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WeraseIsHED’ 1878.) PuBLISHED EverRY THURSDAY BY THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO., [INCORPORATED. ] GEORGE L. SMITH, President, GC, E. Ruskin, - : : : MANAGER. W. L. McCormick, .- : EDITor. THOMAS WILLIAMS, Chicago, . ‘ ASSOCIATE. CLEVELAND, CHICAGO, WESTERN RESERVE BUILDING, - ROYAL: INSURANCE BUILDING, FOURTH FLOOR. ROOM 308. SU BSCRIPTION. One copy, one year, postage paid, $2.00. One copy, one year, to foreign countries, $3.00. Invariably in advance. ADVERTISING. Rates given on application. All communications should be addressed to the Cleveland office. THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING Co., FOURTH FLOOR, WESTERN RESERVE BUILDING, CLEVELAND. Entered at Cleveland Postoffice as Second-Class Mail Matter. CLEVELAND, O., OCTOBER 8, 1896. HERE AND THERE. ; We had something to say last week about the worse than nonsensical display which our national emblem was now being used for, and the consequent ignominy that was being thoughtlessly heaped upon the American Ensign when it was altered and disfigured. and in that condition thrown flaunting to the breeze as a campaign banner for political purposes. Let us call to mind the story of ‘‘the man without a country,’’ and imagine if after all the trials and vicissitudes he had . passed through when outlawed, and his inordinate desire to be admitted again to the nationality and have a belong to —is it rational to suppose that he would sanction the desecration by disfigurement of his former national emblem, under whose protective folds he longed to re- turn, rather, as the highest mark of his revived allegi- . ance and patriotism and the greatest honor which couldr.. be bestowed upon him when his soul had taken flight, did he humbly request that his remains might be enfolded in the nation’s flag which he had so reviled in the days of - his ignorance and folly, and this is the proper senti- ment for those who love their country to indulge in. To inculcate a patriotic regard for the national emblem | _do) we have it floating from our school-honses, and for similar reasons wherever it is legitimately hoisted. _A ship on hoisting a supposed national flag at sea, but which showed that unwarranted liberties had been taken either by adding to or taking from its distin- guishing features, would be in immediate danger of being challenged to surrender, with the alterna- tive of being fired into and sunk by any man-of- war or naval vessel that fell in with her, irre- spective of nationality, and such would be her just deserts for daring to flaunt a piratical abortion of the emblem of any nation. Such being the. case, how much more than particular should we be in the proper display at all times and places of our national bunting, and in such'a manner, too, that every citizen might revere and hold sacred in allits honor and exact purity of national formation the glorious old stars and stripes, signifying, 2 s it does, the union of the States of _this mighty Reptlic, and under which the dead and gone, though bra¥ye*old Commodore Perry could ‘‘never -give up the ship”? on Lake Erie... Flags, pennants, banners, bunting in galore forall celebrations, but no _ longer. the American Mnsign only in the place of honor, and itis: goed enough at that without any alteration being made at’ fhe whim or caprice of individual fanat- rics. ‘The custom of exhibiting *t Old Glory” on. all oc- casions is commended, but it should not be tampered THE MARINE RECORD. with or disfigured.. On this point we can’t be too jeal- ous or “zealots, and how earnest, scholarly men who have fought, worked: and lived under its folds, and traveled under those of other nations, can permit its glory to be diminished by adding a soiled fly or tail to it or its lustre dimmed by printing: on it personal photo- graphs, is beyond the comprehension of the scribbler- * * Under the title of “Our Neglected Shipping,’’ Mr. Alex. R. Smith, the editor of Seaboard, New York, con- tributes an excellent article to the current issue of the North American Review. Mr. Smithis prolific with his pen, full of vim and energy. His past connection with the steamboat inspection service, and his journalistic experience as editor of Seaboard, has given him singu- lar opportunities of becoming thoroughly versed in.the theoretical methods advocated for the resuscitation and upbuilding of the United States mercantile marine. Drawing largely from all prominent authorities who have treated on this interesting subject, Mr. Smith makes out a clear case in favor of discriminating duties as the chief or primal legislative move necessary to again float the stars and stripes in all parts of the world, completely ignoring the situation that more than one power or ‘nation is in a’position to enact self- protective and discriminating laws. Of course we all want tosee a rehabilitation of the merchant marine, but no one antidote for the past and present decadence and its varidus causes will be found a cure-all. Fuarther- more, it ‘is a'great question whether favoring United States bottoms by exemption from, and levying a taxon all foreign vessels trading to and gtigirour ports would ultimately be found the best meagsof increasing our carrying trade, the query presenting: “itself something in this way: Have we asa nation a monopoly on class protection and a footing to make us secure in entering a wedge labeled ‘‘discrimination in freight charges of the oversea tonnage of the world?” - We would have much preferred seeing-the subject of “Our Neglected Shipping” handled frour a- modern standpoift, under conditions existing to-day, instead of recounting ‘‘early history in the misty ages of Egyp- tian antiquity,’’ dwelling on the situation as experi- enced during the infancy of the Republic and quoting so liberally ftom the sometimes flowery and unmeaning utterances of politicians, diplomats and statesmen. However, the writer of the article is not a modern Moses sent at this time to deliver laws for the preserva- tion, upbuilding and eventual supremacy of the United States carrying trade in oversea bottoms, therefore his legislative ultimatum relative to the way we should go is not perhaps quite final, although, as from the pen of the secretary of the American Mercantile Marine © Society, itis a fairly good blast, too: 20 * * * Foreign, chiefly British, of course, underwriters, have had a snap so far this season, and we would not be sur- prised ta find domestic companies cutting under the Lloyds rates, besides writing more liberal policies next season, than their foreign competitors can afford to do. The season now drawing to a close has been compara- tively free from casualties in wrecks, fires, collisions or founderings, the Clevelandowned. steamer Chisholm being perhaps an exception, as she is back againin dry- dock, with heavy bottom damage, after just being sunk in Detroit River through collision, raised and repaired. There is another. feature about lake risks, however, which make them acceptable to foreigners; and that is, the absence of dishonesty in any form. Underwriters are not called upon to pay for ‘‘wear and tear,’ their | bills. are ‘not swelled at dry-docks, shipyards and machine shops, the average adjusters invariably find owners willing to bear their just share of the losses, and such being the case, business: can, be done in that spiritof honesty and integrity, too often found wanting among people.accustomed to make the assurer) dance to the music of the assured. There is also an “absence in lake underwriting of expensive and long tow bills, or exorbitant charges for the assistance of steam. under the various critical conditions Which a risk may some- times be placed. in... Salvage claims, abandonments, or long’ and expensive searches for derelicts are almost unknown factors in lake! Milder writing; so that there is a corresponding immunity from the expenses’ so fre- quently incurred in. the ocean and coast’ trade. chinery is also well kept upon the lakes, nor are ens Ma-. gines allowed to pound themselves to pieces until finally! required to be rebuilt, at a time when a Suitable average” casecan be made. The lake shipowner is not dishonest enough to lend’ himself to such tricks, but foreign under writers find their own countrymen at it very frequently: in spite of the average adjuster’s standing between-the assurer and the assured to resist such extortions. ° It is: early yet, or perhaps not too early either, for American underwriters to think about getting up such'a policy: ee will commend itself to the owners of lake tontiage, in® preference to placing their risks in foreign - ‘offices: another season. ot ae a Baw wat ee There is some truth in what the Hon. William Mocs Adoo, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, said recently: relative to the grounding of the Texas, only that:-he looked solély on the one side of ‘the question. * Mr. McAdoo asks that we consider the accidents that befall the merchant marine of this or any other country fora year at a time and note the immense destruction ‘by. wreck or by accident, aud the loss, of life. Seldom do the papers regard the ‘accidentias. being the fault of, the commanders. .But when a man-ofzwar, runs., ashore, in a flash the whole.country. hears of.it, the. press censures the commanding: officer and all. call for. instant punish- ment even when the writers .are. ignorant of the real state of matters. In considering this question it is, advis- able to bear in mind that frequent, changes _ are made in the commands, of vessels,. and, moreover, that, the commanders are often obliged. to, enter harbors that they have never visited. before and that, to0,, withont the aid, of: pilots. Nevertheless, accidents , to. ‘govern: ment vessels are.of.rare occurence .as. compared, swith the number of mishaps , to the merchant, marine chronicled almost daily. Now, let the Assistant ‘Se tary compare the number of. merchant sepa | ber of naxal vessels, te: he can ‘see hetter pes , comes.out, and.this would. show. very. marked. restilts in the lake, coastwise and river trade. ....., : sie ais It can’t help but eye a person. a. “good, deal “of ‘that tired feeling when he hears of a crew of United States life-savers. being, engaged in jettisoning a cargo of wheat froma stranded Canadian steamer Whose crew are safely housed ashore and. the vessél herself solidly fetched up and in no immediate ‘danger: The above was the telegraphed report from Kast Tawas ‘on Satur- day. anent the Shickluna and her consort stranded above -Fish Point, - ‘Lake Huron. There are hundreds of men in that vicinity as there is almost everywhere else just now ready and eager fora day’s” work, and the life-saving crew might be in better service than taking the bread out of the mouths of these n.en, There Saas for some time been a.danger of this ‘sort’ Of govern- ment paternal interference with the aims and businéss of private persons engaged in following’ ‘legitimate occupations, and we would like to know if the inspector of that district permits his crews to act as salvors. Every assistance, including pumps, divers anda plenti- ful supply of labor is at the command of wrecking com- panies close to the stranded vessels and awaiting em- ployment, therefore. when life-savers save life, or make an attempt to do'so, they would’ about do what they are paid for under such conditions as the above. 5 Chicago River has received an*appropriation- for dredging, this presumably on account ‘of the ship or Hennepin canal being placed under government. su- pervision, and the river considered as a tributary chan- nel, or navigable waterway leading. thereto. If the “I Will” of Chicago desires to have the Federal government clean out its local sewers it is'certain to be accomplished, but no other port on the chain of lakes could -even at- tempt such an innovation much. less carry it. through successfully. Chicago can and has. great gity must be given all due credit and the munici- palit } praised for its splendid and liberabimprovements on the lake front; miles of frontage #issbeing reclaimed, boulevarded and beautified, and at the present time there is more work being carried out in this direction by the municipal government ‘Of Chicago than’ there -is at all lake ports combined: If thi®°is’ the result. of boodle aldermatdther’ ports would’ be: blessed: by having a trifle of the same sort of wickedness. ~ Weimagine the citizens of Buffalo, the‘ Queen City,’’ would be struck speechless, or the reverse, if-they were Fy Se So Va Ba are Nn 2 aR eae OE ‘Furthermore, the © ; : 4 : a