Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 November 1898 — ALIENS TO CONTROL. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ALIENS TO CONTROL.

FOREIGN AND AMERICAN TRANSPORT ATION ALLIANCES. A Combination of Interests that May Be Expected to Oppose Measures for the Rehabilitation of the American Merchant Marine. It is'a fact, though probably not generally known outside of transportation circles, that there is, so to speak, a close community of interest between the principal truuk lines of railroad in this country and foreign steamship companies. This combination enables the railroad companies to secure the distribution of imported goods and also Jto gather and deliver to the steamship lines outwhrd bound cargoes, both steamship ana railroad lines apportioning the rates of freight and sharing In the profits of the transportation. Of the five principal lines of railroad connecting the interior with Atlantic ports, ail but one have combinations with foreign steamship lines, and thus the carriage of the commerce of the country, from the various points of production to those of distribution and consumption, is almost wholly directly or indirectly controlled by alien interests and combinations. The solitary exception among the railroad lines maintains an independent system of steamship connection; otherwise it also would probably be obliged to combine with alien ocean transportation interests in order to get its share of the traffic. This shows how absolutely necessary it is that whatever protection is afforded to American over sea shipping interests shall be ample and of such a character as to give assurance of permanency in order to be entirely effective. The reciprocity navigation treaties now in force require that at least twelve months’ notice shall be given of their abrogation. It is easily conceivable that during this interval of twelve months the enormous aggregation of foreign capital employed in alien transportation lines, and the influence of the railroad interests allied with these lines, would combine with the object of securing the repeal or at least the modification of enactments of a character so inimical to their interests as provided for the imposition of discriminating duties against imports in foreign vessels.

The profits of ocean freight carrying are very largely derived from imported goods having high freight classification. Aliens practically enjoy the monopoly of ocean transportation, and through agreements among themselves, freight rates are maintained with general uniformity. With outward bound cargoes practically assured, through combinations with the principal railroad lines, and with but little competition in passenger business, the foreign steamship companies could well afford to lower rates on imports to such a figure as would materially lessen the profits of American ships enjoying the protection of discriminating duties against imports in foreign vessels. 'Therefore, the measure of protection which it is proposed to give with the object of promoting American shipbuilding interests and restoring the American merchant marine should, at the outset, be so liberal and of such a character as not only to be entirely effective in its purpose but such as to give assurance of being maintained for a term of years. Capitalists could not be expected to take the risk of establishing plants for the construction of cargo ships to compete with foreign vessels if there should be the remotest probability of such modification of the measure of protection. through foreign or domestic Influences, as would tend to discourage the operation of such vessels when they were water borne. Neither would managers of the projected ships be likely to perfect their arrangements for employing the vessels in the over sea trade without some assurance that the protection afforded would be sufficient to enable them successfully to compete with alien enterprises. “It is believed by those who have given this matter careful consideration that 10 per cent, discriminating duty against imports in foreign vessels is none too great, and that any less degree of protection would la* ineffective and. moreover, discouraging to the interests which are sought to be promoted, lion. Stephen B. Elkins, the frajper and the earnest advocate of the measure providing for discriminating duties on imports in foreign vessels, in his speech In the Senate in April, IW7, said. "It is not claimed that the bill under consideration Is perfect or will bring all needed relief. It will have to be supplemented by further legislation. It Is claimed, however, in its behalf, that the principle has been tried for nearly forty years and produced the most ben-' eflclal results, and to restore discriminating duties, now would lie a start in the right direct Ion." Though the measure Is to some extent tentative, the principle Is by no jmiins experimental, perfection of the measure, according to the best lights obtainable, would give promise of such 9‘stills as would he a practical guaranty of Its sue<*ssful Operation, despite the opposition of the combinations of capital and of Influence that would be arrayed against It. ( • Good in Pence in* War. The Incontrovertible figures of the bulletins Issued by tin* Bureau of Statistics will not permit tin* Dlngley tariff law to lie lost from sight. Democrats, Populists and other opponents of the Republican policy cannot get around the fact that the Dlngley law Is pulling steadily In the right direction and piling up statistics for the dlscomflture of friH*-traders. Tin* dutiable imports for August amounted to $27,810,098, and the Imports free of duty to $21,359,693; total imports, $19,170,386.

The exports or merchandise for August amounted to $84,608,774; excess of exports over imports, $35,429,388; increase of exports over August last year, $4,216,276. Even in a war month we sold more abroad than we bought. Our imports for the first eight months of 1898 were valued at $426,412,038, aud the exports at $778,674,025; excess of exports over imports, $352,262,987. This represents a foreign trade of $1,205,086,062 for the eight months, or $1,807,628,986 for the year. The Dlngley law put a balance of trade in favor of the United States and has held It v'-here during the last four months under the extraordinary condition of a foreign war.—Spokane Chronicle. How to Get More Gold. The American people, like Oliver Twist, want “more”—“more,” when the thing in question is gold. It is true that gold has been pouring into the country as a result of the heavy balance of trade in our favor, and that is well, but it is not enough. According to W. W. Bates, ex-United States Commissioner of Navigation, the people of the United States have paid out, on an average, $150,000,000 annually, for the last thirty years, to foreign ships for ocean transportation. However much gold we may take in, in payment for our surplus exports—and we intend to take in all we can get —it will never be enough, and it ought never to be enough uutil'we add to it the millions we are now paying out to foreign vessels for our ocean carrying. That amount, added to the American side of the balance sheet, by l>eing paid to the American owners of American vessels, would look well w*hen we came to make up our yearly statement of receipts and expenditures. Then and Now.

