Norwich bulletin., 1921-10-15
ADVOCATES ENFORCEMENT OF JONES ACT

I am convinced that merchant ma
 rine of our own, if for no other rea-
 son than the national defence. for use
 as auxiliaries to our army and navy
 in time of war, is as necessary as
 navy. We just cannot afford to so
 without it.
 The policy of discriminating duties
 was in force from the beginning or
 our government under the existing | Consultation until it was suspended in 1850. It has never been repealed. It was | so successful when first adopted that l ! the reduction in revenue through the growth of American shipping caused ! the application of the policy to be re- : yersed, that is, by imposing an ex- : tra or higher duty on imports than i the regular duty when brought to ue i in foreign vessels, Instead of reduc- i ing the duty on imports in American i vessels. Although generally suspended
 in 1850, it had been in full or par {! tiaI effect for so long-178s until 1850 i that there was no great impairment decade, or until the civil war, and dur
 in our shipping growth during the next ing that entire period of sevent- two years the average of our imports and
 exports carried in American ships was
 80 per cent.
 As a result of every possible retal-
 iatory and countervailing emasure for
 eign nations availed of they succeed ed in ca Tying an average of but 20 per cent. of our imports and exports during seyenty-two years. In the light of ineffectiveness of retaliation when ) tried and in view of the kind of a s marine we developed under the pro- lection of our discriminating duty pol- icy in ente-bellum days am convinc- | ed that it is the policy for this coun- 5 try again to put into operation for the = protection, maintenance and develop ] ment or expansion of our shipping in e foreign trade.
 The discriminating duty policy diff e fers from the so-called subsidy ol n bounty policy in that the former adds I to the revenues of the government if |
 fails to protect our ships while sub. n sides and bountiec take money direct. 4 ly out of the treasury. The former i y indirect and the latter is direct. Tn, y former protects our shipping agains r. foreign competition through the tariff d just as every other American produc 1t is protected against foreign competi n ton.
 l. During all of the time-more thai 10 two full generations-the discriminat l. ing duty policy was in force we ha.
 a great, growing and profitable Ameri Il can merchant marine. Instead of 70 shipping problem we had a shippin if problem we had a shipping policy tha 3, protected our ships on the seas. Tn l. reason our ships were driven off tn n seass was not because of the chang 90 from sail to steam, or from wood t lg iron, or because of the civil war, bu es heeause protection had been withdraw l. When the war of 1872 ePded America le ships locked back upon the seas i Id ever increasing numbers because the S. were protected against foreign compe
 tition; but when the civil war ended $, lacking protection, being compelled t e, meet free trade competition upon tn at seas, our ships found themselves un in equal to it and they withdrew. re During the half centruy after tn ps close of our civil war whenever Ameri le can shipowners and shipbuilders ap r. peared before congress to explain wh ts our merchant marine in foreign trad a- was steadily diminishing and wha te was necessary to revive and sustai 1- it, they answered, protection The sam
 is true now or will be in normal time ot For it to succeed our merchant marin Ee must be protected, and 1t is upto con g. gress to protect it generously, ade Id quately, permanently, whole heartedl,