Free Ships: The Restoration of the American Carrying Trade Part 2

"In regard to rates of wages, compared with Wilmington and Chester, they are about 8 to 10 per cent. under us."

RATES OF WAGES IN SHIPYARD.

Carpenters $2 50 @ $2 75 Joiners 2 50 @ 3 00 Blacksmiths 2 10 @ 2 75 Platers 2 25 @ 2 75 Rivetters 2 10 @ 2 50 Angle iron-smiths 2 00 @ 2 20 Hammer-men 2 00 @ 2 25 Holders up 1 60 @ 1 75 Riggers 2 00 @ 2 50 Laborers 1 40 @ 1 50

ENGINE AND BOILER WORKS.

Carpenters $2 50 @ $2 75 Joiners 3 00 Hammer men 2 00 @ 2 25 Smiters 1 50 Angle iron smiths 2 00 @ 2 25 Boiler platers 2 25 @ 2 75 Rivetters and caulkers 2 10 @ 2 50 Holders up 1 60 @ 1 75 Iron turners 2 25 @ 2 75 Iron finishers 2 50 @ 3 00 Engine fitters and erectors 2 50 @ 3 00 Planing machinists 2 25 @ 2 75 Shaping " 2 25 @ 2 75 Slotting " 2 25 @ 2 75 Pattern makers 2 75 @ 3 25 Engine drivers 2 25 @ 2 75 Laborers 1 40 @ 1 50

Having quoted both these lists, their data will now be arranged in a tabular form, so that the difference in the cost of labor employed on the Clyde and on the Delaware will be at once apparent. For this purpose, the Scotch prices are reduced to American money, one pound sterling being represented by five dollars currency, and the hourly pay multiplied by ten, to make a day's work.

An average is made of the wages paid in New York, and 10 per cent., the largest allowance mentioned by the New York firm, is deducted from the average prices paid by them, resulting in the rates upon the Delaware.

COMPARATIVE TABLE.

_Shipyards._

Labor on the Clyde. Labor on the Delaware.

Carpenters, per day, 10 hours, $1 40 $2 36 Joiners, " " 1 45 2 48 Blacksmiths, " " 1 30 2 18 Platers, " " 1 30 2 25 Rivetters, " " 1 15 2 07 Laborers, " " 75 1 31 Angle iron-smiths, " " 1 25 1 89 Riggers, " " 1 35 2 03 Hammer-men " " 85 1 91 Holders up " " 85 1 51

_Engine and Boiler Works._

Smiters, per day, 10 hours, $1 32 $1 35 Hammer-men, " " 85 1 91 Angle iron-smiths, " " 1 30 1 91 Boiler-platers, " " 1 41 2 25 Riveters and caulkers, " " 1 25 2 07 Holders up, " " 94 1 51 Iron turners, " " 1 29 2 25 Iron Finishers, " " 1 20 2 48 Engine fitters and erectors, " " 1 23 2 47 Planing machinists " " 1 13 2 25 Shaping " " " 1 03 2 25 Slotting " " " 1 06 2 25 Pattern makers, " " 1 51 2 70 Carpenters, " " 1 40 2 36 Joiners, " " 1 10 2 70 Engine drivers, " " 91 2 25 Laborers, " " 80 1 31

There are two horns to the dilemma, either of which Mr. Roach may lay hold of, but he cannot swing on a pivot between them. If he accepts these figures, or anything approaching them,--and the fact that the ocean is covered by foreign built ships to the exclusion of his own is proof of their correctness,--he may go on asking for a bounty on every ton he builds equivalent to the difference in cost. Will he get it? No!

If, on the contrary, he chooses to repeat his a.s.sertion that his ships cost less than those built in Scotland, what inference is naturally drawn? Simply, that his ships are too cheap to be good.

Whatever position he may take, Section 21st of the new Tariff Bill meets every just demand of the ship owner whose rights have never been considered at all, and of the ship builder who has always been a mendicant in the lobby at Washington.

"All materials for the construction, equipment or repair of vessels of the United States may be imported in bond, and withdrawn therefrom under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury; and upon proof that such materials have been used for such purpose no duties shall be paid thereon. And all vessels owned wholly by citizens of the United States shall be ent.i.tled to registry, enrollment and license, or license, and to all the benefits and privileges of vessels of the United States; and all laws, or parts of laws, conflicting with the provisions of this section shall be, and the same are hereby, repealed."

This is all the privilege that ship owners demand, and with the favoritism over all other mechanics shown to shipbuilders, how can they complain? Even now, Mr. Roach says that he "can build steamships cheaper and better than they can be built on the Clyde." What will he not be able to accomplish with the provisions of this bill! His angle iron and his plates, his rivets and his bra.s.s work, his copper, his wire rigging, his sails, his paints, his cabin upholstery, mirrors, and everything appertaining to the completeness of his equipment--a great part of which would cost him vastly more at home--anything and all that he requires may be imported, duty free! Happy Mr. Roach! Why need he fear the effect of the clause in favor of ship owners? Who will avail themselves of it? But alas for the ship-builders upon the Clyde, in Newcastle and Belfast! Their occupation will be gone.

