Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-22
In CONSTRUCTOR CRAMPS OPINION
American and British Workmen's
Ability Compared.
LISH IN L U EN- c E S

in recently.
IF you mean the Fithian free ship BILL"
said MIR. Cramp, thouShtfuily stroking his
iron-gray beard, tits object is not correctly
stated in it's title 1t should be called
bill to wreck American shipbuilding; or
bill TO promote that industry in Great
Britain. Then the public would understand
its scope and purpose. 1t might also be
viewed in a political or diplomatic aspect
and entitled q billsto provide a neutral asy-
lum for the English merchant marine in
case of war between that country and any
other maritime power
MIR. Cramp had become wonderfully in
teresting.
You certainly don't mean to use the
words about wrecking American shipbuild-
ing in their literal sense, do your was
suggested
II most certainly do was the response.
1.-The construction of merchant vessels
would cease in this country if the bill be-
came law
Demands of COastwise Trade.
wouldn't the demands of the cosst-wise
trade, which is exempted by it, keep our
shipyards going?" queried The Star repre-
sen tative.
THAT is nonsense" calculated Mr.. Cramp
with emphasis. Those demands wouldn't
sustain any one of the naIf dozen principal
seaboard shipyards in this country. If our
own yard was empty; II we had 10 naval
or transatlantic construction on hand, 1
would sign contracts tonight to duplicate
every coaStwiSe steamship that has been
built since 1889, and deliver the whole lot
in twelve months. The state of the indus
try ten years ago. when the rebuilding of
the navy was begun, fairly represents the
CAPACITY of the coastwise trade to sustain
shipbuiding."
why couldn't American shipyards COM
pete with the English in our present state
of Development
For numerous reasons. For example, We
now pay SIS per week for classes of skilled
labor that the English builders can get for
S9.4O. That proportion runs through all the
principal trades. Manifestly, competition
on such basis would be handicapped. Per-
haps If, our skilled workmen would be con-
tent with 81. 10 week we might talk about
competition, but, as far as 1 have ascer-
tanned their views-and 1 talk with them
| nearly every day-they would not hail such
a proposition with enthusiasm"
American ard British Workmen.
"How do your workmen compare with the
Brtish?'
ION the average they do more work, and
do it better; but the difference in that re-
spect is not enough to equalize SIS week
with S9.iU,' said Mr. Cramp, with a smile.
He did not know how many men were en-
ployed in the various shipyards of the coun-
try, but gave some interesting figures about
his own.
Our works employ 5000 men directly
and furnish employment for twice that
number in the mills, FORCES and foundries
that make our material l have estimated
that our shipyard and its accessories feed,
clothe and provide homes for 1900 men,
women and children; and i have no hes
itancy in saying that the passage of the
Fithian bill would absolutely and almost in
stautly deprive these people of their present
| means of livelihood. Our works would I'M
doubtedly be seriously crippled, If not COM
PEELED to shut down as soon the con-
struction now in hand was completed. There
would agree to work for about half of their
| present wages.
Then, too" continued Mr.. Cramp. grow
| ing warmer on his subject, IF our ship
| building industry were destroyed, and our
| people made dependent on England for
their ships, ii would amount in great part
to repeal of the Declaration of Independ-
| ence. No maritime nation can maintain
commercial independence or political auton-
omy without capacity to build ships.
THE South American states are little bet
| ter off than British colonies or dependencies
/ in this respect. The promoters of the free
| ship doctrine are few ship brokers in
Boston and New York. mostly foreigners,
! and the ship builders and ship owners of
England. The latter have maintained here
an elaborate and expensive legislative agen-
cy for years, and their chief mouthpiece
has been editing several metropolitan news
Papers so far as this question is concerned.
Il
not now remember all the phases in which
this English legislation has shown its head,
but they have been many. Heretofore, they
have always been beaten and l do not
think they will succeed now. I am not
willing to believe that both Houses of Con-
gress and the President are prepared to re-
duce the United States to the condition of
Chile and Hayti in that respect"
THAT is putting ii pretty strongly, Mr.
Cramp," suggested the reporter.
We'll, the truth is always strong"
Compa rison of Facilities.
Replying to a question as to how our
shipbuilding facilities compared with those
of Great Britain, Mr.. Cramp said: I'VE
have not as many ship yards as the English
have, but some of ours are the most perfect
in the world, and have built the best ships
afloat during the past decade. Not to speak
of our own concern, take, for example, the
! Union iron works of San Francisco; the
Columbian works of Baltimore or Mr.
Huntngtons ship yard at Newport News
Their work has never been surpassed by
any foreign builder
THE demands of the new navy have been
re sponsibe for this development, have they
not"
TT was mainly due to that at first but
now there is much important commercial
work on hand, or in sight and the passage
of the Fithian bill would send every ton of
it to the Clyde, the Tyne or to Belfast
| Why, such law would be worth ten mill
lion dollars to British ship yards during the
next five years. They could afford to pay
that to pass the BILL not to speak of the
English ship owners who have between
SOo,oO0 and a million tons of idle and half
worn out old hulks to sell cheap.
But after all, that is not the main
thing" continued Mr.. Cramp. after q mo-
mentS reflection. THE English govern
ment itself could afford to pay a hundred
million-an untold sum. in factor the
diplomatic advantages which a ready aSy-
lum for its merchant marine, under our
flag, would give them in dealing with other
raval powers
England is principally afraid of France
and Russia, particularly the latter, in this
respect. | wish | was at liberty 20 repeat
some conversations l have had with emf
nent Russian and French naval officers on
this subject. Englands weak spot in war is
| her merchant marine. that is the heel of
her Achilles. Her inability to transfer il
quickly to a neutral flag is bond to keep
the peace in an untold sense"
The English Navy.
But, Mr.. Cramp, isn't the English navy
strong enough to take care of her merchant
feet?' inquired the reporter.
mo, sir" was the quick response. RE
member the Alabama. War between Eng
land and France Russia would turn
fifty Alabamas loose on the ocean, For
every one that the fast British cruisers
could catch or destroy two would come out
Insurance rates would bankrupt owners of
vessels and cargOeS. In a word the