The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-05-13
ABOUT SHIPPING.

That there will be considerable in
crease in American ship building
is foreshadowed by Andrew Carnegie
in recent number of the Iron Trade
Review. He argues that British and
German shipyards pay much higher
for steel than would be required for
ship building yard in New York.
Steel plates at the latter place are
worth S22 or 1913 per ton, at Glasgow
they are worth $50 per ton. Wood
work for ships is much cheaper this
side of the Atlantic.
Carnegie's argument is that if Anne
rican steel rails and other products of
iron can be sold at profit in Europe,
there is no reason why the United
States should not successfully COM
pete in ship building. At present the
sea coast ship building firms are en-
tirely taken up with domestic bust
ness and cannot give foreign business
proper attention. At one time the
ship building trade had supremacy
in the world and Mr.. Carnegie does
not see why it should not be restored.
In this connection it is interesting 20
to note an article upon the British
mercantile marine which has recently
appeared in the Glasgow Herald. The
gross tonnage of British mercantile
marine is now over 13,OOO,0OO. The
United States, which has the second
place in the shipping of the world.
has total tonnage of 4,769,000. Ger
many follows with 100000 and
France is still under the 100000
mark
Analysing the large mercantile fleet
that Great Britain possesses, it is
found that during 1897 the steamers
increased by 159,057 tons and the
sailing vessel tonnage decreased by
150,43O, making net advance of only
S,627. The actual figures of the two
fleets at the commencement of 1895
were, $3.50 steamers, representing 10,
396,76 tons, and 1915 sailing vessels
with tonnage of 2,75S, SOC, or in al
13, ,626 tons.
The actual advance in the last year
compared with previous years is very
small. The average annual increas,
for the last ten years has been $50,
100000. The sudden drop is due to the
engineer strike i'm a great measure
This practically paralyzed the mer
camille ship building industry and il
threw back the construction of wal
strike was to throw a great deal Of
the work into the Continental shops
and no doubt the study of the sltua
ton there has had its effect on Mr.
Carnegie's mind, for his communica
ton is dated from France.
But it was not only the engineers
strike which affected the total in
creased tonnage of the British mer
camille marine. The losses by wreck
or through breaking up old ship,
amounted to 100000 tons, ant
tHe safes OF SHIPS TO foreign countries
amounted to ,794 tons The bull
of these however were vessels thai
were built prior to 1885, so that Grear
Britain has got rid of a large amount
of obsolete tonnage and retains tn,
most modern, style of cargo boat il
her own marine.
With the shortage in tonnage fol
the last year there is now great ac
tivity in the ship yards, and undoubt
eddy there is an opportunity for com
petition by the United States. A.
soon as the present war is over Their,
will be large activity in the ship
ping industry in the United State.
for local purposes, but there is NJ
reason why at the same time b'C
should not be made for a share of III
foreign market as well.
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