The New York herald., 1875-09-26
SEIIPBUILDING.
Work in the Shipyards of Npw
York and Suburbs.
VESSELS RECENTLY LAUNCHED.

The past ten years have developed some remarkable
changes in shipbuildng the prosperous yards
rom whence hundreds OF our handsomest vessels were
launched are now comparatively deserted aud the only
work in hand appears be repairing and patching up
old vessels This rather alarming condition Of afAirS
has not come suddenly upon u.s. ever since the war
the activity in the shpbuildng Of New York and ia
vicinity has been the decrease In the lapse Of
intervening between tho years 1S5O-55 the ship
yards Of New York had all the work
they could carry out and some hundred vessels or
large tonnage launched and added the merchant
navy OF the country. Ever since the the trade
appears to have been very dull and one by one ola
firms whose names were known in every portion OF
the world retired from the business they found their
trade was gradually drifting away There different
ways OF accounting for this staguancy shipbuildng
In New York but they nearly all have issue on what
may be termed prices Ever since the close Of
1855 labor and materials have bcen rated at high
figure and the OF building became extravagant
that merchants found it cheaper to buy up old vessels
and patch them up stand two throe Voyages
Early in 1870 the trade appears to have frightened
up little around New York, and few vessels Of
considerable tonnage built during the noxt three
years 1874 the work stopped and tho yards OF
such Pollon, Steers, Van Deusen and others
Allied with vessels undergoing repairs The condk-
tion Of affairs may be seen in glance, when II ID
known that pilot boat or>tho Cape May pilots COM
prses the entire list Of vessels that the PoilonS
have turned out this season. It must not he under.
stood, however,, that American shpbuding is on tho
decline, in reality the business s nearly good as
ever but IL has changed its venu and the hand
vessels known In foreign waters ''the smart
Yankee clippers, y that used TO claim New York ~
birthplace, are nearly all the handiwork OF EastorR
builders.
Talking yesterday with well known New York ship
l htttId 81 tI..
business was given to tho HERALD reporter On being
asked how business was, the following conversation
onsued:-
mPBULpER-Busness There is literally no bust
ness, with tho exception of what Is being done tho
our hands employed bat they work entirely repairs
REPoRrERHow do you account for this lack Of bust
ness
suPBu1LDER-various theories and opinions have
been advanced the question but believe mainly
attributable to the fact that New York merchants ap
pear to prefer buying what they want rather than 60 to
the trouble Of building
RRpoRrER-Do you not think prices have something
to do with ItS
shpyards supplying tho market, and New York
shipping houses find they can buy what thcy want
thoy do not 10 build
REPoRrER-How is it that there Is so much moro
enterprise in the trade in the small Eastern towns
SHipBUILDER-From the fact that there is more per-
sona pride in the growth Of their towns Now York Is
cosmopolitan place and business here think mainly
of the pccuniay benefits that will be secured by number
the outlay of his money East there great deal
Of petition in the small towns and all the storekeep
ers or less interested in shipbudng IL s not
an uncommon thing to find vessel with twenty
thirty different owners each interested from $500 to
SIS O00
REPoRrEEIs there any prospect of the trade return.
ing to New York;
SHIP BUrLDER-There has been no indication of the
kind, at present do not know Of any largo vessel
that is being constructed in this vicinity The large
work is all being carried out IN such towns Bath,
Kennebunk, Brewer, Newburyport Belfast Rockland
Yarmouth, Camden, Richmond and East Boston
RRPoRTER-In your opinion, is ship building on tnA
decline in the United States?
SHIP BuILDER-No, l do not think IL is, as judging
from mercantile reports shipyards in the East
turning out as much work as We used 10 do some nf
teen years ago.
The mercantile community do not appear TO think
that the decline in the ship building trade OF New York
is owing to lack OF enterprise the part Of mcu-
done to great extent by steamers. The competition
between and sailing vessels has resulted
the former taking goods at the figure the latter
and having the advantage of quick delivery they
the majority of the business In fact there Is
very little choice TO the shipper he naturally prefers
in twelve days TO risking them in sailing vessel that
will make the voyage under thirty forty days.
He the interest the vauc OF the goods, and
also secures carly market.
Down in Maine and Massachusetts there is plenty OF
activity in ship building and some very fine sailing
vessels have been launched this year. Many OF the
small nearly entirely supported by
branch of industry, and therefore its merchants
forced keep the work in order 10 give labor
tho mechanics whose earnings spent in the towns
IL the mechanic gets thrown out OF work he naturally
has no means OF livelihood and the stores lose Tho
trade which thcy depend for support Vessols are
built Maine from fifteen to twenty per cent cheaper
than they can be constructed in New York, as both
labor and timber considerably cheaper The follow
ing vessels have been launched from Eastern yards
| N..us. IA. ct nnnl