New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-07

GROWTH or AMERICAN SHIPBUiLDlNG.
This circular no doubt written By s author prms
rIly produce certain eff ct the minds Of American
merchants AID 70 back MP the irresponsible utieances
OF The fcerade leagues which have been formed il this
country interests Of English capitalists The circu
lar has however. had a wide circulation all the
world and unfortunately the that both home
and abroad, there suly too many merchants who
stand ready believe its assertions and repeat it, claims
Neither mt home abroad do people sufficiently under
stand yet that the nish longer construct bet
cheaper iron ships than the Americans Five years
they did They do rot to-day, and anybody who be
heves that Jhey do is tive years behind the times.
Tile claim Of the English shlpbuiders, which il re
echoed for thousandt time in tins circular, Is cacu
lated tp DO OF the important industries
the United sites-an industry which after years Of
toll and experiment and plucRy fighting against cnOr
odds, has finally conquered all obstacles and
worked it, up into position where II en- serve the
merchants ~ the United States wru they he
served in any other country Whatever tends to mlnre
ths industry il Justly TO be viewed with alarm; ana az
the constant repetition Of false IDEAS regard 10 il must
have that effect, It is rilht that the American
side Of the question should now be brought oui
with emphasis ami an explicit denIa! be given
TO the uufounded clam Of superiority and
greater cheapncss Of English-bult iron vessels The
claim has had wide circulation. The answer should
have al equal one. THIS circular Of David Brown Co.
has already rec iYed attention ID this city The GTGp"c
the first to IeHy to it. The number Of that paper OF
Feb discussed the subject in article column long
and III de probably the first clear statement Of the side
of tie American builders which has heen put forth
Other papers have made mention of the subject Tho
circular however has continued lis mission, aud the
American builders are DESTROYS that II should receive
further attention Some figures have been furnished by
them and by tie Register OF the Treasury which make it
possible To- reply to it with great emphasis.
Before going TO discuss the main question 1t might
fly Al tho NJ
that iron SHIPS last acquiring an ascendency over
those Of wood. Taere doubt some truth IN the
assertion The Graghic spoke OF tins point as follows:
Nearly all steamers are made Of iron
now and IL Is rarely that wooden steamer j. hit 10.
DE foreign trade elIhcr IN ms counu! VI .ns .,.
and Tor our co"sis trade conversation VIII AirIL-
can builders revcas the fact that there are more IRON
steamers than wooden ONES building "a zoe lafGs OF the
country for tnat purpose. II Is true hcNrFei nal 'E
American sh1povner docs not realize the inheritance oi
building MS sailing vessels o. ron enc la Ie ns he
very little ina thai direction bO standing le eNahnc
;, Is are nov pi, 1nos ~ TX baip nm sii on
the CIvGe is-6 that the number and tonnage oi non
5isfoTv tbosa OF ZION screw vessels Reason and
lle are now agans, the Yankee slpOwucT, yet nc SUI
sticks TO lis wooden sailing ship
IRON VERSUS WOOD.
Tcse emarks a.c believed 10 he sound II Ought 10 he
said however the object OF the circular IN speaking
about the aSccndene Of iron in navigation TO convey
the idea shipowuers and capitalists that iron Is the
only mai eria Of which ships be built FOR profit
able This is advanced merely because England mas
the iron and the coal hut wood The argument has
strong family likeness 20 that in this old fable The Town
IN Danger" where opinions called for as 20 the best
material defense the stone mason favored the u~ OF
stone; the brckayer favor Of brick the carpenter
was for God and finally The currier argued with much
force tlat there was nothing Ike leather II England
had wood she would sill Bud OF wood and shs oriSi-
uav changed iron not because iron Is better ma
erIa bat because England had not discovered another
material besides wood for snipDulldne, d material
which snc could produce cheapy AZ home, shs would
have been driven out Of the business entirely and the
shipfuidnc Of the world would have been transferred
10 America.
lis not necessary here to int the question Of me
supcrority Of iron over wooden ves-es. They are
SUPERIOR no doubt They last longer and need less repair
ing The capitalist and the merchspt cen deed. that
however for themselves. Bat II ought to he said
that rich cargoes have been and still are car
red safely in wooden vessels. and wooden
vessels will yet be built but not By England
The wood Is in America aud k1igiana cannot
connete witt this country i'll budin& thai class OF ships
80 matter what the facts may be as to IRON American
blt wooden vessels have no supcTO-s IL the world To-
day. either in point Of ability chespness. length Of life
mr. the favor OF the insurance cOmpanes Ii IS doubtful
wneth the English builders even KNOW how TO DulId
Hrst-class wooden ship "a present.
Now rs 10 England being at th. time the cheapest
market for IRON ships. and As 10 their beng really no
builders pure and simple IL this country. Ii 10 sug
rcscd that upon this point tie testimony OF greatest
alne is Let that OF the English. They know very Htie
NJ the progress. OF spbuding in the United Staes and
their motive OF hostility 70 shiphuiidng here aTeaG!
proved better insight into the real truth o. the case
csu he gained from what At American shipyaId-
themselves and from what shpOwners ana Responsible
builders ON this side of the wafer say.
DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN INDUSTRIES
Talk. FIRST the cost Of ships Upon that subject great
deal might be said hat the whole caa be summed up
in a very few words There are only six grand
toms in the cost OF a ship. and upon these alone
depends The position OF country As shlpbuiIdihG
nation They irOa, "copper" wood, COAL laOoF al"
machinery. Nov that which, nae years ago. Ga''
England the superiority in respect TO shpbudins was 'e
bapness of her ray materials and labor ana tAe posses
zion OF an the facilities FOR building an iron snip In TINS
country the facilities eXtremeyimperfecr pig IRON
~ g a, tou coal was high, Labor was high and copper
,rae the chearer in England But now mar. WAL mas
token place Under the protection OF Inc IaNs u
tbe Tinted states the American builders nave beeh
enabled in the first place, 10 create the iaces 4oI
budlug an iron ship rapidly, easily and che.py' lHsy
have been enabled to put into their SAIas ioH" in'
f,rr.,es shops and remarkably large quAhuy
:, a.. ho.t labor-savine machinery IN the World
,,nch Of this machinery being e1e4uHiFep Vi
American invention and not IN use IL any olier GUN
INV one single builder. Mr John Roach n@s 7ie'' "-
ending MS original capital invested IN 'hS oui' "
b m 40 900 600 within last 1--WE years I'D supply
~ his yards with tine facilities for carrying on inc DSi
ness in proper manner, which lie permanently h'es'e"
for this PURPOSE. and other builders nave uo"e
proportionaiely. The facilities, thefeiore' n"'o 49,
created aud they so admirable anu co'np'o'o -
A., lid vino visited this country during the Centen-
NAL Exhibition was as0nished at Them and was oDlscu
"a admit that the industry in this country had i' e
traordnary progress Then the prices OF raw fna'ei
have been reduced About 900 tons OF Iron enter lao
the composition OF 3,o00ton ship and every % IL ~.