The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-19

ports. visited Brunswick to-day and
had an interestinr meeting this after
noon at which delegations were pres
ent from Savannah, Fernandina and
other South Atlantic ports. The OBJ
ject of the meeting was to receive
suggestions on bill to be presented
to Congress at the next session for the
betterment of American shipping.
Colonel w. +. Kay, of this city. al
Vocated American ships for American
cargoes and said:
1.-The fathers of the Republic legis-
lated against the Introduction into our
system of foreign built ships, and the
discriminating duty they applied for a
while accomplished the desired pur-
pose. If our ships are to fly the Ameri
can flag in competition with foreign
ships we have got to repeal the leg1s-
lation against free ships or make some
bounty on tonnage, mail subsidy, or
differential duties. to build up a sys-
tenn of shipping at the expense of The
people for it is clear that ship for ship.
we cannot compete in the markets OF
the world for freights and in order
to fly our flag we must do so at a
premium paid to ship owners
Colonel c. P. Goodyear, chairman
of the Brunswick, Ca, Board of Trade
Committee on Merchant Marine, pre-
sented many arguments IN favor OF
government subsidys and other aids In
building up the United States merchant
marine.
He asserted first that all American
citizens who had given the subject OF
the revival of the merchant marine a
thought, are unit for it's revival as an
emergent necessity. Ninety per cent.
of our commerce. he said. is being
carried by foreign ships. We proudly
talk of our $400.000,000 balance OF
trade in our favor, and. putting that
in one national pocket. we take out
another $500, 000,0 900 and pay 1T back
in freights.
1t would be wise policy, he said
to force the construction of American
ship and American ship yards. of
American material. superintendent by
American brains, ana operated by
American seamen. To do this, will
necessitate aid from the government,
at least for a time. This aid could
be given in the form of subsidy upon
the tonnage navigation bounties. mail
contracts, or by reduction of duties to
the American shin or by all of these.
To know exactly what the result of
such a course would be, our states
men had only to look to foreign gov
ernments. The United Kingdom has
gained supremacy upon the seas by
system of subsidies extending for more
than hundred years Germany and
France have largely increased their
tonnage since 1873 by the same means
Touching on the possibilities of our
growth in this direction, Colonel Good
year said there are but "a deep water
ports with channel depth of 20 feet
and upwards, on the Pacific, gulf and
Atlantic coasts. OF these eleven are
Southern ports. In the period of 1850
there is no reasonable prospect of an
increase of more than 35. At present
these "a ports serve a total commerce
amounting to $2,500.000. and a popula-
ton of 81,000,000 people. In 1850.
this population should be, under nor
NAL growth, 234 100000 and the COM
merce $7,50O,000.00. Our payment to
foreign countries for shipping will in
crease in like proportion if we continue
our present policy
Other interesting addresses were
made and the commission left to-
night for Newport News.