The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-12-12

French tonnage combined was in the
coastinE trade, while only St6795 tons
were engaged I'm foreign trade with
the result that only per cent Of our
exports were carried i'm our own bot
toms. Were all our export trade car
ried i'm our own ships what stream
Of wealth would pour i'm to our own
golfers which now goes to many ma
tionalities, but chiefly to the mercan-
tile fleet of Great Britain.
According to the report of the Naval
Bureau the United States has % regis
tered steamships over 1000 tons, aggre-
eating 26O,325 tons which can come in
to competition for foreign trade, and
1875 registered square rugged vessels Of
over 1000 tons each for the deep sea
trade. There has been during the ten
years from 1890 to 1900 of 74O, 342 tons,
but of this SOP 523 tons were used on
the great lakes.
What we are most interested in is
the tonnage of the Pacific coast. This
including the tonnage of the Territory
of Hawaii amounts to 612,9 04 tons. Dur
ing the decade there has been an in
crease of 1882 tons due to our own
and the Alaskan trade. There are
more steamers being built and fitted
out for the Pacific trade now. The
Sierra and others are added to the
| tonnage, and as the next four years
unroll there will be the very busiest
time for shipyards. From our insular
and peculiar position in the mid-Paci-
fic we are more dependent upon Ameri-
can shipping than almost any of the
American positions. We are on the
highway to the Orient and Manila. We
are on the highway to the South Sea
Islands and the Australian colonies.
We are in touch with Canada. There
| is no community in the Union to whom
American shipping is more important
that it is to the inhabitants of the Ter
ritory of Hawaii.
Nothing will show how great the nee
essity is for pushing forward our mer-
chant marine than a survey of the
shipping of the world. During the last
decade the worlds steamships have
increased from 12,9S5,OOO gross tons to
%, 1863, 900 gross tons, while sailing YES
sells have decreased from 100000 tons
to 6,674, 900 tons, and the effective car
rying power of the worlds merchant
fleets has increased 60 per cent. The
most notable change in the worlds
oh ha in hp CT 2n Of ctna m.
ships. In 1890 there were 218 ocear
steamships of 1000 tons or over, while
now $50 such steamships, aggregating
100000 tons, constitute one-fourth OF
the worlds steam tonnage.
In the past ten years Great Britain
has built 4,63S steel steamships OF
9,793O00 tons, while the United States
has built 465 steel steam vessels 0.
743 600 tons, of which 19S of 45O 900 tons
We're built on the great lakes. Our en-.
tire construction for the decade is moi
much more than half of Great Britain!
output of 1,S4O,0OO tons during 1899.
All this gives food for much thought
and in the face of such facts there vii
certainly be Legislative action to hell
to throw the enormous carrying trade
of the country into our own hands
We ought to build the best steel steam
ers in the world. We have everything
in our favor, cheap steel, mechanical
skill, labor capital, and yet a 5000 ton
cargo boat costs $275OOO in the United
States, while in the United Kingdom
the same boat costs $214, OO0 and the
difference of S61, 900 is very considerable
and affects the profits. The expansion
of the American merchant marine is of
vital Importance to the Territory of
Hawaii.
On this subject, quoting his message
of 1899, the President says:
Il am satisfied the judgment of the
country favors the policy of aid to our
merchant marine, which will broaden
our commerce and markets and up
build our sea carrying capacity for the
products of agriculture and manufac-
, ture, which, with the increase of our
navy, means more work and wages to
our countrymen, as well as a safeguard
to American interests in every part of
the world"
No words could be more pregnant
They sum up the situation more than
columns of windy rhetoric.