Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-13
nrasrInN nr HAGEs.

There is little probability that any
thing will be done at this session of con
gress in the interest of a merchant ma
rine for our foreign commerce. II is
even likely that the question will not
come up for consideration, since 1t Is
reasonably certain that in the few weeks
of the session after the Christmas holi-
days It would be hardly possible to secure
action. The matter is one, however, of
such great Importance. In its relation to
our foreign commercial interests, that
public discussion Of IL is always timely.
There is a common mlsapprehension In
regard to the measure pending in con
gress, known as. the subsidy bill, which
is that IL would benefit only the capital
invested in a merchant marine, leaving
entirely out of consideration the adj
vantage that would accrue 10 the labor
employed in the shipbuilding industry. A
fact not generally understood is that the
real reason for the lack Of American
s%hipbuilding forsthe foreign trade is the
wages paid to American labor, which are
about so per cent higher than the wages
paid to British labor in British ship
yards. This explains why the cost of an
American ship, quite regardless Of the
cost of the materials entering into its
construction, is about 30 per cent higher
than the cost of a similar foreign-built
ship. 1t is because of this difference,
due to the higher wages Of American
labor, that a great deal of American cap
ital has beer invested in ships built
abroad. A writer on the subject says:
ut must be clear that It is the wage
paid to American labor in the %shipyards
that prevents the building in American
shipyards of a large proportion of the
shipping required for the carriage of
our foreign commerce. If American
labor would accept enough less wages
than it now receives to enable owners
to have ships built in the United States
as cheaply as in Great Britain, doubtless
they would be built here. But our labor
will not accept less-it demands profit
able employment-and so the American
with capital to invest Che, too, seeking
profitable employment for his capitaD
puts it into foreign-built ships"
There Is another thing and that is it
costs more to run a ship under the
American flag, because of the higher
wages paid to its officers and crew than
are paid to the officers and crews Of the
ships of any other nation, and also be-
cause of the greater quantity and better
quality of food served to the men on
board of American thantis served to the
men on foreign ships. It is estimated
that this is fully 80 per cent greater
than the cost of running a competing
ship under a foreign flag. When these
facts are considered it. must appear
clear that the chief reason why we have
not an American merchant marine fol
the foreign trade is In the better com.
p%ensation of American labor, both thai
employed in the building and In the
running Of ships, so that in order tC
create a merchant marine, so necessary
to our commercial expansion and indie
pendence, there must be q material re
duction in the compensation Of labor OIL
such governmental aid as win equalizt
the difference between American ant
foreign wages. Until there is one or tn,
other only a very small fraction lof oul
foreign commerce will be carried in
American-built ships.s ,r