The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-08-22

Our Farmers?" 1t VIII be recalled
that the Republican administration is
committed to the policy of encouraging
by government subsidy the develop
ment Of our ocean commerce, a bill to
this effect now pending in congress;
while on the other hand the Demo-
cratic platform sharply opposes both
the bill and the policy which 1t ex-
presses.
Mr.. Smith began by pointing out that
about 20, 900, 900 long tons of American
agricultural products, valued at be-
tween seven and eight hundred million
dollars, are annually exported from the
United States. The great bulk Of this
shipping is carried in foreign ships,
principally British. The withdrawal
from ordinary trade Of 650000 tons of
British shipping last year, needed to
handle English troops and war trans
port, caused a 80 per cent advance In
ocean rates, increasing American ocean
freight charges S6OOOo,OOO of which
$50, 100000 Mr.. Smith estimated was
paid by American farmers. This year
the increase threatens to equal so per
cent. upon the ordinary prices, making
our total payment to foreign vessel
owners for the carrying of American
goods in the neighborhood of $2S0,o00,
900. The speaker continued:
Had American ships been engaged
in carrying our exports, the withdrawal
of British shipping for military needs
would have had no material effect
upon our foreign trade. If 1t should
raise ocean freight rates, the money
being paid to our own shipowners
would all remain at home. SO long
as we are dependent upon foreign ship
ping for our foreign carrying, just so
long we shall be compelled to heavily
contribute to the military operations
of foreign nations. With American
ships doing our foreign carrying Amerl-
can farmers would be relieved from
dependence upon foreign shipping and
would be able to count upon more
stable and profitable foreign markets
for their surplus products. But there
Is yet another side to this illustration.
"Since the withdrawal of $50 600 tons
of British shipping from the channels
of trade raised ocean frelghts 80 per
cent, the addition OF a like amount of
new tonnage to the worlds shipping
should correspondingly reduce ocean
freight rates. Legislation, therefore,
that will build up an American mer-
chant marine will, by substantially
reducing ocean freight rates, give
our farmers larger markets for and bet
ter profits upon their products. The
more ships there are competing for
the carriage of our exports the lower
the cost OF transportation-the higher
profit for the producer. Senator Frye,
| chairman of the Senate Commerce
| committee, has declared that the pass
age Of a bill now before congress for
| the upbuiding of American shipping
| in the foreign trade would, through the
| large increase OF American ships, eff
feet a reduction of ocean transporta-
| ton charges on American foreign COM
nerce OF fully s25, 900 900 a year-a sum
nearly three times as large as he ad-
vocates our government should pay to
| American shipowners to induce them
to put their capital in home built ships
| for our foreign trade. Instead OF that
! bill imposing burdens upon the Ameri-
can taxpayers, it is obvious that 1t
would tighten such burdens.
at present 1t costs more to build,
more to operate, and more to main
tain an American than a foreign ship.
Wages in our shipyards are about
double the wages paid in foreign yards;
wages on board American ships are
much higher than on foreign ships:
and the food served on American ships
is better in quality and greater in
quantity than is served on foreign
ships. Testimony before congressional
| committees proves that it costs at least
20 per cent. more to build ships in the
United States than it does abroad; that
it costs at least 80 per cent. more for
wages and food on American than on
foreign ships; that the repairs on
American ships are more costly than on
foreign ships. This is because Ameri-
can labor receives so much higher
wages than foreign labor receives.
These constitute valid reasons why
American capital shuns ships for our
foreign trade. Another important
reason is that foreign governments pay
their merchant ships in mail subsidies,
in subventions, naval reserve retain
ers, construction and navigation boun-
ties more than $26,OOO,OOO a year. Un-
aided American ships cannot, of course
proftably compete with foreign ships
possessing the triple advantages OF
lesser cost of construction, lesser cost
of operation, and of government aid.
To-day the national American policy
is protective. American ships in com.
petition with foreign ships are utterly
unprotected. They are In free-tradt
competition with their rivals, and have
been for forty years. During tha
time our shipping in the foreign trad,
has declined from 2,5OOOOO tons tC
, $4,000 tons, while our commerce hat
, increased four-fold. In normal times
5000, ,O00,0 900 are annually paid to for
eign ships for carrying 90 per cent o
our foreign commerce, or as much a.
= the value of one-half our wheat crop
or as much as the value of two-third
, Of our cotton crop, or as much as tn
[ value of one-third of our corn crop
1 and as much as is collected at all o
| our custom houses, each year. Ameri
r can ships that can keep this 5000, ,000 90
/ at home each year, instead of sendin
, II out of the country, must be a bene
Z ut TO our farmers. That sum woul
E give steady work to more than a quar-