The Washington herald., 1912-02-04

large production and which can be
| transported in casks by sea as well as by
| land. There are said 70 be 1,s00, 900 acres
\ Of standing timber in four counties OF
| Oregon. The canal will probably cut the
! timber rate in two between the Pacific
Coast and the markets In Europe and the
eastern part of the United Stated Ore
gon also exports wheat to Europe.
Freight on wheat ranges from 10 to q
cents a bushel. the sailing ships which
transport It going by way of Cape Horn.
Large steamers, using the canal route,
viii possibly be enabled TO carry wheat
from the Pacific States to Europe for 10
cents a busheI"
''Will the canal revive the shipping In
dustry?''
Contrary to popular belief, our coast
wise shipping is increasing very fast
The gain has been about 60 per cent
during the past decade. When Americans
talk OF their vanished merchant marine
they betrsy their ignorance. A foreign
ship. under our navigation laws, cannot
transport freight between American ports
II IS unlawful, consequently. for Brit
ish or any otile- kind of a foreign ship
to load cottons in Boston billed 70 Phila-
delphia or machinery billed to Galveston.
Our coastwise trade Is hourishing. and
will prosper more. am sure, after the
canal Is opened.
Our foreign trsde. It is true, is mostly
done with foreign slips. In such trans-
portation competition is worldwide, and
Americans cannot meet Il. A firm in
New York told me recently that they re-
quested bids for ship from builders
here and abroad. The lowest American
bid was 20 per cent greater than a bid
received from a widely known company
of builders on the Clyde. The contract,
of course. went TO Scotland. Labor and
material are cheaper in Great Britain
than in this country and therefore the
capital invested in an English ship Is
less than the capital invested in an
American ship. Moreover. the foreign
ship is cheaper TO operate. because wages
OF all kinds are higher here than any
where else.
Money Invested Abroad.
"A ship from abroad is prevented from
coming under our laws aud flying the
American nag. All registered American
ships must be built in the United States.
think the law should be changed. A
great deal Of American capital IS in
vested in foreign shipping. The vessels
sail under foreign flags. and are manned |
by foreign crews. Such ships. though |
Jwned by American companies, compete |
Ior freight in the international markets. |
They were cheaply built and are cheaply |
manned and are doing business proftably. |
Our navigation laws are supposed to |
protect our chipbuilders. But no ships |
are leaving our yards to engage in the |
foreign trade As the United States Com
missioner OF Navigation observes in his
last report. the registry law has not |
compelled American capital to stay at l
nome and direct its investment in the /
PRODUCTS OF American shipyards.' II ships /
quilt abroad were admitted &c American
-eGistry they would be needing repairs
constantly, and our own yards would
10 the work. A change, therefore, in
,ur navigation laws would help the ship
,uilding industry instead OF hurting Il. /
The United Fruit Company, a Boston
viii bring its feet Of eight
,en vessels under the Stars and Stripes
Z the laws are amended. Other ships
would quickly follow.
'In the meanwhile we are -exaggerat-
ng the disadvantages we are supposed
o suffer by not having our own foreign
marine. The United States
iteei Corporation is exporting an enor-
nous amount Of metal in one form or
mother II IS using thirty-four ships IN
he foreign branch Of its business. II II
eeds a vessel. Il goes into the inter-
ationai market. where competition is
1orld-wfde. and leases exactly what 1t
aduires. When the BaldWin Locomotive
Company built eighty railroad locomo-
Ives for Japan, two ships were rented
nd for the time being belonged to the |
ompany. sailing under its orders and
ding where directed. The Standard OIL
company and the American Harvester ]
umpany lease freight ships in the coun-
y where the market happens 10 be the
heapest ANY concern. II IL IS big
nough. can do the same.
Big ships Are Ready. Il
'The opening Of the Panama Canal will
ling new vessels into our coastwise trade
nd cause new arrangements among those
ready in the service. The American
nd Hawaiian line win be Increased fr9m /.
ghteen to tEenty~three ships, and viii /,
Lrry abort 10000 tons OF freight through | /,
le canal annually. Bates & Cheese I
-ough, with seven vessels operating be- \
peen San Francisco, Puget Sound ports. 4
Id Panama. Will change their route and ! I
lul through freight into and out OF | !
ew York from and TO the Pacific Coast. I
he United Fruit Company is talking
,out establishing a through trafic n
mons, oranges, and so forth from Cali n
rnia to New York and Boston. The 7
lcffc Mail, owned by the Southern Pa. 1
nc Railroad. which now runs eleven .
Gamers on the Pacific and a greater 4
.et on the Atlantic. win have a large / /
image OF ships using the canal Some ! Z