The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-04-04

from investing in them; ana that II
they could buy ships abroad. they would
do So. ana American exports would be
again under the American nag. The
Post mtelligencer showed that under the
law as il stands, American capitalists
may, II they like purchase toreign-built
ships, and sail them in the deep,water
trade from American ports, the only
limitation against their use being the
coas;ing trade. Now the Oregonian
coollv reverses its argumen; ana an
nounces thaS ships can be built in the
United States cheaper than anywhere
else in the world; hence there Is no
need for subsidies. This change % front
is that OF the cheap shysier lawyer.
eager to make on, case for a client.
without regard to his own reputation.
This is but an inciden; of the bad
faith and lodging Of the oregonian
in dealing with the whole question. It
takes the figures ot ship-buildlng in
the United States, shows that more ves-
sells were built in the United STATES last
year than in Germany, and says that
the term rapidly declining has
strange meaning in view Of these facts
Now the Oregonian is not entirely ig-
norant; It is simply evaslve 1t knows.
as the Post-Intelligencer has frequently
pointed out. that the United States has
one of the greatest fleets Of vessels in
the world which is being consta l,ly
enlarged from year to year and i;
knows further that the feet Of vessels
is engaged almost exclusively in the
coasting trade, in which it is protected
from any foreign competition. 1t knows
further, and every advocate II sub
sides for ieep-wa;er ships has pointed
out, that While the growth Of the coast
ing fleet has been great the decline in
THE unprotected and unaided deep water
fleet has been constant.
Here are the figures from the Stats
;ical Abstract OF the United States: In
1851 the total tonnage OF United States
vessels engaged in the coasting trade was
l.S99s76; in the foreign trade. l,544.S33
In 1861 the figures were: Coasylng, p
70I544 tons; foreign, 2,4ss,Ss4. In 1871. |
coastwise. 2,7s4.sOO; foreign. 1855, $50. In
1851. coastwise. 2,s4sOll; foreign, 1891
O25 In 1891, coastwise. 3,SO9,S7S tons;
foreign, ssS.lls. In 1900, coastwise,
4.2Ss.5ls; foreign, SlS,795.
Last year the actual volume OF Ameri- |
can tonnage engaged in the foreign |
trade was but little over one-half as
great as it was Immediately after the !
close OF the civil war, when American |
ships had practically been driven from
the high seas by rebel priyateers.
Despite these facts the Oregonlan has
the effrontery TO say:
TT will probably be news to the
Post-Intelligencer to learn that at no
time in the past four years have the
protected coasting vessels paid any
where as near as large dividends as were
paid by the deep water ships under the
American flag"
Do not shlp-owners know th-lr swn
business? II there was more money in
making foreign voyages than in the
coastlng business. why have the ship
owners kept their vessels engaged in the
latter trade, as they have done? The
volume Of American tonnag~ in the
foreign trade was very much lighter
last year than it was four years ago.
while in the coasting trade nearly half
a million tons Of shipping have been
added in the same interval
The statement Of the Oregonian is not
true. 1t was manufactured solely to
support its argument in favor Of the
foreign ship-owner. The truth is that
the Oregonian knows little about the
shipping business and cares less 1t
simply has an inveterate and unreason-
ing hostility to the whole system Of
protection 10 American Industry. End
attacks the proposed shipping subsidy
measure precisely as it has attacked
every protective tariff which has ever
been framed, and with the same alb
sence Of reason and abundance Of ran
cor