Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-10-14
AMERICAN SHIPS
SH0ULD!BEFREED
Merchant Marine has Disap.
peared Under Unwise Laws
lin Past Hundred Years
CAPT. DOLLAR TELLS HOW
Foreign-Built Ships with Am
erican Register Not the
Success Predicted

upon the crippled American merchan
marine lat the Hoquiam smoker Fri
day night, struck at one of the great
est handicaps confronting the natior
In the effort to reap the proper bene
fits from the Panama canal, and re
minded the Herald of the followin,
editorial from a recent number of tn.
Portland Oregonian:
For more than a year foreign-bui'
ships engaged in foreign trade an,
owned by American citizens hav,
been admissible to American register
but not one has taken advantage O
that privilege. Subsidy.seekers arr
scoff1ng and others are asking for tn.
reason. Some shipowners and sea
men are offering explanations. They
show that it is idle to admit foreign
built ships to American register un
less we set them free to operate a.
economically as foreign-owned ships
We open the door to them, but pile
distractions in the entrance. They
naturally look through the doorway
and then turn aside.
Robert Dollar tells of some o.
these distractions in the San Fran
cisco Journal Of Commerce. One IL
that American measurements of car
60 steamers is 30 per cent. larger
than foreign, proportionately increas
ing payments for Tonnage tax, dry
docking, pilotage, etc. Another IL
that American law requires largel
crews. On this coast steamers mus
carry four quartermasters, while for
eign vessels select from the crew
men to do this work. In the engine
room one extra engineer and three
water-tenders are added, though they
"do nothing but draw pay they dc
not earn" as Mr.. Dollar expresses
it. The new law adds an extra mate
and II the crew exceeds so wire
less plant and two wireless operators
These extra hands. at the present
scale Of wages on the Pacific coast
add $8220 year to the cost of oper
atiRg steamer
American requirements as to boil
er inspection and life-saving equip
ment are more expensive. At the ex
piration of each year American yes
sells are required to stop for inspec
tion at the first American port al
which they call, though they coulG
save time and money both to them
selves and the government by goine
to their home port. Foreign inspect
ors so arrange their work as not tc
interfere with ships loading or dis
charging, while American inspectors
are not so considerate. The conse
quence is that, while in 1905 the cost
of operating an English ship was
double that Of operating an Ameri
can ship. the tables have now been
turned. Mr.. Dollar states that the
daily cost of operating the British
steamer M. s. Dollar Of $500 tons
is $100.S1. while it costs $133.15 q
day to operate the American steam
er Grace Dollar. Of only $500 tons
Foreign ships could be deprived
Of much Of their advantage over Am
erican ships were seamen relieved ol
the penalty Of imprisonment for VIC
lation Of . purely civil contract Of
service. II . sailor deserts. he may
be imprisoned. though . landsmaz
who quits his job In violation Of .
contract IL subject only to civil suit
Had sailor In IN American por,
the same freedom, foreign ships ply
ing 70 our ports would be compelled
to pay American wages In order Il
secure crews. Our s&ilors would be
como free and our ships would %
caps one Of the handbags undel
which they labor.
''The ridA nations Of Europe ar,
ltAess which carry tho worlds com
fmercer and levy tribute on other m
tions In the shape Of freight money
Their .ships also build up their owl
commerce. The abundance or scar
city Of ocean tonnage regulates tn,
amount Of this tribute and actually ad
justs the price Of the staple commo
dities they carry. The withdrawal
from commerce of British ships TO
service in the Boer war raised freight
on the Pacific coast to such a poin
that the farmers received rs cent
bushel less than the year before.
THUS the farmers of the Pacif
Northwest indirectly contributed owe
100000 to the expenses of the Boe
War. We are dependent on foreigl
nations for means Of marketing ou
products abroad and If England an,