The Hawaiian gazette., 1873-11-05

the CLYDE, and there learned the art o
shipbuIlding as the English developed j
since built ships. l left the masters ant
asked the foremen their views about i'm
provements that were suggested by eaci
mans experience, and convinced mysel
OH several essential points. | rejected
from my mind all machinery that had moi
Improvements of value on it, and remem
bered the new and most approved ma
chimes. took into account the hour
and wages of labor, cost OF yards ma
chinery, &c. came back determined t
commence business. went to the Delaware
river to select site for the yard, and found
il at Chester. Unless you were practical
shipbuiljer it would he useless for me to
explain the details of improved machinery,
but got rid of every machine owned,
and bought new. / save an immens mum.
Der of hands by the operation, and save
relatively more hands than any of the
English shipbuilders do, because | adopt
ed after thorough trial labor-saving ma
chinery that they have recently adopted.
or expect to adopt in the future So |
am ahead OF them in that. They are
SLOW, anu wait w uSG lllOil VIZ
for awhile. Meantime they said we could
not get skilled labor. / had bought %
acres at Chester, and fitted it up with the
most approved lLbor.saving machinery.
After l got it in found that my land
and machinery together, in that highly
advantageous position, cost ME less than
the bare land itself. sufficient TO conduct
the business have, would cost on that
little Clyde. Thus employ only half
the capital. Why, just think of it! We
have so miles OF river front, from Tren-
ton to the Break-water, on both sides of
the Delaware river, that you can buy by
the acre at low prices, $50, 500 and
$500 an acre, except ut the cities at Phili.
delphia and Camden. These sites for
yards are accessible by railroad and navi
q BILE water from the coal aud iron mines
right up to the dock or gate. AT my
place have down grade, and the Phila
delphia and Baltimore Railroad Company
have put rails into the docks. Every day
they bring in ton after ton Of iron and
coal, and run the cars up TO the shops,
where they dump it. Then they send To-
comotiveS down the yard after the empty
cars and take them ont / don't use
no sc in yard. The cars run 10 the ships
without power. Let off the brakes and
they o.. / knew | could get the labor
took foremrn IRON the old shops. Then
made MP my force from the shad fishers
of the Delaware and the farm hands i'll the.
country, and have to-day as good ship
building force as can be found on the
CLYDE, as witness the ships | have built
They have had eighteen months training
by good foremen at lahor-saving ma
chinery, and they will never fish tor shad
again. made ship.joiners of carpenters,
aud timber-men of wood-choppers the
former did spIendidly. and the latter han
died the broadaxe and adze with surpris-
ing accuracy. Workers of iron worked
under the minds OF masters. They were
men OF brains, and that WAS all wanted"
Bnt their wages were too high p
"No Meantime, the strikes of Eng
land put up the price of coal and labor
IN the Clyde The more wages and coal
went up in England the better it was Tor
American shipbuilders. Some of our peo-
pie spent too much money OH English arti-
sans. but they have learned better now.
We have better material at home aid |
they have learned that fact My men
work ten hours and are satisfied. The |
climate is excellent for our business. We
have nothing TO complain of but the ten
lency of large corporations in this coun-
nv to fret ont their existence by watering
stock, and by other operations on Wall
street. You know we shipbuilders must
work for large corporations, and the more
honest they are the better it will be for
l.. 1t is as certain as can be- however,
hat our
MEXICAN BUILT SHIPS ARE NOW THE BEST
IL THE WORLD,
nd that we shall work for other nations
: shown by the fact that have already
,een approached in business way in re-
.ard to building iron steamships for mer-
hants in certain country ne England.
" price for a better article was little
ess than the Clyde men presented"
How about
HE ADMISSION OF suIPBuILDING MATERI-
AIS FREE OF DUTY ?"
THAT is all humbug. / have tried it.
found 1 could get English iron a little
heaper, but there was SD much red tape
the transaction and so little difference
l price that soon learned that the bet
.r quality of American iron more than
ompens tied for the difference in price and
he trouble. l do not think of buying
nglish iron, nor do import anything
rat goes into the construction ofmy ships. {
do not believe any iron shipbui der is
enefited by the act of June q, s72, to I
Inch you refer We are men of business I
no do mt want TO indulge in red tape
think Mr. Robeson, Secretary of the s
avy, deserves great credit for his deter v
ination to build part of the eight sloops ?
war by contract in private yards. That n
a better way for the government to aid G
Iipbuilders than any know of. When a
e work the iron shipbuilders of the :
'nntry have now on hand shall be finish h
|, the government will at any time he q
de, in case of war, 10 call on the mer
lant marine and make better navy
IAN we have at present. The ships am a
hiding at Chester would, when complet-
!. make a more efficient navy than the r
hole present navy of the United States" is
Mr.. Roach dwelt at length on the labor
Iestion, arguing from CAUSES to results r.