The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-24
The Lake Marine.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-Sir: I ask
space for a final attempt 10 explain to Mr..
Penton and his fellow ship subsidists my
reasons for msintalning that our Great Lakes
fiourishes without subsidies and
without protection. In his letter printed In
THE SUN OF July rs Mr.. Penton says. con-
trovertlng my statement that American com
merce on the Lakes Ia destined and competent
to meet strong Canadian competition: Even
now the trade from Canadian TO American
ports. or vice versa. Is a small fraction OF
the whole lake trade" So I remarked. AZ
least l said, speaking of that trade. whose
extent | indicated by exact figures, But this
is only a beginning" Things which grow
are observed TO be small. comparatively, In
their beginnings.
But that Ia not the question. Here II is: In
10000. when Senator Hanna was making a
strong canpaign for his ship subsidy bill,
there was extended and brisk discussion OF
the subject. the Senator himself contributing
thereto at least two ma eazine articles. The
subsidists had to meet the troublesome fact
Of the profitable growth OF lake
without subsidy, and they made the best
answer they could The lake coastwlss
commerce has been built up under the pro-
visions Of shipping laws excluding from il
What maintain is this; The exclusion Of
foreign ships from American lake commerce.
growth OF that commerce than the customs
tax of rs cents a bushel on wheat has aided
our wheat srSwers Three things chiefly
Natural conditions, a great free waterway
recurring but slight Improvement TO AZ IL
The enormous incentive Of transporting mill
ions Of tons Of bulk freight which could III
chord the cost Of rail Transportation, t0
plus capital, energy and brains eager for
the work. One more thing is we'll worth
ciering which has distinguished the business
Of the greatest OF the lake bodybuilding rom
Germs. The american Shipbnildine COM
as many lake, ports, with dry docks. engine
and boiler ma king shops. with IA cilities which
f hsSs sers'f SaW u 1sis ys fo,, to a Sgsis , ,nnty rs steel 81
27a.o1o tons. has not a dollar of bonded in
debtedness and but as. oOO,O 900 Of capital stock.
a certain, trust had been rs ably financed
there wonld. have been one less failure to
deplore; and possibly one more successful
The protection" Afforded lake ~shipbutld.rs
They would have done no more. no less. if the
any canadian skipper who offered to carry n
ton Of freight from Siscowit Bay 20 Amygda-
" aG1n 's and h Msrt .6 nans forf taG% h's TS Swn r Rare
worked out the problem of efficiency and
sec 0ln to the point where they now carry
rsilr;,ad charges for Identical service.
bushels, OF grain. millions OF feet OF mmber
had to be moved cheapiv, or the glory OF The
great West. could. not have been achieved
Is 10 not ALMOST blrSphemous TO asssrt that
law instead If the bountiful and splendid gifts
OF nature TO rulnl a nations destiny?
- 70 MT. Penfon's belief that certain pro-
visions for rebates and drawbacks OF Gus
toms tax on imported material afford all the
oenent OF free trade TO sen coast ship builders
haye TO say In conclusion that the antiship
subsidtsts do not admit II. Market prices
Ior construction and cutnttine material are
snected adversely to the shiphuilder by the
as TO that point Mr.. Penton and confront not
an undtsputed fact. but a question Of inter
pretstion- "a not uncommon attitude for TWO
or more honest men when nom ering a Fed
eral statute. FpwARp W TowNsyyn.
MoNrcLAIR. n. j.. July ~.