Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1916-05-05
HOW TO GET A
MERCHANT MARINE
Exports Amounting in Value
to Hundreds of Mill ms of
Dollars Congest our Wharv-
es Awaiting Transportation
A QUESTION WHICH SHOULD
ENGAGE ALL MERlC ANS


"
The rehabilitation Of the American
merchant marine is the subject of
"A series nf interesting articles that
have appeared in the New York
Evening Mail 1t is y question nf
vital importance and one which
should engage the active interest of
all Americans Never in i's history
was the republic 81 much in need
nf sea going vessels llXrorls n.
mounting In value 10 hundreds Of
millions Of dollars corgest our
wharves. awaiting transport 10
markets which are sorelv in need NJ
them But there is a dreadful lack
OF ships to carry them; almost no
American built ships. Ocean rates
have gone up to fabulous figures:
ship can make fortune for is
owner in a single year. but there
are no American ships ~ take ad.
vantage of the unprt ccdented op.
portunities afforded Ivy foreign war
conditions Our forpfathers knew
what TO do with the Amprican ship.
problem Our First Congress in
1889 passed an act allowing i'm
porters a discount Of 10 ppr cent on
customs duties on goods entering in
vessels owned by citizens NJ the
United States One year later. in
this 1870, policy was reinforced bv
an act Of Congress which added 10
per cent. In duties rpon all goods
imported in foreign owned vessels
Under THE double Protection the
U. \ was in 1910 carrying 90 per
cent Of iis own foreign commerce
and also q share Of tHs foreign com
merce Of other nations In 1915
the fatal mistake was made of re-
pealing these wise laws ~ entering
into reciprocity" Arrangempniun.
der which the 10 per cent addition.
al duty was taken of That dis
eliminating duty built up The
American merchant marine. lis
absence has had much to do with
the almost total disappearance VI
our ocean carrying trade
The writer of the articles in the
New York Mail, Mr. Alexander r
Smith, Is the editor Of the Marine
News and one of the hes, Informed
man in The country on the mer-
chant marine question lie speaks
with a knowledge that should carry
conviction when he savs:
We must have naval auxiliary merchant
inaiine; oi ships built In the United states,
owned, commanded, oilicered aud manned
/ by citizens OF the United States, as ready
To tight It's battles in war as alert TO ac-
cute, hold and develop the foreign mar
kets which we must have in peace for ir
surplus products, the ships aud the men
constituting highly efficient national
naval reserve.
The easy. simple way to secure such a
merchant maiine Is TO collect higher
duties from imports IN foreign ships than
is collected from imports IN American
ships. and to tax foreign ships more on
their tonnage than we tax our own ships
lhis would force import ers to secure
American ships to AVOID the extrn duties.
Ierminabc trade treaties in the way
Our government already has served notice
on foreign governments with which we
have such ierinnable trade treaties Of
our intention 10 terminate or modify them
40 as to give full effect TO the Seanen's
act.
Never was time more favorable than
now for dealing effectively with the qtics.
ton of tie rehabilitation Of the American
merchant marine. By The imposition OF
dlnerentia import duties and preferential
tonnage dues and by the termination of
all treaties conflicting with that policy the
way would bo opened for positive ad.
vance toward regaining ont rightful share
Of the worlds carrying trade, Already
under the provisions OF the Seamen's act,
measures are in progress looking toward
the abrogation OF all trade treaties and
conventions. II the policy Of 1890 worked
we'll then and gave our ships 80 per Icent
Of the business Of carrying our export aud
import trade. the same policy would work
the same result again. Mr. Smith Is
tight In urging immediate action along
.hese lines American Enronomist.