St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-01-01
eal''i''aau farmer
saturday, January I, 1910.
or ENCOURAGE GROWTH
- q MERCHANT MARINE

+
hor,a "a. na.ural inclination of all people is for
to ~ pI.o.ectlon., The conflict of opinion as
;ne ~ Dest means of fostering and protect
~ !. .lle largest number of people is the cause
-. uie ADVERSE attitude of free trade and
act . = ION advocates. Prior to the tariff
~. ~ y lIss, when complete free trade with
nal !, following period when her policy
n "as.l Inc American colonies had been pro-
nn 0l.,ve OF manufactures, and when Lord
a..am mad declared that he would not
gu ,le Inc colonists to make even hobnail
lor 1nemselves" the people were in such
meaAened financial condition that it became
esessary even to give certain degree of
sou1t projection to debtors. No one at
.enapDed to manufacture anything because
~ could be imported cheaper than it could
pe mace at home. The adoption of this act
simulated manufacturing enterprises and
put the people on the road to prosperity. It
was the outcome of a general demand, suited
" ene time OF infant industry. To-day there
Is FEELING that these industries have out
grown the necessity for excessive duties. In
Iact' 1t is claimed that some of them are
oeAing their products in foreign markets
cheaper than they are selling them at home.
~ Is the same old story of one extreme
breeding another.
Ihls experience makes the people of to-
Jay cnary OF giving bonuses or bounties or
OF assuming any tax that may inure to the
dement, OF preferred class, corporate inter-
ests or largely capitalized concerns of any
KIND. Hence the effort to subsidize our
merchant marine has been looked upon by
some with suspicion.
But it appears to us that there are no
benefits private or national, that we get
without paying for them. The mere fact
that ship-builders or others will be benefited
Should rot deter us from building up our
merchant marine, which is in as debilitated
condition as was the affairs of this country
before the adoption of the constitution in
1883, when states attempted separate navi-
cation laws and federalized action was i'm
possible when everything was dumped into
our free ports and all the money in the
country was carried out of them. 1t is con-
coded that our merchant marine should be
built up. 1t is just as important to us as our
navy, which has cost billions Of dollars; in
fact, is an adjunct that would make our navy
twice as effective in time of war; Then why
should we not be willing to spend something
to develop it?
Perhaps the most convincing arguments
that have been advanced on the subject are
to be found in The American Flag" a PAM
phlet that has been published periodically,
and from which the following excerpt is
taken, which is credited to the Pacific
Merchant Marine:
DECLINE OF THE MERCHANT MARINE"
''In 1880 the gross tonnage of American
merchant vessels amounted to 4,O68, O34l
tons In 1860, before the era Of iron and
steel ship construction, and under protection
of ship subsidies, American merchant YES
sells aggregated 5,299, IT'S tons, and controlled
80 per cent of the trade with foreign coun-
tries. Ten years previous England increased
her ship subsidies, from which period began
the rapid decline of the American merchant
marine. In 1853 France had adopted ship
subsidies and America lost 80 per cent OF
the foreign trade, which continued to de-
crease until the opening OF and during the
Civil War, at the close OF which, in 1865, |
foreign commerce unprecedented o. pCi SCHts |
A slight increase developed after the war,
and continued until 1870. The upward ten
dency. however was small, as but 35 per
cent Of the foreign trade was being carried
bv American vessels. In 1868 Spain adopted
subsidies the following countries doing like
wise: Belgium. in 1878; Netherlands, 1877;
Italv 1878: Sweden, 1882; Norway, 1888;
Germany, 1885; Argentine Republic and
Rrazil 1886; Mexico, Australia and Japan,
1887: Canada, Russia, Chile, Portugal, Hun
gary and Trinidad, 1888. During this time
American shipping interests declined rapidly
and continued so until the present time.
and the United States is carrying TT per-
cent of the oversee traffic.
II certainly seems remarkable that so glo-
r;ous nation with highly developed arts,
manufacturing and agricultural industries
should have her products carried into nearly
every mort of the world under foreign flags,
and that her flag should scarcely ever be
seen ON the seas of commerce, while other
nations battle for supremacy in the carrying
trade of the world. It should not be ques-
t;on for party consideration, but one Of uni
versal and national pride.
WATER CONNECTION FOR ABITA.