The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-21
ART in BIG SHIPS.
Progress in Boat Building In Our
Own Country.
Charles S. Cramp Discusses Essentials
That Make Success OF Ship Industry.

Charles s. Cramp, the head of the great
firm of Philadelphia shipbuilders, which
In recent years has turned out such mag
nificent vessels as the st. Louis and st.
Paul, has been spending IA few days in
Washington. Probably no man In the
United States knows more about the ship
building industry than Mr.. Cramp, and
yet there are few men who talk less about
1t. He has studied it all his life and is
still studying 1t.
"There Is vast difference" said he,
between the art OF shipbuilding and its
commercial side The United States has
always excelled Great Britain i'm the art,
and it does today. Commercially speak
ing, though, the case Is different. The
range between prosperity and lack Of pros
pority is something startling. Shipbuild-
ing In the United States has suffered from
lack of commercial success heretofore, and
the reason has been largely due TO adverse
restrictions and the neglect Of the govern
ment to foster the industry or render it di-
rect or indirect assistance.
1.-THE English government has always
aided her shipbuilding enterprises by the
maintenance of large navy
These vessels have nearly all been built
in private shipyards, and by reason of these
contracts the yards have been able to ex-
tend their facilities, establish themselves
on a more substantial basis and place them
selves i'm position not only TO build ma
vies for the rest of the world, but to turn
out splendid vessels to carry on the com
merce of other nations England has al
ways paid high prices for her battleships
and her patronage of private shipyards has
amounted indirectly TO subsidy. In this
way the yards which built England's navy
acquired "A prestige that could have been
obtained in no other way.
mot that we are less capable of turning
out first class vessels in this country. 1t is
simply that we have not heretofore had the
encouragement l have frequently had
people ask me whether my grandfather
was not Scotchman, simply because am
shipbuilder There are many people
who do not seem to realize that shipbuild-
ing is an American as well ms an English
art Not only has America exeelled Eng
land in the art, but France and Spain have
also at times outstripped her. In the long
run, however, the English yards have held
their own because of government patron
age.
"Latterly the government Of the United
States has been indirectly aiding the art by
the construction of anavy, and every bat
tleship it builds tends 60 establish the art
on frmer basis While this policy has
not been long in operation, it has already
had beneficial effect.
1T takes long time for the benefit
arising from such measures to bc felt.
The benefit is not instantaneous. Great
commercial successes are the result Of long
continued preparation and control.
"Within the last two years we have turn
eel out the It. Paul and the st. Louis, the
two finest merchant ships ahoat Suppose
the government had put its present policy
into operation 20 years ago. Commercially
we would have been that much further ad-
vanced. The construction OF the st. Paul
and st. Louis was in n measure aided by
previous indirect assistance given by the
government in the production Of its naval
vessels. The construction of the govern
ment vessels naturally extended our facili-
ties and left us better prepared for future
work.
incidentally the construction of big
vessel brings into use moro OF the trades
than any other undertaking There are
80 different trades employed directly In tho
construction of vessel in the yards whale
indirectly there are perhaps l0l different
crafts which contribute TO the work of
building vessel to greater or less degree.
We have employed at times from 5000 to
5000 men in our yards, and they make up
the highest type of workingmen in the
United States. Washington Post