The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-05
COULD LEAD THE WORLD.
NEW YORK SHOULD HAVE \ GIANT
SHIPBlIIDING PLANT.
vantages Of This Country Over
All others-Every Element Press
cnt for Establishing such n Yard.

CLEVELAND, March 4.-This weeks
issue of the Iron Trade Review has the
following letter from Andrew Carnegie
Cannes, France. Feb. le lssss
To the Editor May / cali attention
through your columns 10 the field which
is open Tor a flrst-elass shipbuiding yard
upon the Hudson. East river or the lower
bay. New York?
The prices paid for steel by German
and English shipyards are 50 much
higher than shipbuiIderS in New York
would be required 10 pay that the differ
ence would make in itself an excellent
prott. Plates are worth about So or So
per ton in New York. The quoted price
at Glasgow is nearly $50. Other prices are
in proportion. and all the woodwork OF
ships is also much cheaper in the United
States. If \ yard We're built today. with
the newest appliances. the total cost of
labor. even at much higher wages. would
be less than in NY shpyard l know CT
either in Great Britain or Germany.
Il name near New York as the best
for several reasons.
"First-A shipyard there would get re-
pair work. which Is always profitable.
Seeond-A drydock could be part of the
equipment. which would also be highly
profitable
'Thrd-Two years hence the cost OF
transporting steel delivered at the ship
yard at New York from Pittsburg. will
not exceed 81 per ton via Gonnoaut and the
deepened Erie canal Indeed. ii viii be
less. since ii will cost nothing to send steel
20 Conneaut in cars which must otherwise
return 10 the lake empty for ore. Pres
ent ssaboard ships are so usefully oc-
cupied with domestic business that they
cannot give foreign business proper at
tention. The New York yard should be
constructed on large scale and with
special reference To the roreign demand
Il am satisfied that the United States
can readily regain the supremacy in ship
building it had when wooden ships were
in vogue. 1t only needs an enterprising
Western shipbuilding concern 10 estab-
lish yard near New York and manage
Ii with the skill and energy which have
characterized those on the lakes. This
is the only prominent department of man
ufacture In which our country is behind
and 1t Is one in which n easily can OBJ
tain front rank. 1t would justify steel
manufacturers 10 guarantee to such a
shipbuilding concern a continuance of the
present low rates on steel for a term Of
years. and also that steel OF all kinds and
armors and guns should always be fur
nished at the lowest price paid by Euro
pean shipbulders. But there is nothing
TO fear from the prices of steel. for these
henceforth are to rule lower In our coun-
try than In any country of Europe. II Will
not be long before n large portion of it's
steel supply must he drawn by Europe
from the United States.
IF | were younger man. or rather. II
/ did not belong to concern which en-
ploys all my capital. I should he greatly
inclined to enter upon the building of
ships somewhere near New York harhor
There would be no warships or Atlantic
liners open for bids in any part of the
world which the New York yard would
not have something TO say about Every
needed element is present for regainng
our supremacy as the principal shiphuild-
ing country Surely some OF the success
ful lake concerns win consider the ad-
Visibility Of establishing a branch ward
near New York, a branch which I pre-
dict would very soon grow 10 many times
the capacity Of the original works and
give much higher return on capital he
sides 'endering its originator famous.
Very tru ; yours.
ANDREW CARNEGIE"