The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-04-12
Ships and Shipbuilding.

The report of Charles b. Morton, commits
sioner of the bureau of navigation, has been
issued. 1t shows that the government re-
taxes during the last fiscal year. This is an in
crease of S55SS2.95. Great Britain contributed
more than half of this tax, her vessels paving
Il total of S3ls,355.61, gain of $3s, ,9033S. In
collecting this tax, which is reliable indicator
of the relative shipping business of the several
ports. New York outranked all others in
| amount, Philadelphia was second, Boston third,
San Francisco fourth. Baltimore fifth. and New
Orleans sixth. Boston collected $43,197.7S;
Portland. s7,49595: Gloucester, S1,277.s5
PASSPORT, SS2S; Edgartown, $656.l5. and
Waldoboro, S63l. Il. While Great Britain
stood first in this respect, America was second,
Germany third, Norway fourth, Italy fifth,
Spain sixth, and Belgium seventh.
The total tonnage of the world is 20.943, $50,
and the British f1ag waves above 1O.539 1W of
this tonnage. The United States have fifth
as much. yet we are second in the list. Nor
way is third, Germany fourth France fifth and
Italy sixth. Our tonnage is 2.043, l61, and we
have 2S2i vessels. Great Britain and her
dependencies have IS ,232 vessels. China has 2S
vessels Japan 30 and Mexico "a.
In steam navigation the United States are
fourth. There are only S!2 wooden steamers in
the world while those constructed of iron
number S.l9S. OF the y, ,l55 sailing vessels 81
953 are made of wood.
In 49,, we had 542 seagoing steamers, while
Great Britain had 3.144. In 1856 we had only
f39 of such craft but Great Britain had in
creased her number to 4,S0G. AS for tonnage,
she had little more than doubled her total in
these years. while America fell from GA. .036 to
506,66S. The British sailing fleet, however.
fell IRON .,165 to IA 5S4 in that period while
we fell from 63o7 to 6,l02.
A fair exhibit of the share of each nation in
its carrying trade will he made by considering
.,,lI1- 4
>ea-golng vessels, and excluding imports and
exports by land carriage. This comparison
shows the following result:
Per cent of imports and exports of Per Ccnl.
Great Britain and Ireland carried
iii british 15 q
span carried in spanish vessels. .4S. )
France carried in French vessels. ....,..... "A &
Italy, carried i'll Italian vessels. ...........:54
tl!t"d states, carried III American vessels. II 5
In 1876 American vessels carried - per cent.
Of our experts ana imports; in 1854 only =. per
cent. ali,s in 1856 only 10. The amount of ship
ing constructed in the United States during the
past year was 'i.90. tons more than the amount
constructed last year.
Just 40 per cent. of the tonnage Of the coun-
try during the past year was built on the Atlantic
sea''oard. q per cent on the Pacific coast, 3S
percent. on the northern lakes, and ! per cent.
on he western rivers. During the past year
the iron and steel vessels built in the Inited
States amounted to 81 .;3'13 tons.
Our >llnhtilldng Industry was at its height
IN 800. hen We built 2O21 vessels, aggrega~
ting IA tonnage Of 5S3,450.04 Last year we
built S44 vessels. with total tonnage of 150,-
5000. Maine but ~ of these vessels. with a
gross tonnage of lG,69.52 and Massachusetts
p With tonnage OF 4!,S3.2o.
The tonnage Of the fishing vessels has de-
creased from 1l0.ls9.25 in 1854 to 105.69s in
1857. q! the total tonnage of 195I. engaged in
tile cod and niackerel fisheries last wear, Massa-
cht>ctt> led with Hob. Maine followed with
o'.,l5, and New York came next with 32G5
The cod fisheries Were at their best in 1850
When the tonnage was 1916, and 1919, imme-
diatciy after the famous treaty. the tonnage en-
gagged in these fisheries was 16.0IS.
From Gloucester there are 5G vessels sailing
from to 20 tons each 3Sl from 20 to 100 tons :;
81 from 100 to 200 only OF from POO to 300: ,
OF from 800 to 400. and | of from 400 to 800 TONS
In the Gloucester fishing trade 50 lives We're
lost last year, number 30 smaller than in the
previous wear.
OF the total tonnage Of 26.l5o engaged in
whaling, New bclfor, had u. .sS3