Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-16

liz q EI scheme for building up the
IH Efs9II American merchant marine
lM SSs will bring that question more
sAszzaAsa prominently before the pubne
than 1t ever has been before.
The statistics of world commerce show
that the annual ocean freight Dill OF
civiliza ton aggregates the enormous
total of $500. 600. 900, and that at least
two-thirds of this amount is paid to
tramp steamers. The United states
contributes approximately one-fourth
of the tonnage of the worlds commerce
In freight, yet 1t has less than one
eighth of the ships which carry It.
About one-half of all the ships on the
seas fly the British Jack.
The British shipping aggregates
tonnage OF over eighteen milli0~s,
while the United States come second
with seven millions and Germany third
with four millions. In 1860 the British
and American merchant naVies were
practically equal standing at about
five million tons each. Today, now
ever, the greater part of the American
shipping is confined to the Great Lakes
and to the coastwise trade, so that the
American nag is rarely to be seen on
the high seas. Germans, French, NOR
wegians, Swedes, Danes, Dutch, Jap
anese and Italians all outstrlp the
Americans in actual ocean-going ship
ping.
How to reiuvenate American ocean
shipping is a problem which engages
the best thought of American states
manship. Opposition to subsidies mas
always been very strong, yet the events
of the past few years prove that II Is
gradually wearing away. President
Roosevelt gave but reluctant and nail
hearted support to a snip SUBSIDY
scheme. Mr. Taft is the first presl-
dent to heartily approve of that plan
of rebuilding the vanished YANKEE
merchant navy.
Other plans have been suggested by
those who believe the subsidy plan Is
contrary to the principles OF the CON
stitution. one of the latest proposl-
tions comes from Senator Elkins or
West Virginia, and bids fair to be wide
lv discussed at the nextsesslon OF con-
gress. It proposes a reduction OF fVe
per cent on all the tariff rates in the
Payne-Aldrich law on all goods brought
into the United States in shlpS OF
American registry. Senator Elklns
thinks this will be the most beneficial
stimulant that can be administered TO
the decadent American merchant mar
inc. In addition to this there Is
movement on foot to admit foreign
built vessels to American registry
provided they are not to be useo IN
ooast-wise or lake trade.
There never was a time when the
''windiammer," as the sailing Vessel
is known in sailor parlance mad sucn
a hard fight for existence as To-Day:
The steamship is getting the bulk oil
- ifr1,t hy1einngG one OF the
newest proposals for the continuance
of the profitable operation of sailing
craft is that they shall be equipped
with auxiliary liquid-fuel burning en-
gines. to be used in times of calm or
adverse winds, the belief being that
vessels so equipped could be more ad-
vantageously operated than straight
ont sailing ships. Steamship builders
are considering another phase OF snip
building that may result IN the ultl-
mate addition of many sailing craft
to the worlds fleets After long use
the average steamship becomes fit only
for Junk, but if it was so built INTO
sailing vessel, a number OF years
might thus be added to its life. Where
vessels are constructed with such an
ultimate view the cost of conversion
is not excessive.
1t is said that the seven-masted
schooner Thomas w. Lawson, which
turned turtle off the coast of England
a year or two ago, carried more canvas
than any other ship that ever rode the
waves. It had over $4,000 square feet
of sail area. In other words, when the
Lawson had all its canvas out the
wind could blow against full acre
of SAIL, giving untold thousands of
horsepower i1l a stiff breeze. But the
Lawson seemed to be "hoodooed" from
the day of its first acquaintance with
the water until it sank on Friday,
December 49, 1t is probable that no
more seven-masted schooners will be
built, as they are inclined to be top
heavy.
It is estimated that two-thirds of
the worlds ocean freight is carried by
tramp" steamers. From that statement
it will be seen clearly that the word
tramp" is a misnomer, if We speak
of it in the light of the landlubber's S
definition. All ships that ply no regu-
lar line, but go wherever business is
to be had, are called tramps. The
term as applied to them carries the
meaning implied by the true etom-
ology of the word-t 1ampling from