yellow sheathing metal and
yellow metal bolts, of which the com
ponent part of chief value is copper.
were added to the free list in respect of
ships building or repairing for the
trades named. The tariff act of March
3, 1883, section 2510. added wire rope
to the articles previously exempted,
and in that section included all the
other materials previously exempted.
Section 8 of the Mckinley tariff of Oc-
tober |, 1900. also added plates, tees,
angles, and beams;' that is to saw.
practically all structural forms of iron
and steel destined for ships to be built
or repaired for the trades specified
SECTIONS and of the tariff act of
August l5, 1894 put everything on the
free list needed for the construction or
repair of such ships by providing that
all materials of foreign production
which may be necessary for the con-
structiOn of vessels built in the United
States for foreign account and owner
ship or for the purpose OF being en-
ployed in the foreign trade, including
the trade between the Atlantic and
Pacific ports of the United States, and
all such materials necessary for the
building of their machinery, and all
articles necessary for their outfit and
equipment, were exempted thereafter
from duty.
ct is clear that to the extent hat
the free Importation of foreign mater
teIals can be of aid to our people in
the building of ships for the foreign
trade, they have for some years had
the benefit of such laws.
Vessels engaged in the trades
have named are entitled under our law
of June I'd, 1884, to import, free of
duty, any supplies required for use on
board such vessels, by the provisions
of section IL of the tariff act of July "a,
1897, and in the same act section 415 en-
empts fuel coal imported for the use of
vessels in the trades named from all
duties,
A citation OF the foregoing acts, ver-
ification of which may be had by any
one having access to the laws of the
United States, ought to put an end to
the demand for the free importa-
tion of all materials intended for
the construction of vessel building
or repairing for the foreign trade.
1t will be interesting, here, to tabu-
late these several acts, setting opposite
to their dates the amount of shipping
under the American flag In the foreign
trade at the time of the passage of
each. also showing the proportion of
our foreign carrying done by such ships
at those dates, and which. compiled
from official sources, makes the follow
ing showing:
American tonnage Percentage of
date of registered for carrying in