The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-09
ship Building in the United states.

Ship Building in the United States.
During the past few years Americans
have demonstrated their ability to sell
steel rails in competition with European
manufacturers, and to beat the world in
locomotive building. both in excellence of
machinery and lowness of cost. A large
number of locomotives have been shipped
from American manufactures for use in
China, Russia, South America and other
foreign countries. The orders for these
engines were secured in competition with
the engine builders of the world, proving
conclusively American supremacy in that
line of enterprise.
If America can undersell Europe in steel
rails, and make better locomotives at q
smaller price than any other country,
why cannot America build better modern
ships at less cost than any other coun-
try? 1t does not require higher order
of mechanical skill to build a ship than
it does to construct one of those mag
nificent machines, the up-to-date Ameri-
can locomotive. The material used in
each is of the same general character,
iron and STEEL and the workingmen who
build locomotives receive as high wages
as those that build ships. Why cannot
we build iron and steel ships in competi-
ton with the world?
Andrew Carnegie, the great ironmaster,
says we can do so; that we can build them
cheaper than any other country, notwith-
standing the alleged pauper labor of Eu-
rope. Owing to our natural facilities and
improved methods, we can afford to pay
much higher wages than are paid in
Europe, and still make handsome profit
on iron and steel manufactures, including
ships, says Mr.. Carnegie. 1.-THE
prices paid for steel by British and Ger
man shipyards are so much higher than
shipbuilders in New York would have to
pay" says he, that the difference would
in itself make an excellent profit. Plates
are worth about So to $2S in New York
The quoted price IN Glasgow is nearly $780,.
New York is comparatively remote from
the great iron ore fields and reducing and
manufacturing centers. The price of
plates in large quantities delivered at
some more convenient seaport, in the
South, might be less than the figures for
New York quoted by Mr.. Carnegie
Robert Wallace, president of the Cleve-
land (O) Shipbuildng Company, agrees
with Mr.. Carnegie. There is" he says,
mo longer a question as to our ability to
build ocean-going vessels of any class at
a price which would defy competition"
Luther Allen of the Globe Shipbuilding
Company of the same city, says on the
same subject: IF we can sell steel rails
and other products to Europe. as is now
being done at profit there is no good
reason why we cannot successfully COM
pete with Europe in shipbuildlng"
These opinions are all from long headed.
practical business men, who are in close
touch with the iron and steel and the
shipbuilding Industries. They point TO the
way for the rehabilitation of the Ameri-
can merchant marine. American build
ers are able to stand upon their own mer-
its. They do not need protective" navi-
cation laws, which have almost swept the
American flag off the high seas Let
those antiquated laws be repealed Give
Americans the right to buy ships in the
open market of the world, and sail them
under the American flag. Let Americans
compete for the business of building the
ships and keeping them in repair. Such