Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-14
THE MERouANT MARIgE PiLL.

There is every indication that the
present congress will earnestly con-
slider the subject of building up an
American merchant marine and il is at
least possible that there will be action
looking to this. The joint commission
appointed by the last congress to in
quire into the subject and submit its
views to congress has carried out the
duty imposed upon it and prepared a
bill which will be submitted at the
present session. This measure is one of
the most comprehensive that has yet
been framed for this purpose and merits
the careful consideration of congress
and the country.
by Senator Gallinger states that the
chief support which the shipping bill
and the entire inquiry of the merchant
marine commission have received and
are receiving has not come from ship
owners or ship builders, or even from
the people of the states adjacent to the
ocean, but from merchants and
manufacturers interested In the export
trade and producers of the great in
terror. 1t is stated that manufacturers
and merchants of the western states
who appeared before the commission
emphatically testified that they were
banned in their efforts to build up an
export trade, especially to South
America, by the arbitrary methods and
irregular, inadequate service of the So
called steamship companies under for
eign flags, which monopolize this ocean
carrying. IL is pointed out that many
Of these business men have themselves
been to South America and have found
that in order to visit or communicate
with their foreign customers they had
to go by way of Europe and its subsi-
died lines, thus crossing the Atlantic
twice to reach their destination. In
many instances. il the quickest delivery
is desired, they have had to send their
goods by the same circuitous way.
The report of the joint commission
says: mot only is an American ship
itself the most efficient carrier Of Ameri-
can commerce, but the officers of that
ship. the American passengers who tread
its decks, and particularly the Ameri-
can merchants who go out to represent
the steamship company and to push it's
business, are inevitably pioneers and
drummers of American trade in foreign
lands. There can be no doubt in regard
to this. Our South American trade is
not increasing largely for the reason
that our merchants and manufacturers
ere dependent upon foreign shipowners.
In late issue of consular reports sew
erai Of the representatives of the United
| States in South American countries
are quoted as saying that one of the
essential conditions to the extension. of
our trade in that quarter of the world
Is the establishment of steamship lines
States minister to Chile says: "One of
| the, great difficulties in the way of a
closer commercial connection between
the Unified States and Chile IS In the
lack Of good shipping facilities" Ameri-
can consuls at various places i'm Sorth
America make a similar report. There
are other conditions necessary to secure
trade, but transportation facilities is
one of the most important.
The question of creating merchant
marine for our foreign commerce will
undoubtedly receive earnest attention in
the present congress and there is proba-
bility of action on this very important
subject.