The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-10-18
Congrt ssional investigation on Ship
Building.

The Congressional Committee of inquiry into
the ship building interests of this country, met
again Friday morning at the New York Gus
tom House. Mr.. Alban G. Sinners, naval
engineer, said that II we enjoyed the same laws
regarding ship building here as in England,
we could build ships as cheaply with American
materials, which would be superior in con-
struction, in strength aud in swiftness to those
built abroad. 10 England, all material for the
construction of ships came in free Of duty, and
all articles used by them when afloat, includ-
ing cabin wines, &c, were purchased in bond,
and consequently also free.
We could distance the world, he said, in
ship building, if we had an opportunity. We
might pay more for labor, but, as an offset to
that, our mechanics are more intelligent and
rapid than foreigners, and turned out better
work. During the war, forty-six iron steam
ers were built under his Superintendent as a
government engineer, and his experience has
demonstrated the fact that we can build as
cheaply here as abroad. .5 y es--F -Is.
American iron is better than that of England
| If duties were abolished on the latter, it might
! at first be used here for building, but the
American article would finally supersede it,
| on account of its superiority. The iron war
steamers built by him here, in Portland, Bos-
ten, Chester, Wilmington, Pittsburgh, St.
Louis, and elsewhere, had often grounded, but
had never had holes knocked in them. The
duty on materials for wooden ships amounted
to So to IS a ton; that Oh iron ships to $40
to Sl2 ton. Our shipbuilding shops
were liter before the war than those Of Eng
land, and had more labor-saving machinery in
them, but since then they had deteriorated,
| and were perhaps inferior Iron shipbulding
| would not require a new class of builders.
! Builders of wooden ships would adapt them
| serves to the new work, understa nding the
general principles. Labor and materials are
| now cheaper. here than during the war. Eng
| land Is now furni- hing iron vessels to France
| and Germany. Ii built free OF duties, Ameri.
| can ships would make more money than for
eign vessels, as they are swifter and stronger
aud mere in demand for freight. If foreign
vessels were to be admitted under American
registers, the tendency here would at first be
to buy vessels abroad, but finally, owing to
| their superiority, American built vessels
would be preferred. Ii duties were RENTED
iron vessels could be bnilt as cheaply and
quickly here as on the Clyde or Thames.
| All the war monitors were built of American
iron. All the materials used on ships could be
OBTAINED here, except Manila rope, which had
been OF late much superseded by the use OF
American hemp, and by the adaptation of wire
iron LOT SHIPS stay. We have sufficient skill
ed labor in the country to build hundreds of
vessels. 'rlr. sfTr
MIR. T. +. Rowland, ship builder of Green
point, L.. L., said that we. can build ships to
better advantage than any other nation il equal
| facilities were enjoyed. English iron sailing
ships are now built at a cost of 6 to IL Genus
apound, and e16 to Els sterling ton. Iron
steamers can be constructed at G22 to G24 "a
ton. The iron he has seen in Scotch
steamers he found to be of poor quality. II
me iron duties are removed vessels can be
Dullt here at ten per cent. less than in Great
Britain The cost of machinery here is the
same per horse power as in England. A bar oil
English iron can sustain weight OF 10000
pounds to the square inch, while an American
bar can sustain certainly 10000 pounds. and
often 60 600 and 100000 pounds. !. -
III smith, a naval architect, said that Eng
nsn engines cost 845 to e50per horse power
and corroborated the statements of Mr.. Slim.
ers.
Mr. John Williams, of the firm of Williams
y GuiOn, did not altogether agree with the
former gentleman. He thought that we had
not the facilities here for building large iron
steamers of three thousand tons equal to those
In England. They can be built there for G22 a
ton, and both manned and sailed cheanpr tha
American vessels etl -
Mr.: VIM Nelson, Jr., said we were clogged
IN shipbuiding matters with fossil laws SINH
lar to those created by Cromwell, and our ton
mage since the war had decreased fifty per
cent, wDlie that OF Great Britain had i'm
mensely increased. She did sixty per cert OF
the whole carrying trade of the world, and
owned an equal tonnage to all other nations
combined, if her small coasting vessels were
included. In regard to statements that Eng
nsn shipowners made small profits, and were
contented with them it was altosothor
the case. The Anchor Line of steamers be-
tween Glasgow and this city began few years
ago win one vessel, and had now thirty, built
gradually by the profits obtained by the line
Wooden vessels have had their day, and are
now fast superseded by those of iron
Mr.. William Ii. Webb also deprecated the
duties on shipping materials, and said that
grass was now growing in his yard. He could
build no vessels at a profit. He opposed ad-
uniting foreign ships under American regis
tiers, and thought that they could not be COM
peted with. ..se ,.r-l >. Z. 5...e. & .l-fl7I =
Mr.. Westervelt a shipbuilder, said that the
standard OF mechanical labor in shipbuilding
had been much reduced here since the war.
Messrs. Paul Forbes and r. p. Buck were
also interrogated, and both urged the abroga-
ton of duties q
The committee win proceed to Boston,
where it will hold a session, at the invitation
of the Boston Board of Trade. The session of
the committee in Philadelphia is postponed
till the week before the meeting of Congress,
and then the shipowners of Baltimore and
Wilmington will have a hearing. -