Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-01-25
SHLPBUILDLSG IN NAME.

One Of the primary causes which made
Maine a ,hipbuilding State was the absn-
dance OF material which she produced for
the construction OF vessels. Once every
foot Of timber necessary TO build with.
from keel to main truck, grew upon her
soil, often close TO the shipyards, costing
little for stumpage and transportation
This with good sites for building all along
the coast, and plenty of cheap labor Of the
best quality, made it an easy matter to
engage in the business and reap profit
from it. Hence came our large interest
in shipbuilding.
But circumstances have changed. Very
little of the timber which is now used in
the construction of vessels il obtained
within our limits. Our best yards are
supplied with oak from Virginia and pine
from Florida and Georgia. We have al
most nothing to put into vessels except
labor and capital, and both of these are
needed in other enterprises. But this is
not all The change which is gradually
but surely going on, by which iron vessels
are superseding wooden ones and steam
taking the place of sails, is tending to re-
move shipbuilding from our shores. We
have neither the iron, coal, nor skill ne
cessary to build in this manner, and
other localities which have them are the
favored spots that builders seek 1t is
true that class of small vessels may be
built for several years yet of wood, but
iron vessels are taking the lead and will
ultimately ride the seas without competi-
ton. There is a great deal said about the
tariff and internal taxation running ship
building which is misplaced There are
other causes beside these at work to make
the business dull, and one of the chief is
the revolution from wood to iron. The
depression in wooden shipbuil6ing is the
same in England and the Canadas, where
there is no tariff to trouble them, as IN
this country, while iron shipbuildng is
brisk, wherever it is carried on There
were built at Glasgow last year 196 iron
vessels, and only As of wood, the former
of the larger class, and the demand for
iron is greater than sthe capacity of the
builders to supply. If we turn to Canada,
where they continue to buildIof wood, we
find the same decay of shipbuilding that
is witnessed in our State, although
they have no tariff and no revenue
tax to contend with. To understand
the state of things there let us look at the
facts in relation to shipbuilding in Quebec.
At that place, in 1858, there were 43
vessels built, of 4S,030 tons, averaging
LILY tons each. In 1854, A vessels, of
40, 95l tons, averaging ,02l IL tons each
In 1868, there were 63 yssels of "a, 2S7 tons,
averaging s62 tons, In 1861, about the
same. In 1867, IL vessels, averaging 939
tons. In 1868, 81 vessels, averaging COZ
tons. In 1869, so vessels, averaging only
400 tons. In 1870. 18 vessels, averaging
Coz tons SO it is in other places through
out the Dominion. A Halifax paper tells
the same story. The shipyards are silent
and the workmen idle. There is no de-
mand for wooden vessels. Iron vessels
lead the market, and the complaint of our
neighbors over the line about the decay
OF ship-building is as profound as any we
hear upon this side.
With this radical change in the construc-
ton of vessels to lessen the demand for
and use OF wooden ones, goes also the in
crease of steamers in the carrying bust
ness, whereby sails arc driven out of en-