AMERICAN MARINE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 6

AMERICAN MARINE

;'" PROPOSED ..■ DISCRIMINATION.'' -' ].■ ":■ !-vAGAINCT;.FOEEIGNEBS;..;;'...;' 1: "• The_.movement for,; subsidies in aid 'of• American shipping, i which., has recently received*'a great .impetus. fromj the; outspoken support/given.to' it-by President Tuft ■daring.his -, Western!',, tour,-, has. ex-, perienced' somewhat .of a. 'setback' \at the armu'd cbnyeritioh\'of. tie,' Atlantic Deep. 'Waterways:Commission'' which ;is;,being, heldthis week-at NoTfoTk.iVirginia:' One* of tie. most, important : addresses ] made: on 'the': opening, day; to the,-delegates,:- wio number more .than... 300,' ..and ■ represelit eyjery'State ion,tha, Atlantic seaboard,, was from'' Mr.'' Dewis .'Nixon; who-'has,, long b^n'at the, nead:.of ,a:ebipbriildine'company with a ; yard >tvElizabeth. Port,' New ''Jersey;' Mr. Nixon; is; anxious-for the' :upbiuldirig ■' of ' the": American'', merchant .marine, but.he,:is ;opposed,to slipping subsidies'., for two Viroasonso': In':. the first place he.considers; the of. such : subsidies, unconstitutional,;land, secondly, ;he; thinks' they- would, utterly fail iof '■ their object. ■■; '■ "We" might'-;' pay'subsidies •; that' : would;! enable, 'vessels/,to,- run. :eiripty,' and yet:'riot'upbuild'ouT .maririb,". ; lie, told the: IWaleriy'ays', Commission.-,'/..;''■-■';:•.':/"'', ~. :i The .'alternative ' for "-the. ,enWuragement;'of*'Americaii i shipping, "proposed •.,".;by 'Mr..'-. Nixon;-: is ■,the.■ re-enact> ; iihent ;of vt.ne; : .old navigationi.laws ;and- the-reimpbsition-of'.restrictions on.the carry* ingV.of/./Anierican 'goods; in 'other/.;:,than" 'Anierican'.;bottoms..'.. ."The 'people.'..we're not, taxed'!to',pay 'in the be-; 'ginning,'', he', continueed' inelaborating IthisApoUcy.'."We,must, do ..as-our: forefathers did, • and ■ drive ■. trade ■ into; American; bottoms ''by';.preference, .as; it is. only ;upon' a 'healthy, and growing; trade based upon demand, for American /bottoms' that .we "can'■ .found.,'.ah', /enduring" merchantfleet." . ''Payments, for.Scarrying.'-ocean' 'mails. Mr:: Nixon approves; as "entirely: a,.proper exerciso of' Gdyernmeht- expenditure."/ '•"But," ,he continued, "we 'need' '-. the-tramp ship.as well as .the. fast mail steamer.: While our statesmen • have '■■ bar-< ' tei/eds/away; our : birthrights .upon. the seas', in cunninglyrdrawn • treaties and •agreements' prating of ■. reciprocal- .'bene-; flts, the. have evaded such reciprocity'l-by V adopting' every .possible discrimination,'against us.'that .ingenuitycould conceive 'or our .impotent:,statcsmonship• permit" ■' : : /•;.-■ ■■:::•.'.-'■'-.- '.;Mr.' Nixon then- turned ' to, the■ disadvantages suli'ered ~by.'American exporters when.. they 'have 'to 'avail themselves. of foreign- vessels for -the carriage of their goods.-: "While/foreigners carry our; :ducts," he continued,, "they do it in.their' own way -and' itb. .their;'own .advantage, and.largely,control their disposition and prices... Jefferson's distinction- of active and .passive; cargoes, the active being carried .by our own vessels;"and, the .passive, by., foreign vessels, was one of his happiest phrases..:' Discriminating',-' ton- ! nago taxes and - meeting "evasions, of: the : pledge of reciprocal '/benefit >by discriminating ' tariff .schedules are policies.' that ' squaro, with the,: national. and': patriotic thought" that by wise '. legislation - brought our merchant'marine into'being.;; Admit-: ting, that.our vessels cost .more'and .that we. .pay and ■ fecd...our.'."crews'.' better, 'it ! does, not; follow, that,' the; cost of carrying ;freight' will be .more; when': compete on a similar.basis.". ,'.-■ .;■:''. ;-',- . - ;'■ -'It was.irapossible./Mr.-lNixon told the ; cbmmission.'.to outline, in/detail the legisr ■ lation that would :be /necessary .to .carry out .the. proposed ■• policy.', :''Sufnce it. to .' say,".; he added,'., "that .it; is >possiblo to "re-establish. our merchant: marine.', To do , it ,v?e must consider:our. bwn.people.first and.'the -rest of the'world'second, because •;; foreigners 'consider themselves' first and ■us '. not -at all. Every riijht,we.- must- con- ■ cede, 'but. eveiy privilege 'should 'be : jealously conserved ; to : . our : own.' people. All arguments- /against- 'an',, American policy /The policies, 'of r : the ...makers 'of our Government once returned'.to. : 6.iiccesS;is assured. .The j restoration of 'the' American..marino can only be achieved through following the : policies/,of Jefferson arid ■ Madison. .:■ So .iorig':as wo are. conterit'. to > let: other:: na- , tions, do our; carryrng. wo/are dependent npori thorn .and: tributary to them, such ' tribute, at present v amounting ,to about 300,000,000 dollars' a ■ year, while our"; tonage in the foreign, trade is: loss'than it was in 1809."'.' -,■ ■'• ',■■■■ :;-':.'.< '■. ■: