The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-12
THE sHIP-BUILDING INDUSTRY

The ship-building industry in America
has received a great impetus within the
recent past. and Europeans are beginning
10 recognize that we are able in ms
branch. as in other branches Of industry
90 compete successfully with foreigners.
As significant OF this fact we reproduce
the following editorial article from the
London Times Of September 2sth.
1t has long been foreseen by competent
osservers that the mercantile marine OK
the United States would sooner or later
recover the position on the seas which II
lost during the civil war. That posiuoh
was lost not. as Is commonly supposed
through the depredations OF the Alabama
and her consorts. but through the simui-
taneous but Independent operation OF
pther causes with which the depredauons
of the Alabama had little or nothing 10
do The period Of the civil war
synchronized roughly with the beginning
OF the transition for mercantile purposes
from sailing ships TO steamships, from
wooden ships 10 iron ships In order 10
restore her mercantile marine to its for
rler position the United States needed at
the close of the war. not sailing ships
built Of wood. but iron ships propened
by steam These she could not build on
such terms AS would enable them 10 COM
pete with similar ships built in Europe
and her navigation laws forbade her
merchants TO buy them in Europe and sail
them under the national flag. Hence the
maritime trade Of the United States has
since been carried almost entirely under
n foreign flag. The coastwise trade and
the lake trade have been largely her own,
but the ocean trade has been denied' 10
her. There are many signs to show that
this will not much longer be the case.
In proof Of this we may point to a very
instructive letter which we print THIS
morning from a correspondent on me
Revival OF American shipping.
Any development Of American shipping
beyond the present capacity of American
yards TO supply # would tend to the plac-
ing OF orders with English builders, and
any ships now ahoat under the English
flag which were sold TO American owners
would probably be replaced by their ven
doris with new ships built at home. Never
theless. sooner or later the American ship
building trade IS certain 10 find itself
sble to supply all the demands OF the
country for shipping. ana TO that extent
the British trade must in the long run
be the loser. In other words, the NaViga-
ton Laws or the United States really act
q A
than as a protection to native industry.
Their repeal might benefit us for a time
by causing a temporary activity I'm our
yards. but there can be little doubt that
az our correspondent says. "the growth OF
a large and modern mercantile marine on
the other side Of the Atlantic would be
q serious matter for us In the end. IL IS
no interest Of ours therefore, 30 urge Inc
repeal Of the navigation laws on the
t.Fr "a
xhipowners and ship-buidors would 90
well 10 bear I'm mind that their repeal is
probably imminent and certainly ineNita-
BILE IN the long run.
The article from "a correspondent 10
which allusion is made IS two-column
review Of the ship-bulldng industry in
this country as seen by an Englishman
and contains much that will be news 10
Americans.
First as 20 some figures cited by the
author. In the fiscal year 1861 the
capacity of all vessels steam and sail,
which entered American ports was %
7e0.z50 tons Of which 5525.32S tons flew
the American flag. ana the capacity Of
all vessels cleared was 2S.70els5 tons. OF
which o.blNli- TONS Wt4t fAlii'i iN'A+'' f''N
value OF the sea-borne trade OF the coun-
try in 1861 was 81 SO O4S. and of this
only SIS. c75 277. or II per cent was car
ried in American bottoms. This says
The writer IS the lowest percentage on
record In 1859 when the total trade was
valued at sc95. $50 1872 as much az 81 per
cent. was carried by American ships. BY
the close OF the civil war, the American
proportion had fallen TO p per cent and
though il improved again In the next
few years, It has steadily gone down
since the year 1870 The reason FOR this
IS pointed out in the editorial article
which we reproduce above.
But the low water mark has been
reached. and from this time forth there
will be a steady increase in the tonnage
of American vessels. Last year, says
this same writer the capacity of the
vessels launched In the United States
was 2s2. 2es tons. and not a single vessel
was launched in 1897 for the foreign
trade. lie says that the Philadelphia
sh,p yards ara now crowded with orders
enough 70 keep them busy for a month
<nsse orders including four steel screw
s,esmer.. each 9os feet Ions. for thu
Ausrican Nal StaasaAhin Company and