The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-29
T From the Boston Traveller. |

RTOfN we oOstOH 4TQ0EUST.J
Ship Building Interests OF New England.
But few largee, ships are building this year; for
some time past they have not been profitable in
vestmcnts.
Low fteights in Europe, East Indies California,
and at the Chinchas, &c., land the enormous ex-
penses Of sailing vessels, in consequence OF high
wages for officers md seamen high prices for pro-
visions, outfits and insurance, and also for all
kinds Of mechanical work and manual labor espe-
cialy connected with ships, such as caulking, re-
pairing, loading and unloading, have caused our
finest merchant ships to be entirely unremunera-
certain class of vessels have pad we'll and now are
favorite class in the market, meeting with
ready sale at good prices.
These popular vessels are large briggs and
schooners, from 400 to 200 tons buIthen No full
rigged briggs are equipped now and in few years
sells will have entirely passed away from our COM
mercial marine. Not exceeding fifteen or twenty
visit this port in year. and those mostly foreign
ers, either French or Swede. There are also no
s'topsail schooners" rugged nowadays, and moth
ing of consequence but hermaphrodite briggs and
''fore-and-aft' schooners.
There are no vessels adoat so profitable as these
large briggs and .sohaoners. With few Yards and
heavy spars aloft to thrash out" sails and rig
ging, and requiring but few men to man and nayi.
and great carrying capacity, and requiring conse-
auently less stores and provisions, this class Of
vessels can make money Z" when large ships are
either idle at the wharves Or sailing at loss to
their owners. From these considerations it will
be seen that this class OF vessels are a the present
time the most desirable and popular, and they
are in the future to fully employ our New England
shipbllilders.
Ther again these vessels are adapted to all
kinds o. domestic and foreign commerce, bringing
Goals from the provinces or Philadelphia lumber,
cotton OF naval stores from the South molasses,
salt and sugar from the West Indies coffee, hides
and wool from South America; hemp, iron. chemi-
Gals, drugs, dye Tstufs and fruits from Europe
They need neDer De idte.j
The English now do o large part OF our foreign
carrying trade The Liverpool imports ihto Ros-
ton are mainly brought by provincial vessels,
owners would starve; such is the enormous diff
ference between the expenses Of calling their ships
and ours. Vessels can be- built in the provinces
for about one-half as much as in Maine or Massa-
chusetts.. French, Durch and North Of Europe
slips can be sailed much less than even the Eng
ish. The captain Of q frst-class New York or
Boston clipper receives higher monthly wages
than the whole Dutch or Swedish ships company,
and the sum that would be required 10 furnish
cabin stores for an American hdiaman or Cali
fornia packet would be sufficient to purchase the
provisions for German or Danish bark for q voy-
age round the world. Until these expenses are
reduced, and the cost Of building ships, also, by
the restoration Of our currency to gold values, it
will be in vain for .us TO attempt to compete with
foreign shipping for even our own foreign COM
merce But the immense coastwi 70 trade is
limited to American bottoms, and this great in
terest will give employment to many new vessels
the present season. =