The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-02-19
WHY NOT FOSTER OUR MER-
CHANT MARINE7
Cleveland, O., Feb. IL, 1909.

w WdHl W pISSSuI IOI yOuT COASAu-
Grafton what we think is an outrage.
This country is spending millions
of American dollars in digging a ca
NAL at Panama which will be, in times
tof peace at all events, under the pres
ent conditions, solely for the benefit
of the merchant marine of our Ger
man, British, Norwegian, French and
Japanese friends, and cannot be con-
sidered in any way money well spent
for the benefit of American COM
merce, American business interests
or the American flag, for the reason
that we have practically no American
ships, and the American flag does
not wave from the masthead of any
thing in the way of an American mer-
chant marine.
On the Isthmus there are only
American engineers, foremen and
skilled mechanics. These are en-
ployed exclusively, though at high
er wages than foreigners could be
procured.
The dredges, engines, boilers, loco
motives, rails, tools, equipment and
supplies of every character are pur-
chased in this country, although the
cost is usually more than that at
which these same things could be
purchased in Europe. Practically ev-
erything is being purchased under
the joint resolution of June %, 1906,
which provides that the purchase of
such things shall be restricted 70 ar
| ticles of domestic production and
manufacture from the lowest possible
bidder, unless the president shall in
any case deem the bids or tenders
therefor to be extortiOnate or unrea-
sonable, thus carrying out the policy
of protection to American labor and
American enterprise, which is prob
ably the only right one in view of the
fact that American money is paying
the freight" Everything that has
been undertaken and everything that
has been done down there, with one
significant exception, is thoroughly
American in every way, and that ex-
ceptiOn is, that all the goods are be-
ing transported in foreign vessels, !
under foreign flags by foreign sea
men, and the profit therefrom all
goes to foreign shipping corporations.
As a result of this. in the harbor of
Colon and in adjacent waters. no ship
will be found flying the flag of the
United States unless one of the four
vessels Of the government transport
service or a warship should happen
to be there.
The 100000 or 100000 tons OF coal
now being used annually on the 18TH
mus. the lumber, the machinery and
supplies of all descriptions, not con-
veyed by the few steamers of the gov
eminent line are being carried entire
ly by foreigners.
If an American manufacturer asks
fifty or one hundred thousand dollars |
for a given piece of machinery, and |
it can be purchased in Europe for ten
or twenty thousand dollars less, the |
American is given the contract. But
if a foreign ship bids a thousand dol |
lars for carrying that machinery from
New York or any other American
port to the canal, and an American !
ship bids eleven or twelve hundred |
dollars for carrying it, on account of |
the higher wage scale in this country, !
the foreigner gets the business every
time. That is to say, protection rules !
one transaction and free trade the
other, with the result that the con-
StructiOn of the Panama canal. in !
stead of serving American maritime !
interests, is actually killing off and
destroying what little is left of our
American merchapt marine in these
waters; for in addition to the reasons
already given these foreign ships. !
having outward cargoes to Colon !
guaranteed are thereby enabled to
take return cargOes from West India .
ports away from such American YES
sells as mishr already have had that
trade.
We wish 10 ask if. in your Jadg-
ment. this is a square deal? Is it just
that American laws should protect |.
American labor and industries on
land ana deny protection to American /
interests on the high seas? If Ameri- F.
can manufacturers, mechanics, farm ,
ers. miners. lumbermen, etc. are enti- /,
tied to preference from their govern /
ment in this great national work of /
building the Isthmjan canal. why are .
not American ship owners. sailors (
and ship builders also given some /
measure of support instead of the .
building of the canal with American
money being used sS a WpaDOn aS al