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1908: the 'association has undertaken 'to stipport is dne of great magnitude and importance and precipitate action by congress would hardly be expected. While it 'is 'not 'possible to measure the work which. the association has done in this direction-by any list of new laws enacted, it must be obvious to any one whois in close touch-with the situation: in Washington that 'the association has-made itself very strongly felt there and that its influ- 'ence is'recognized arid respected. The bill in congress for incorporation Of the association was defeated; Mr. Search says, by opposition on the part of meimbers from states in which manufacturing interests do not pre- dominaté.""He recommends the appointment of a committee to make careful revision of the proposed act of incorporation and to present a revised bill to the fifty-seventh 'congress as new matter. On the im- portant question of our merchant marine in the foreign trade, the presi- dent of this great organization says: RESTORATION OF THE AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE. »"No measure that failed :ultimately on its passage occupied so much attention of the fifty-seventh congress-as the shipping bill. It was gen- erally believed that-a clear majority of both houses would cast its vote for the adoption of this measure after the many amendments to which it was subjected during the session; but by reason of prolonged dis- cussion it failed to come to a vote. Discussion is hardly the proper term by which to designate the obstructive. tactics. of the opponents of this measure; for with the sole and avowed purpose of consuming time until adjournment, the opposition in the senate talked about every other sub- ject but the shipping bill under the pretext of analyzing and discussing the .provisions of the measure. The postmortem examination shows very clearly that the shipping bill was talked to death, "At the coming session of congress it is certain that a measure of similar purpose will be introduced and that the effort to promote Ameri- can shipping and American commerce by a judicious system of govern- mental aid will be renewed. with added vigor and determination, and we may reasonably hope that the obstructive tactics practiced during the last 'session will not: be permitted to prevent a:fair and full discussion of this question. With the steadily increasing sentiment favorable to such legis- Jation that is'smanifest not only throughout the country but in congress itself, there is: justification for the belief that fair treatment of the measure will permit its passage. . sos i. "The needs of-our merchant shipping have been argued before you so: frequently: and so fully that it hardly seems needful to repeat these arguments at this time. Wezare all agreed with regard to the necessity for such legislation: as shall encourage the expansion of our merchant shipping and: its establishment upon the same plane of prosperity that is "occupied by. our productive industries. In striking contrast with the rapid expansion of our manufacturing interests is the absence of growth in ,our merchant shipping... The extraordinary increase in our foreign trade adds largely to the-traffiic and profits of the steamship lines which carry our goods abroad: under. foreign flags, but we have no ships of our own to share in these benefits. It is pointed out that the building of ships in the United States-was never.so active and profitable an industry as at present, but this signifies nothing, so far as our ocean-carrying trade is concerned, for nearly all of the new shipping built in American yards is for. coastwise trade-or for internal waterways. The few ocean-going steamers that have been built or contracted for in the United States have been ordered in the belief that congress. would enact.such a law as would make it possible for American-built ships to compete successfully for theit share of the world's .carrying trade. In fact orders for many ocean steamers: have been given to builders but. made conditional upon such legislative action. "The situation has:been confused somewhat by the recent transfer of -vast British shipping interests:to American ownership; but those who see in this incident any evidence. of American. ability to conduct ocean-carry- ing trade without. governmental aid have only a clouded view of the facts... American ownership of .foreign-built, vessels sailing under flags other than our own does not in any sense constitute American shipping any more than the investment of English capital in the securities of our railroads makes our transportation lines. British enterprises. So long -as the ships that carry our goods to and fro across the ocean sail under foreign flags our. merchants, our manufacturers, our farmers and our miners, will fail to enjoy the advantages that. would accrue from the exist- ence of a great fleet of steamships that are. American in all that the term implies. Let no friend of our merchant shipping be misled into the belief that the investment of American capital-in-British steamship lines is a step towards the realization. of those hopes which center in the develop- ment-of our merchant shipping... : "As yet we can not build ships.as cheaply here as abroad, nor when -built at any cost can we.. operate them under the American flag as -economically as those which fly the colors of other nations. What hope, then, have we for successful competition with foreign ships unless our government shall do for our:merchant marine what it has done with such eminent success for our manufacturing industries--place our ships on a footing where they: can. meet foreign competition with disadvantage. There is a strange inconsistency in the reluctance of our government to -apply. to its shipping the same policy of. protection that has been ex- tended unhesitatingly and with magnificent results to its productive in- dustries.. This discrepancy seems all the more strange in view of the fact that every other maritime nation recognizes the need and the merit of such a protective policy, even though disowning belief in the principles -of protection in general. - peaeet OS .. "It is hardly expedient for such a body as this to undertake the - formulation of its ideas. with. regard to:.the exact details which should be embodied in.a law of this character. All that this convention can do, during the congressional interval while no. bill is under consideration by congress, is to express in most emphatic terms its belief in the general principle of goyernment aid to our merchant shipping, leaving it for the _ officers of the association to determine by their best judgment and dis- _ cretion the form and manner in which aid shall be given to the whole _ movement. ae ae -o,2!* DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE--INTERSTATE COMMERCE LAW. ~~ "Phere is a manifest growth in the sentiment which favors the crea- "tion 6f a'department of commerce and industries, Legislation for this "purpose was delayed during the past session of'congress by the same 'influences' which' Operated 'to 'obstruct all congressional action. A care- MARINE REVIEW. 25 fully prepared bill is in 'the hands of 'Senator Nefson of. Minnesota, who is well known for his painstaking and successful conduct of every under- taking committed. to his care. The provisions of this measure, which will be presented for the consideration of congress during its néxt' session, are practically identical with previous bills of the samé purport, and it is not necessary for me-to répeat them.on.this occasion. It seems suffi- cient to suggest that the association reaffirm its belief in this principle and renew its pledge of support to the movement that has been so long under way, urging congress to take early and favorable action. , "The passage of certain amendments to the interstate commerce law, embodied in what was generally known as the 'Cullom. bill,' was most earnestly advocated by various commercial organizations, and a large volume of information was secured by the senate committee bearing upon this particular act of legislation, with the result that the committee rejected the measure and returned it to the senate without recommenda- tion. The bill made no further progress and the 'subject is now open for renewed consideration in the light of the remarkable developments that have taken place in connection with transportation interests in the past year. A combination of the larger railroad corporations of the country in what is generally known as a 'community of interests' has so far sitn- plified and modified competition between lines as to render it improbable that the railroad companies will demand again the privilege of pooling, It may be said, therefore, that this vexatious disturbing element, upon which the commercial community was seriously divided, has been elim- inated from the question. So far no definite proposition looking to amended legislation has been introduced to take the place of the 'Cullom bill" If.the subject of amending the interstate commerce law shall be dis- cussed again, it will probably be upon the lines of increasing the power of the commission, a proposition against which will be arrayed-all the power, influence and intelligence of the common carriers of the country. This is a question that is worthy of the most careful and serious con- sideration by the manufacturers of the United States, whose interests are 6 2 so closely interwoven with the great industry of transportation. _ IMPROVEMENT OF THE CONSULAR SERVICE. "Several measures looking to the improvement of the consular service of the United States were introduced during the last session of congress, but the demands upon congressional attention by bills of more urgent public importance prevented any of these measures from pro- gressing beyond the committee stage. Inasmuch as new bills will be introduced during the next Session it is not necessary to consider in detail any of the bills presented during the last session. There can be very few among us who have had opportunities to study the work of our consuls to learn of the condition under which they labor, and to make compari- sons with the consular service of other nations, without reaching the conviction that there are many defects in our consular system which call for correction. There has been a marked improvement during the past few years, both in the character of men who occupy consular positiotis ' and in the efficiency of the work they are doing. This is due, however, not to any reform of the system itself but to the exercise of more con- scientious judgment in the selection of men. So long as our consular service shall be maintained upon its present basis, subject always to presidential selection and 'senatorial confirmation, it can be 'hardly pos- sible to look for any elevation of the service except by appeal to the powers that appoint and confirm. The idea that the consular service isa legitimate agency through which to reward political services has become so firmly established that any effort designed to remove the service from politics and to conduct it upon strictly business lines is bound to meet with much apathy in' congress, if indeed it does not encounter: most determined opposition. There is no reason, however, why..we should desist from our efforts to place this exceedingly important branch of the government upon a more efficient basis. The watchful care of:this asso- ciation can do much. towards bringing about the desired end. The apparent lack of success. thus far should not deter us from continuing our efforts with all vigor and hopefulness." 2 The remainder of the address was devoted largely to routine work of the association. So VESSELS BUILT AND OFFICIALLY NUMBERED. The bureau of navigation reports that 1,024 vessels of 359,789 gross tons were built in the United States. and officially numbered during the eleven months ended May 31, as follows: ae WOOD. STEEL. SalL. Sram. Sar. STEAM. No.| Gross. |No.} Gross. |/No.| Gross. |No.| Gross. ||No-| Gross. Atlantic and Gulf........... 414 | 69,001 175 | 10,314 || 9 | 10,320 | 42 ¢ PacWiens.,.kwk- ode, 50 | 23,991 | 79 | 10,044 ||..04.| esses sere "| tGoe |l$35 | atone Great Lakes. ccccscseecee{| 6 | 116 | 40] 4,824 || 5.|11:986'| 42 | te1'757 || 93 | 137°983 Western Rivers.............. By |" 1054 98] 8184 1 562 11156 | 10,329 tw. 527 | 94,162, |592 | 33,895 || 14| 21,556 | 91 | 210,176 || 10241 359/780 'During the corresponding eleven months, ended May 31, 1900,. sail and steam vessels of 264,929 gross tons were built. ee ee _ During May of the present year 143 vessels of 49,657 gross tons were built, as follows: ; Pee: ee aL STEEL. . a fl, OTA Sal, . 'Sream. eee 2 No.| Gross. |No.| Gross. ||No.| Gross. No.| Gross. || No. Gross. Atlantioand gulf...____. 53| 4,775 | 22| 1,053 || 2 ais "g8.| 24, Pacific 822 5 | 2,618 | 14} 1,750 ||_... 1 i tee Fs eh Great lakes -__- 1 8) 0B }-17.408 || 16 | 18414 Western rivers_ 7 137 | 12 B48-|1_. an33 cee | PAG ass O80 Noid ce | 66 | 7.538 | 55 | 4,249 |] 2 "87,462 ||143 | 49,657