Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-02
Senator Frye's Report on the Ship
ping Bill.
INDUSTRY NEEDING ENCOURAGEMENT
Effect Of Competition With the
Low Wages of Europe.
THE MEASURE EXPLAINED

i
| hnI ranau.as ~ upo. VIC sApp,.e
| o. - - " 80.
IT, 80 $50, nos Dee MAJ" .... puun
| -, W ess.' '-He 'Ae SCI
! estoe"' value oi d hatiohai merchant ma
| rihe' explains ana depiores our almost en-
| tire dependence upon foreign shipping for
1 our ocean CARRYING srppests the danger ri
re,i,noa ,,nor III ,,o-oL,. IT.. g -,
| .. r." NV me- .iah' s"'ps VI o'"ei
| iie1Hohs WINCH may pecoHie ln'oiVeu III
| war, the possible complete exclusion OF
| American exports from their regular for
| eisn narkats in sncb , cont;n,an.y and
| no;,.s 49, 49,.
| ps oo' 'hat 'he Mhoiesaie transfer VI
| the tonnage OF Dellgerent nation to
| neutral flag would Enthusiastically involve
! such SHINING in difficulties seizures and
| dotor+;o,a M. -. - - - -
| ..sn,,.' ine nii'is"- i war mas ma
| terlaiiy reauced our means OF transporta-
| ton and embarrassed our ocean mail ser
| vice. The humiliation of orr roliance ,,pon
| foreign vessels bought and chartered dur
| ing our war with S1ain is refarra1 To and
| the broad ground ia taken that under those
| sections of the Constitntion which e1nnower
| Congress to provide for the common de-
Tense and general welfare is fonnd the
highest aul hority for the promotion Of our
merchant marine"
D,.
-r,,o aoouo,,o =, ,.u,a -. .,oo
1850 is shown In that re.r tho clue of
imnorts CARRIED in Aner,c.n yosso1s r.s
$3.50 e56 TO and foreipn vessels s5s6 400 O12
In 1899 American vessels carried s16O GAL
OO8 and foreign vessels 81 sO6 SIG. O73 the
percentage in 1860 for American vessels
being 33 L and in 1899 only SO
Three prime reasons are given for the de-
cline of the American shipping In the for
eign trade. namely, the greater cost of
building ships in the United States than
elsewhere; 2, the greater cost of operating
American as compared with foreign ships
and s. causes based on foreign legislative
encouragement. The suggestion that this
situation may be overcome by the free ad-
register is met by pointine out that If such
admission were unconditional it would re-
suit In destroying existing American ship
"a UassnIs nc h ,,,iit ahenror arooa
than in the United states owing to lower
wages there as unnuestiorabiy demon
strated by the testimony taken by the com
mfttee the free admission of foreign ships
would prevent any ships for the foreign
trade from being constructed in the ship
yards of the United States, unless wages
were reduced to the foreign level. Hence
the free admission of foreign ships means
the destruction OF the American shin build
ing or else a wholesale reduction of wages
in American shipyards and in all the allied
Industries connected with ship building"
uo,,a 1ror., o,r sh,,,
u ""f 1iPPi"ss'
All competent authorities, the report
states agree that this bill if enacted will
fpv01ve a LARGO increase in tho American
.. NJ. ~ -. ~. Ian
'" "ie' me f"s"ee VI 'is o''''
II is claimed would probably eject re"
duction of 81, 600 900 year in ocean rates
on American commerce. through the addi-
tional shipping and the competition that
would be created
Foreign opposition" the report says 'is
being concentrated upon the bill because
foreign shipping interests clearly see that
they will be seriously injured by the re-
~1a.t T..
now in our foreign trade
1.-THE maximum annual expenditures are
fixed at 100000 in the bill About ST.
roo 600 Is now being maid 70 American sbins
p
uiuer iofiiiai coi,ui,ioiis ior carrying our
mails a sum which should be reduced from
the additional expense of the operation OF
this bill About 100000 additional tons of
new shipping, costing approximately S40,-
900 900, and occupying several years in its
construction, would have to be built in the
United States if this bill is passed before
the maximum expenditure of $1,000 600
could be reached
for steamships of twelve knots speed and
over Is also deliberately explained, 1t being
this b,i, uo' ma. uhuer tne operation OF
as is the case with special subsitlies to cor,
tain favored lines, but that the same routes
and the same compensation are open to all
VINO care 10 put on ships or lines. There
the n nu, S't sJi,s scre" steamships IN
INC 49,, touay Una. come WITHIN me size
d spIea co"eitlons tnat uleher cotnpeh-
saeioh IS nxea Tor ana OF these twenty-five
are projected by the coasting laws Of the
Lhlteo states. wnile the balance receive
from their respective governments upward
OF S2OO0.OO0 annually. The extra compen-
satfon that is provided for this same class
OF vessel Is merely sufficient in amount to
equaliZe the advantages enjoyed by the
foreign Of L{rrt, =
American vessels 1t Is expected that some
$40 tons of foreign-built vessels now owned
or building for American citizens will he
terms of this hill their ouyners hain, , ,.a
quired to build equal tonnage in the Tinted
States before receiving anv comnensatinn ;.
THE provisions of the hill from every
point of view" adds the rennrt ARE 49,.
whelmtngly In favor Of new and naoro ' e
sells, more shipyards, and arsater fac,,;+tss
for ocean transportation. While deemed