| Show decline of merchant marine pathetic chapter in history of united states by representative REPRESENT AT IVE J C LINTHICUM of 0 marylard there is no more pathetic chapter in the legislative history than that of our merchant marine at the close of the Revolution revolutionary ar y war our forefathers found that 75 per cent of our oversea MUM commerce was being carried in foreign vessels and with the ability and foresight which characterized them immediately set about to transfer that control to where it properly belonged this they succeeded in doing by reducing the duty on all imports in american vessels 10 per cent fi fixing ringa a tonnage tax of only six cents a ton on oil american vessels of 30 cents on american built foreign vessels and 50 cents a ton on foreign built foreign owned vessels through this method thoy they so stimulated american shipping that within five years american A ships were carrying 90 per cent of our foreign commerce thus we were rescued from foreign competitors arid and succeeded in placing the trade in the hands of american ship owners then a later generation feeling that our position was so secure that nothing could wrest from our grasp the control of the seas and not satisfied with carrying 90 per cent of the commerce so modified our laws as to remove the preferential duties and in our efforts efforts to capture the remaining 10 per cent we lost the 90 per cent we had been able to secure sinco since that time we have seen through competition with the subsidized lines of great britain aind nd other foreign countries our shipping decline until we carry in american bottoms a very small per cent of our foreign commerce |
