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M A R I N E RE Vg gS mail steamers in existence, re the American flag, to earn more than this. On the face of it it is a very strange thing that a Ghat ey with a coast line of 10,000 miles and with an export trade of $1,500,000,000° per annum should practically have no ships en- gaged in its foreign commerce... It is not so very strange, how- ever, when one penetrates beneath the surface. It'is really the logical outcome of conditions which obtain both at home and abroad. The condition at home 'is met with at every corner-- a higher wage, a higher standard of living, higher costs and higher operating expenses as a result of that policy of protec- tion which has been extended to every department of our in- dustrial life, save shipping. The condition abroad is the un- equal odds imposed upon American ships by subsidies granted to their rivals by foreign countries.. Witness taat Britain pays $6,000,000 a year in postal subsidies and admiralty subven- tions; that. France pays over $7,000,009 for the same pur- pose; Germany over $2,000,000 and little Japan has lately begun to pay over $3,500,000 as against $998,000 paid by the United States. These subsidies in the case of Great Britain were paid for the carriage of mails by ocean steamers to all quarters of the earth. For what purpose. was this done? To establish trade, of course. Trade cannot:precede the mail. What has been the result of this policy definitely clung to by Britain for - over forty years? It has extended her trade to all quarters of the earth, in many a part of which it has given her an absolute monopoly since she is the only country having steamers reach- ing those parts. With these countries it would be as useless for us to attempt to extend our trade in manufacture as it would be for me to expect to get business through the commer- cial agent of another bank. Trade to outlying countries can only be pushed by American branch houses in direct communt- cation through American ships with the parent house. Blood is thicker than water and given the opportunity a British ship will work for a British house in preference to that of any other nation. Thus it is-that the British manufacturer can beat us in the South American market--a. part of our own continent. The great need of South America is agricultural machinery, yet every American reaper and every American harvester must first be dumped on Liverpool docks before it can reach the South American consumer. What chances do you suppose it will stand over there if it comes in competition with a similar product of British manufacture? Therefore I say this question of over= sea ciiosice is one which concerns us as merchants and. manufacturers. We should keep our export trade as nearly as we can within our own hands for the benefit of our own merchants and manufacturers, I really think the entire country is in the proper temper for. this as was presaged by the last congress extending the coastwise laws to the Phillipines after July, 1906, and directing that all army and navy supplies should be forwarded there in Ameri- can bottoms. It is not the purpose of the layman to point out the retnedy, and I think the Republican national convention recognized this very clearly last week when it approved the principle of aid and left the form of its application to the members of this commission. Gentlemen, I hope you will do your duty for the mer- chant marine of this country. I don't believe there is a more vital issue before the nation today. DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCHOONER. Following is the chronology of the development of the. schooner rig of sailing craft: 1714--First two-masted, fore-and-aft vessel, ever constructed in the world, built at Gloucester, Mass., by Capt. Andrew Rob- inson. She was an innovation on anything ever before seen in the rig of a vessel, incidentally giving Andrew Robinson much perplexity as to its designation. On the day of the launching, happily for the builder and the world at large, the problem was solved by a bystander who observed, as she slid into her home: 'How she schoons!" "If she schoons she must be a schooner," remarked the builder. 1849--First three-masted schooner ever constructed, the zachary Taylor, built at Hanover street wharf, Philadelphia, by Matthew Vandusen, for Capt. James A. Mershon, father of Charles Mershon, the Walnut street ship broker. Her mizzen- mast was much shorter than the other masts. She loaded a cargo of cars, engines, machinery, small boats, etc., for Cha- gress, a port near where Aspinwall is now located. She ran for two years, and was lost in Delaware bay. She was about 250 tons register and carried 375 tons of cargo. 1849--Second three-masted schooner, the Spray, built at Wilmington, Del:., for Capt. Isaac' Cathcart. She had a long mizzenmast, just as the present three-masters have. She loaded for California and was sold out there. 1866--Largest two-masted schooner, the Oliver Ames, 456 tons register, built at Berkley, Mass. 1880--First four-masted schooner, the W. L. White, built at Bath, Me., by Goss Sawyer and Packard for Jacob B. Phillips of Taunton, Mass. She registered 995 tons gross, and was the largest vessel of her class at that time in the world. She was a four-master by accident, for she was originally designed for three masts, but it was thought that they would be too un- wieldy, and so the fourth mast was added. 1181--Second four-masted schooner, the Francis C. Yarnall, built at Wilmington, Del. 1882--First schooner over 1,000 tons register, the Ellicott B. Church, built at Bath, Me. She registered 1,137 tons and was a four-master. 1882--Second schooner over 1,000 tons register, the Augustus Hunt, built at Bath, Me. She registers 1,200 tons, is still afloat and has four masts. 1884--Largest three-masted schooner ever constructed, built at Kennebunk, Me., the Bradford C. French, 968 tons gross. 1884--First schooner over 1.300. tons register, built at North Weymouth, Mass. She was the Haroldine, 1,361 tons register, and was a four-master. 1886---Second schooner over 1,300 tons register, built at Bath, Me. She was 'the Sarah W. Lawrence, 1,369 tons register, and had four masts. 1887--First schooner over I ne tons register, built at Bath, Me., the 'T, " Lambert, 1,630 tons register. She had four masts. 1888--First fea masted schooner, the Gov. Danes built at Waldoboro, Me., 1,778" tons register. 1896--First schooner over 1,800 tons register, built at Bath, Me., the William - Sa Abas tons register; has four masts. 1807---First schooner over 2,000 tons register, built at Bath, ue., the Frank A; Palmer, 2,014 tons register, and up to date is the largest four-master ever built. 1898--Second ftive-masted schooner, the Nathaniel T. Pal- mer, built at Bath, Me., 2,440 tons register. 1899--Third five-masted schooner, the John B. St built at Camden, Me., 2,454 tons register. 1g00--First schooner over 2,600 tons register, the William C, Carnegie, built at Bath, Me., 2,663 tons register; five masts. 1900--First six-masted schooner built at Camden, Me., the George W. Wells, 2,970 tons gross register. 1900--Second six-masted schooner, the Eleanor A. Percy, built at Bath, Me., 3,401 tons register. 1901--Five-masted schooner Baker Palmer, built at Waldo- boro, Me., 2,792 gross tons register. 1902--Five-masted' schooner Prescott Palmer, built at Bath, Me., 2,811 gross tons register. Largest five-master afloat. 1902--Seven-masted steel schooner Thomas W. Lawson, built at Quincy, Mass., for the Crowleys. First seven-masted vessel in the world and the first steel schooner ever built in America; capacity 8,000 tons of cargo.