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14 MARINE How Japan is to Encourage Shipping. Under the direction of the National Association of Manufacturers of the United States, Robert P. Porter of Cleveland, who was in charge of the last United States census, recently conducted an investi- gation of the commerce and,industries of Japan. Mr. Porter's report, which has just been sent out in pamphlet form from the Philadelphia headquarters of the association, contains a chapter on projected steamship enterprises that is especially interesting at this time, on ac- count of the effort that is being made to have the present congress enact legislation favorable to American shipping. In support of the claim that the United States could do more business with Japan if the facilities for transportation between the two countries were better and cheaper, Mr. Porter directs attention to the fact that in 1895 England sold $56,000,000 (silver) worth of goods to Japan, but pur- chased only a trifle over $7,000,000 (silver) worth of that country. On the other hand, the United States bought in the same year $54,- 000,000 (silver) worth of Japan, and Japan only bought a little over $£,000,000 (silver) worth of us. As things stand today, he says, it _ would probably be cheaper or just as cheap for anyone living in the city of Cleveland who had goods to ship from Japan to send them around via England and thence by land from New York to Cleveland, a distance of some 17,000 miles, rather than send them a distance of 4,500 miles across the ocean and thence overland 3,500 miles. But as a result of the new treaty between America and Japan, which goes into effect in 1899, and asa result also of the new Japanese laws for the encouragement and protection of shipping, Mr. Porter thinks these difficulties will be remedied. He gives details of several projects for steamship lines between New York, Philadelphia and Japan and also between San Diego and Japan. 'Hor fifteen or twenty years past we have had pending in con- gress," Mr. Porter says, "bills which, had they been passed ten years ago, would have extended our commerce and made us independent of other nations in the foreign carrying trade. The United States may take a lesson from the practical steps which Japan has taken for the development of her merchant marine. The two measures with this end in view, which went into operation in October, 1896, and which continue in force for fifteen years, comprise, first, a navigation bill, and secondly, a ship building bill. They were framed on the same plan as the bill introduced into our congress and urged ten years ago by Senator Cameron of Pennsylvania, and which extended protection both to ship building and ship owning. Both these laws passed the Japanese imperial diet without a single dissenting voice. Both, in my opinion, will prove measures of vast prospective importance in extend- ing the commercial impertance of Japan. The first provides that, un- der certain conditions as to right of requisition by government, carriage of mails, training of apprentices, etc., a subsidy shall be given for the space of five years, from the date of construction, to every iron steam- ship of over 700 tons burden at the following rates: Twenty-five cents per ton for every 1,0C0 miles run at a maximum speed of ten knots; an addition of 10 per cent. to be made for every 500 tons increased displacement over 1,000 tons and up to 6,000 tons; and a further addition of 20 per cent. for each additional knot in speed up to seven- teen knots; after the lapse of five years acontinuing annual reduction REVIEW. I of 5 per cent. in these amounts is to be made. The second provides that a subsidy of $12 per ton shall be granted to every Japanese subject building in Japan an iron or steel steamship of 700 tons and over byt under 1,000, and of $20 per ton for one of 1,000 tons and oye, with an addittional $5 for each unit of. horse power. Both hull and engines must be built under the supervision of the department of com. munications, and no foreign material is to be used unless specified by that department. '"As there has been up to this time only one private dock yard in Japan of sufficient capacity for the construction of a steamer of over 1,000 tons displacement, and up to the summer of 1895 only one steamer of that size had been built, this new law will undoubtedly cause considerable development in ship building. In 1895 Japan possesseq 517 merchant steamers of an aggregate tonnage of 321,522 tons, and the principal shipping company, the Nippon Yusen Kwaisha, oy National Mail Steamship Co., alone possessed a fleet of fifty-seven ocean-going steamers with a tonnage of 101,342 tons. The vessels of the latter company make frequent voyages to China, India and Australia, and their lines have been extended to England and across the Pacific to the United States. This line has made a connection - with the Great Northern Railway Co. at Tacoma, and 1897 traffic will see a large increase of both freight and passenger traffic to and from Japan by this route. It is well for those who may be responisble for future legislation and. commercial treaties to remember that Japan has more inhabitants than all South America; that the Nicaragua canal finds a stronger argument for its construction in facilitating 'trade with the Orient, and in bringing us nearer the eastern world, than in the increase from trade with South America. In glancing over a statistical abstract, I find that lame as our trade with Japan now is, it is of greater importance than the trade of China, of Portu- gal, of Russia, of Spain, of Sweden, of Norway, of Switzerland, of Austria-Hungary, of the British West Indies, etc. It is alongside, in economical importance to the United States, of Belgium, Italy and Mexico. With proper facilities it would soon exceed all these nations. It should be today $100,000,000 (silver), the exports and imports equal- izing each other. There is in the Hastern seas nearly $1,000,000,000 (silver) of trade, a good share of which belongs to the United States. Japan, Korea, China, and Siam aggregate $725,000,000. To this I have added the trade of the European colonies."' The Bessemer Steamship Company Solicits Catalogues, Prices and Discounts from manufacturers and wholesale dealers in Ship Machinery, Brass Goods, Rope, Paints, Oils, Asbestos, Packing, Hose, Furniture, Piping, Glass and Crock- ery, Tinware, Ranges, Carpeting, Bedding, Life-preservers, Rafts and Boats, Engineers' Supplies and Tools, Carpenters' Tools, Elec- tric Supplies, Lamps, Grate Bars, Castings, etc., etc., etc. ALSO QUOTATIONS from Market men and Grocers on the Lakes for Provisions and Meat, best quality only. CATALOGUES without quotations are not wanted. ALL GOODS except provisions to be delivered in Cleveland. Address Ll. M. BOWERS, General Manager, . : CLEVELAND, OHIO. SSS --= 80 and over Especially adapted for Contractors, Quarries, Shovels, LE Railroad Construction, Dredges, Bridge and-Dock Build- ---- ) ers, Water-Works, Brick Yards and Coal Docks. 1 AQQ RAILROADS CONTRACTORS 400 300 'ine Writs TIGHT. 10,000 IN USE. == ee Unaffected bv Weather. Portable, Self Contained. to 4000 Candle Power from KEROSENE OIL. THE WELLS LIGHT MANUFACTURING 60., ? EDWARD ROBINSON, Sole Proprietor. 46 Washington Street, NEW YORK. Fe = & F ® % a