Already building ships at a lesser cost than theirs, this remission of duties will enable Mr. Roach to build them from ten to twenty per cent. cheaper still. What will England then do? Will she grant bounties to her ship-builders, to meet the emergency? She did not do it in 1849, to sustain her wooden ship-builders; she will not do it now in order to "protect" an industry infinitely greater than ours, but infinitely less in importance than that of her ship owning. She will protect that, by leaving it _free_, and every Englishman who desires to buy a ship will come for that purpose to the Delaware.

Mr. Roach objects to our buying British ships now; will he decline to sell American ships then?

In view of this glorious future, how can you, Mr. Roach, oppose the 21st section of this bill?

I have thus adduced some of the princ.i.p.al arguments in favor of the free importation of ships, the only method by which the lost prestige of our commercial marine can be restored. I have given a very close attention to the subject for many years, having in the outset come to the conclusion which subsequent time and events have abundantly confirmed.

If this essay should prove too long to be carefully read by our law-makers, for whose perusal it is mainly intended, I still trust that they may turn over the leaves sufficiently to recognize the condition of our carrying trade compared with that of England and Germany, as I shall endeavor to portray it in the shorter form of a parable, of which I earnestly hope they will make the application.

THE THREE FERRIES.

There are two large towns on the opposite banks of a wide river.

There is a constantly increasing pa.s.senger and business employment, supporting several ferries, between them. In former days the princ.i.p.al ferry masters were an American, an Englishman, and a German. They all employed boats propelled by sails, and especially the first did a very profitable business. Indeed, the American was the most successful, as he and his boys had a way of handling their craft much superior to either of the others. Each had a large family of relatives, and, naturally, as these relatives of theirs were willing to work for the same wages as other people, they built new boats for their kindred whenever they were required.

It so happened, however, that the American's family built much better than the Englishman's. When the latter noticed that the superior craft of the former were better patronized by the public than his own, he asked the Yankee boys if they wouldn't build some boats in their style for him? "Sartain," they said, "if you'll pay us what Uncle Sammy pays for his'n?" "Aye, of course I wull," said Mr. Bull, "for boats like yon I mast have, or Sam will run away with all my business, and my family will starve." So Uncle Sam's boys built the boats for Mr. Bull, and the two old gentlemen got on amicably, for there was business enough for them both, and the Dutchman did not interfere with them a great deal. The few carpenters among Mr. Bull's relations did not like this very well, but the old man said to them squarely, "Look you here, now, d'ye think I'm going to let fifty of my relatives stand still because two or three of you, who can't build boats as well as Sam's people, are growling about it? That's not my way; I work for the good of my family at large. Go to work, now, and see if you can invent a better boat than they build; if you can, I will employ you, and so will Sam." They took the old man's advice, for they saw the sense of it, and in a short time they studied out a craft superior in every respect to anything they had before, or that Sam had now. "That's right, boys," exclaimed old Bull, rubbing his hands with glee, "now build some of them, and I'll buy them of you, and so will Sam if he isn't a fool." They did build some excellent boats, to which the public took at once; and everybody who wanted to cross the river, or to send any goods over immediately, gave Mr. Bull their custom. He grew rich suddenly, not so much from _building_ boats as from _using_ them. n.o.body patronized Sam's now old-fashioned craft. Uncle Sam, generally supposed to be a "smart old cuss," couldn't understand it at all. "It's one of those things that no fellow can find out," he said, "but next time we have a family meeting we'll appoint a committee to get at what this here 'decadence' comes from." So he appointed a committee, and they ran around six months among the carpenters of the family, and came back with a report that "Whereas, a few years ago, during a family row, a lot of old ferry boats had been stolen by or sold to Mr. Bull, this had killed boat building ever since and it always would be dead until every one of the family put their hands in their pockets and supported the carpenters till they had learned to build just such boats as Bull was using." In the meantime it may be remarked that the Dutchman had got Bull's boys to build some new boats for him, and he was now doing a better business than he had ever done before. Uncle Sam looked on and observed, "By jingo, this here's a fix; I've asked my family to hand over the cash to support these carpenters of mine, and they say they'll see me----; well, never mind what, and now that whole raft of boys, who were earning money for me on the ferry, are digging clams or gone to farming, and when I want to go across the river I have to go with Bull or the Dutchman, and pay them for it, instead of getting money for doing what they do, myself."

His boys, who were thrown out of employment on the ferry, thereupon approached the old gentleman and said, "Uncle Samuel, don't you remember how, a while ago, when those carpenters of ours built better boats than Mr. Bull's could build, the old fellow came to you, and asked you to let them build some for him? If he hadn't got them from us his fellows would shortly have been high and dry, as we are now; but we sold them to him, and so he kept up his business on the ferry.

Now, why don't you do what he did, and give us something to do, instead of spending your money going across in his boats and the Dutchman's?" Uncle Sam reared right up at this mild remonstrance. "Git out," he exclaimed, "you ain't no account, the ferry's no account, there ain't nothing of no account in this here family but just a half a dozen boat builders. Say, Jonathan, what are you doin' with that ar jack-knife? Did you make it?" "No, sir I bought it of one of Bull's boys." "Well, then, lay it right down; _I ain't a goin' to have you whittle till you can make one for yourself._" And then the old man went off--mad! And in another sense of the word, he is still mad.