The New York herald., 1867-03-06
OUR sAIPYAR0S AND F0UMDRIEs.
The .,l,ipyarei. 10 and Around New York.

The !>isipyarsi, IN and Around New York.
visit to the many shipyards and around the city o.
New York Is not, at the time iiko,y 10 produce
a cheering effect upon the mind Of any nersep AZ
ali Interested in or desrous Tor the commercial
prosperity Of tho country. In nearly all tho Yards
where, for yeats before and during
its progress. axes aud adzes and hammers. in tho
skilfu hands OF hundreds OF industrious men.
rang out the natural music OF growing trade.
there nav Is NOS 70 he scen single bascd 10 the
work which was honor and our priae aud IN
place OF the resolnding Of the hammer. and adze
there reigus the saddcnipg silence of place Of grayes
without the presence OF slab Of stope to
the visitor with story Of the of the
mise of American thriit energy and enterprise
Il this department Of industry and skill Il
even still. however sometimes possible even
to nnd tn some Of the Offices and pattern
rooms which. during the years OF prosperity were
necessary adiuncts to shipyard the master builders
sitting If upon the tombstone OF the past morose or
melancholy. their temperamens incline Under such
conditions conversation agreeable to either al.
though the faithful reporter il is absolutely necessary
order that the people generally may learn what 10
opinion Of these eravcy interested men, arc The
Cor the almost entire sestration OF the
Of constructing vessels in and around New York with
all OF them the sad story Is the same, least In
aiI the leading points Here rs a sample Of a ship.
yard conversation At the present time
IrrofTrR-Good morning. sir have been directed
by the editor Of the Nsw YORK HsRuD TO prepare
careful accurate statement, Of the work in progress
contracted fer in the several shpyards IN and near
the city. win you he Kind enough to give mo the IN.
formation necessary TO tho performance OF tho duty TO
which have been assigned in relation to your estab.
ishmcntP
snrIurLpre- Certainly sir When we wore living
tiu,aa fhant tnn af
the paper you represent encourage trade and com.
and render prosperity prosperous, by stmn
Iatng the healthy energy and enterprise OF our people
and giving warning OF the dangers which, TO all hut the
most prescIent, lay hidden in the immediate futurs
Had his advice been followed believe the sounds which
Indicated the growth Of ships within our yards not long
ago, and which always gave him joy, would have been
bccn heard IA increased volume to-day. As II IS how
ever dong nothing worth speaking of-nearIy all
OF US nothing all in fact the yard Of Henry Stcors
Greenpont is the only one in which you will find any
thing like the work OF former days. am doing abso-
lutey nothing and have no; AZ present even tue pros
pect OF a contract for canal boat
RfroRrER That is had indeed, Why IL IL that there
Is 50 remarkable filling or in shpbuiding bcres
SmP BuLDsR--rhere arc many for II, and all
OF them very serious too The main ones the fear
fully high prices OF all the materials which required
in TIE building OF ship; the price Of labor. whch
seems to have become at least measure necessary,
because OF The aarmngy high price Of everything the
labore skilled mechanic requires for the support and
Approximate comfort OF himself family and added TO
these the enormous taxation Of ship built ana ready
RkuRrKR-what is the average difference in the
prices Of shipbuildng materials now and fcw years
agoS
sar BufLpsa-The difference Is wonderful Why,
think of IT, can tell you without looking nv books
for II burned into my brain In 1850 oak timber coss
US thirty cents the present price s sixyve cents In
1890 the price OF iron was s55 per TOM the present
price y 800 per ton. In 1850 the price
Of white pine was, let me see, sixiccn
cents. u is now thrty-threc cents In 1860 the
price charged aud paid 10 snip carpenters 20 per
day. Now We are paying when we nave work, "a 80;
cauikcrs we're then paid So they are new paid - CO.
Backsmiths OF the better class hcn received S.
~ 10. Painters then received 81 81, now a. RiRgcrs
<ocn So nov -; and IL is with everything animate
and Illuminate that enters into the production OF ship
taxation included which the amounts
on the component parts Of the machinery and the
machinery when completed, TO fully one-half Of tho
necessary cost o. finished vessel In fact, estimated
on currency basis. the of the prodnc.
ion Of steam vessel since first breaking OF The
war. about eighty pcr cent which my judgment,
accounts almost entirely for The present condition Of the
shipbudIng Interest in the United Statoe.
REroRTER-1he difference Ia indeed ii isrtling. and
presume the business Of repairing be somewhat
similarly Affected
surrruupkR- Certainly, SIR That interest ives first
affected ny the organization Of the employed the
various branches cf the business repairing acd paint
ins ,nO socistss et w purpose u 'Ssking" tksv