Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-07-10
SHIPS and SUBSIDIES.
LONDON speaker.

London speaker.
What shall We do without ships or
trade hopelsssiy left behind by Ger
many and the United Statesg This
question is no longer an academic one,
for it has been fsirly launched and
hoated upon the public mind by the /
Daily Mail and the Times, to say l
nothing of the less yeraeious organs Of /
the Press. And there is only one remedy. |
The taxpayer must subscribe TO a huge |
system of subsidies. Otherwise, in a /
year or TWO there will be no British |
ships left on the waves and all Britons |
will be slaves for ever.
Let us face this awful problem at !
once, and tell the tale Of woe from the !
time when a Parliament Of Iunaties |
Tin 1Sl9l abolished the navigation |
laws and allowed all nations to do
as they liked in British ports. Let
us set our teeth and try to look
calmly at that fatal liable which
sets out in plain figures the tonnage
and the nationality of the sailing and
steam ships (exeluding coastersl which
entered and cleared st ports OF the
United Kingdom in 1850, 1880 and 1900.
In 1850 the total British tonnage was
Is, 9l5 600, in 1850 it had dropped to
~, $40, 600, and in 1900 il had positively
sunk 70 the miserable figure Of 90, I'll.
600. No wonder the Fourth Estate ia
in despair. What can We do against
such numbsrsr Meanwhile the mer-
chant navy of our great rival, the
United States, has been advanced by
leaps and hounds, fostered by we'll
devised system of State aid and protec-
Eion. In 1850 their tonnage cleared and
entered az ports of the United King
dom was only 2, 982, COO. But in I5s0 IL
had jumped 70 l.oOG, 600, and at last,
in 1900, IL touched the almost incredi-
Bile figure Of 5000 What is TO be
done with facts such a. these staring
us in the face, except to thank heaven
for the wisdom of the British govern
ment, which, perceiving the lsHguishing
state Of the shipping industry, has APP
pointed subsidy committee" pre-
sided over by member Of the Cecil
family, 10 examine leading shipowners
and shipbuIlders. aud 10 ask them how
much money they would like TO have
every year from the ezchequer. Before
leaving the matter 70 the Judgment Of
our readers, who will be eager to know
the real reyages and nature of the dis
ease before examining the proposed
remedy, We shall place before them the
corresponding figures for German,
Swedish, and Norwegian vessels in
the same years:
1850. 1850. 1890.
| German. ..-.2,3l4,UU 3,lIt,V1 $40
Swedish . fs0.mo 1,5n,0O0 1851. D00
| Norwegian .. 4 40 go 10000 7,5S2,DDO
Upon a later occasion it may be
necessary to inquire into the bearing
Of these and similar statistics upon the
thesis now current that shipping pro-
gress depends upon shipping subsidies.
| Ror the moment, however, we will
merely add for the satisfaction Of our
| American yisitorsj the bare figures Of
the British and American tonnage en-
| ployed in the direct trade between
Great Britain and the United States
in the years under review. lie was as
follows;
Britain . 94s.D0D 6,ai9. go 10. Is. 0d[
L. 5. A.......2, 2I5.0GO 1,i42.0OO 1,035,00f
It appears. however, that the new
school Of political ecunoTy headed By
Dir. Seldom is satisfied that this small
'dsdgastedi island of Great Britain il
suffering from free trade In Soutt
Africa, indeed, all will soon be veil
Every biockhouse is soon to be manu-
factory. and no doubt when that gooc
time comes every bloekhead fwho Ii
not statesman will he 3 nanufan
turer. In his oIeas and weighty srgu
nsnt against the corn tax on Wednes
day Mr.. Morley referred to the marvel
lous progress made by British shipping
during the last 40 years of unrestricted
commercial freedom. But the govern
ment of New Zealand, which adminis
ters an agricultural population mucl
smaller than that OF many Engiisl
couaties, has decided IN the plentitud
of its power and wisdom that
, II Is essential to the we'll being Of Ii
: Mother Country ana His Majsstys da
mirions beyond the seas, in such dominion
whsFe the SANE do not eTist that pFeferen
3 tial tariffs by way OF rebate Of duties o
British manufactured goods carried o
| Brltish owned ships should BE- granted. an
] that in the Mother Co0ntry rebate u dat
) on colonial products noT taxable should .
| conceded.
We observe that the Liverpool Steam
ship Owners Association has issued .
, admira bic report upon the proposals t
restrict the carrying trade betHee
= Great Britain and her dependencies I
: vessels under the British flag tn
reIort concludes as follows:
/. The carrying trade with eargoes wit
British possessions Is represented by ~, 5ll
GO tons, Of which s,65i 90 tons, or 81 p
L cent, are British
- 2 The carrying trade with Garages vii
. foreign countries is represented By ~, 80, u
y tons. Of which AZ, 1000 tons or biS< p
J. cent, are British
carrying trade batWeen Great Britain n
! | her colonies and dependancies to yeses