, 1900-02-22
THE BILL.
Widespread Demand for the Restoration
of the American Merchant Marine

foreign carrying trade is a bill upon
which almost all of those engaged in
shipbuilding n shipowning In the
United States have united in advocacy.
1t confirms to the recommendations OF
the president in his last annual mes
sage to congress, and it is in accord
with the recommendations in the last
annual report of the secretary of the
treasury. IL is also in line with the
suggestions made in the last report OF
the commissioner of navigation, is in
dorsed by Senator Frye, the president
pro TEN. of the United States senate,
n who is also chairman of the senate
committee on 1t has been
introduced in the house by the Repub-
lican leader upon the floor, Hon. Serene
r.. Payne, chairman of the way and
means committee.
The shipping bill has been Endorsed
by some two hundred commercial and
agricultural organizations. in all parts
of the country. many of which are OF
great national strength and influence.
Several state legislatures have petit
toned congress in behalf of its pas
sage. 1t has been before the people for
over a year, has been widely discussed
in the press, and the trend of comment
is largely favorable, many Democratic
newspapers, especially in the south,
warmly commencing its provisions and
advocating its passage.
his shipping bill provides compen-
satiOn for American vessels. engaging
in the foreign carrying trade just about
sufficient in amount to enable them to
compete with the foreign ships which
now monopolize all but s per cent of
American foreign carrying. These for
eign ships earn. it is conservatively
estimated, between S175. 000,0 900 and
5000. 900 900 n year in freight and pas
senger charges, which sum, or its
equivalent in the products of the Unit
ed States, must be shipped abroad to
defray the cost of our ocean transpor-
tation.
From this brief summary of facts,
of large Importance in connection with
the efforts that a been for nearly
forty years so unsuccessfully made to
secure adequate protection for Ameri-
can ships in competition with foreign
ships in the carrying of Amer
lGdh lOltISh NOLlIuClSCp anu va
sidering, also, that the inter-
ests most Immediately and di-
rectly affected are a practical unit
in its advocacy; besides which it com
mands such widespread Endorsement
from commercial and agricultural in
terests and the press, n the ad-
vocacy of those members of congress
whose support is essential to the pas
sag Of any legislation helpful to
American shipping interests in the
foreign carrying trade-in view of all
these considerations 1t would seem
that the pending bill should receive the
support of all WHO are sincerely de-
sirous of bringing about the restora-
ton of the American merchant marine.
We must bear in mind that the ship
ping of foreign nations that is in com
petition with American shipping, in
the foreign trade. receives from for
eign governments, as subsidies, sub
ventions, naval reserve retainers.
bounties and the like, a sum exceeding
S26 900 900 annually, and against the
competition thus enormously sustained
unaided American shipping cannot
compete, with the result that the Unit
ed States loses the protection it re-
quires upon the sea in the reinforce
ment of our navy through the posses
sion Of merchant ships and seamen. as
well as the loss of between Sf75 900, 900
and 5000, 900 900 in ocean t~ransporta-
ton charges, which latter is an enor-
nous drain upon the the industrial
and financial resources of the nation.
The shipping bill is now in the hands
of the house committee on merchant
marine and fisheries, of which Gen.
c.. H. Grosvenor of Ohio is chairman,
and 1t is also in the hands of the SEN
ate committee on commerce.. Each of
these committees has been holding
numerous public hearings upon the
bill. at which its friends n its few
opponents have appeared, and, it is be-
lieved. will soon be favorably reported
by each committee to its respective
branch of congress. Its adoption be-
fore the close of the present session
of congress seems assured, with the
result that the long expected revival
of the American merchant marine
seems now to be measurably in sight.