Year: 1879




AMBROSE Snow ON THE QUESTION OF TAXING


SHIP PROPERTY.


To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-


As your journal has from time to time given us
very sensible articles on our shipping interests.
therefore as a shipowner OF some experience ven
ture to give you my of the article which ap-
peared recently the suggestion of Mr.. Blaine. for
revivng our decayed ocean commerce. quite agree
with him that every unnecessary tax should be re-
moved from ship property. To this end. so far as
consular charges are concerned, bill has been
before Congress for year. but up to this time there
is no appearance of relief from that burden, tax
which all American ships have to bear now. As We
understand Mr. Blaines proposition it is with ref
erence to steamers that our government shall give
to any company individual who will establish
monthly line of steam service between any point in
our country and any point in foreign country the
sum of $25 per mile for the whole distance between
the two points, and additional sum if the depart
ures are made frequently the size of the ship
to be 5000 tons. and all variations from that to
diminish or increase the sum per mile


Our present tonnage afoat receives but slight at
tenton. except that he would recommend the re-
moval Of all unnecessary burdens upon it, He,
however INDUCES in the belief that long trees
grow and winds blow. shall have sailing ships


take it, however, that if there is not better mode
OF relief than that suggested by him that share
of the ocean tonnage of the world will be small
My judgment is that if our government should
enter upon this $25 mile arrangement that the
effect would be to build up some private companies
ana scatter confusion in the whole shipowning sys
tenn Of our country.


Take what we now have OF ocean commerce, the
situation of it now is that in those communities
that grow up in the shipowning and shipbuilding
business the struggle is still kept up to retain
share i'll the carrying trade but it is patent to
all that their efforts become feebler year after year.
and until their first and greatest want is met and
provided for by our government the struggle will
go with less and less vitality


The want here referred to is that the shipowning
communities of this country should be placed by its
government upon footing of equality with the
shipowners of other countries. An act so placing
our shpowners must not fail to be applicable to all
engaged in NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. steam sail. The
growth of any branch OF trade must spring from the
profits Of its small beginnings.


This shipping interest is now brought face to face
with state of things which never before existed.
Steamships and iron sailing ships the latest and
improved freight carriers Of the world. The
freight steamer is built cheaper elsewhere than
here the iron sailing ship is also more cheaply built
elsewhere than here. THIS species OF freighter COM
mands the preference at higher rate of freight
than vessels built of wood in most of the worlds
ports. The misfortune of our case is that We have
allowed our shipowners to rest under such dsaDili-
ties that successful competition with foreign ship
owners during all the past twenty years has been
impossible, aud therefore we lind that as we
have gradually weakened in competition on the
various routes, our place has been sup
piled by the foreigner until to-day, when we wake
up realization of our situation and begin to cast
about for remedy. that which we seek il not easily
found The great. free ocean wants certainly given
amount OF ire ght carrying capacity The present
situation is that have more than enough OF it
ahoat WHAT is best to be done9 Shall we. by
making making property s; in ships when there is
such abundance of 1t now upon
the ocean that IT. Yields Yields no proht to
sensible to allow our citizens who wish to en-
gage in the shipowning business to go out with
the people of other nations into the great market
and purchase share in this superabundant tonnage
now afoat. instead Of taking people to raise
sums OF money to enable shipowners to enter upon
the work OF creating article for upon the
ocean that there is no present need for? An American
shin built by an American mechanic with honest
money, may sound well bit Of magnloquent
defamation, but it has no sensible meaning to the
mind of man who is intelligent in the use Of this
kind of property.


While the present condition of this interest has
been gradually approaching every kind OF theory
has been suggested the decay of this branch
OF industry; the changes have been rung loudly
upon the benefits to flow from liberal subsidies; the
gentlemen who so persistenty clamored for this had
their own Iii tie to grind Mr. Blaine suggests
something which he knows is the same thing; but
his remedy is to be administered in torn that the
struggling patient will DO more likely to swallow
than II prepared in the old John Roach and Pacific
Mali STYLE
This subject Mr. Editor is an interesting one and
the feeling is general among oil classes of
people that something should be done that it Is
a disgrace to a nation that we have allowed our
flag to be driven from the ocean. Now, practi- |
cal shpowner my judgment is that IL we would re-
our commerce upon the ocean we must not
associate the shpbulder in this question. We must
drop him. We must legslae tor the shipowner.
enable him to own ships and my word for it, the
builder will be taken of. take it
that all the legislation in the world would not help
hatters il the people would not go upon the street
and hats. An American hat, made by al Amer
lean halter. and with honest money, would have
about the same meaning that the American built
ship cry has.
Up t. this time the remedies suggested have been
subsidies. Tree ships aud export duties all mer-
chandse exported in foreign bottoms. The first has
not been tried. Subsidies have been discussed, and
in some instances tried. The judgment OF those
best qualified to form opinion Is against them;
the export duty is in opposition to plain provision
of the constitution. anu therefore, cannot be tried


AMBROSE SNOW.
PROFESSOR KING AND TRANSAT- !


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