Obvious Values. The value of a merchant marine ns an auxiliary navy was well illustrated in the recent war. It was fortunate for the country that so many American millionaires had yachts which could be transferred to navy service. It was fortunate that the Government w*as able to secure the use of the big ocean steamers of one transatlantic line. It would have been much more fortunate If we hail had an Inexhaustible supply of merchant vessels and many times the number of ocean liners available for service. Perhaps (he Government agents would not have had to hunt Europe over so anxiously in order to piece ouit our navy. We might have pieced it out more satisfactorily at homo. Certainly the valuable services rendered by the auxiliary cruisers ought to be sufficient to lead Congress to take measures to secure a large auxiliary navy for the Government by securing the establishment of more lines of ocean steamers sailing under the American flag and by building up an extensive merchant marine. And not even the peace-at-any-price men could object, since a merchant marine and fast liners would l>e of even more lieneflt to the nation in time of peace than they would be In war. What It Demonstrate*. Last year over $50,(XX),000 worth of American typewriters, bicycles, sewing machines and scientific and complicated instruments were purchased by foreign countries. It demonstrates that American inventive genius and skill in manufacturing bent the world, aud that our foreign trade in manufactured goods wns not killed by Repuhllcan tariff. Add to this the millions paid Gils country for heavy machinery, implements and food products, and the grand total Is something enormous, with a trade balance hi onr favor of over $000,000,(XM).- St. Johns (Mich.) Republican. Stop the Folly, Something over $1,000,000 worth of French wines Is every year Imported Into, the United States. Reciprocity or no reciprocity, that Is altogether too much money t<» pay out for merchandise that Is produced equally well at home. It would Is* much more sensible to keep the biggest part of that $1,0(X).000 In this country, for distribution among American grape growers, American wine makers, and the wage earners who In various ways find employment In connection with tills important American Industry. There Is some excuse for buying each year $5,000,006 worth of women’s dress

goods from France, for In this line fh* weavers and designers of the United States do not yet hold their own with Europe; but when it is remembered that the vineyards and wine presses of America can produce and are producing wines equal in all ways, and in many ways superior, to those, produced abroad, the folly of spending $4,000,000 a year for the doctored wines of France is apparent at a glance. It is a foily that ought to be stopped. Cause for Gratitude. The duty on citras fruit ik none too high. This section owes a deep debt of gratitude to those who gave it so ample protection from foreign competition. Some of this gratitude is due even to the Democrats who made a fight for a high duty in committee. But we must not forget their inconsistency in voting against the, whole bill on its final passage. If pro-* tection is so good for oranges, we whoget the benefit must not fall to stand in for a similar benefit to American pro-, ducers of other things.—Los Angele* Express. Don’t Wait Too Loner, It is reported by those professing to know that Congress is disposed to enact legislation in aid of American shipping, but that the difficulty will come in agreeing upon a plan. There was* once a man who set out to teach his, horse to live without eating. According to his statement of the case, Just} as the horse had learned to live with-, out eating he died. We. hope that Con-) gross will learn how to protect Ameri-j can shipping before our merchant ma-l rine which is engaged in the ocean car-, rying trade is entirely dead. It is nearly defunct now. Hurry up, Congress! Scientific and Compreltenaive. The Dlngley tariff has in all truth been working out its purpose “with the precision and effectiveness of a ma--1 chine.” It is unquestionably the most comprehensive and the most scientific revenue law which was ever enacted by an American Congress. The time will come when the men who were once its bitterest enemies will have to acknowledge this—for the record of experience Is unanswerable.—Erie Dispatch.

Good in War and Peaca. The Dlngley law put the country in good condition for war and helped It every day during the war. It put the balance of trade in our favor before the war and it has held It there under the extraordinary conditions of the last four months. It was Intended as a peace law, but It has done good service as a war measure.—Chicago Inter Ocean. Cannot Dispute the Figures. During the first seven months of the present year our maunfactured exports aggregated $178,334,867, as compared with $166,706,398 iu the corresponding period in 1897. Democratic croakers said last year that record of such exports could not be kept up under the new tariff bill, but they cannot dispute or overcome the logic of figures.—Minneapolis Journal. Farmers Are Prosperous. The farmers of South Dakota have paid off $40,000,000 of mortgages; North Dakota, $60,000,000; Kansas, $50,000,000, and Colonel Bryan’s State $40,(XX),000 since the election of President McKinley. Official reports show that the value of farm animals has Increased $326,000,000 since Major McKinley became President. Always Inconsistent. Democrats say they believe in free trade; yet in Democratic Arkansas muIcipal assemblies put a high protective tariff on transient merchants, pedlers and doctors, etc. But when was the Democratic party ever consistent, save iu inconsistency?—Little Rock Republican.

Value and Potency. The present tariff law lias not had an opportunity to fully prove Its merit. But It has exhibited In the practical conditions of industry, commerce and finance the essential value and potency of protection as a principle and policy. —Kalamazoo Telegraph. An Obvious Absurdity. The present mode of conducting our export trade Is about as sensible as it would be for one of the large department stores to trust the delivery wagons of its rivals to carry its sales to their destination.—New York Mall and Express. Smallest snd Greatest Showing. The smallest showing of commercial failures recorded for any month for live years past Is that for the month of August, 1898, after one full year of the Diugley tariff. Much Easier. It Is significant to notice that Mr.' Diugley found It easier to be returned to Congress from Ills district than did Mr. Wilson, also of tariff fame.—Peoria (111.) Journal.

One hundred years ago American ships carried 93 per cent, of American commerce.

To-day, John Bull does the lion's share of America’s carrying trade.