The Topeka state journal., 1898-03-04
Carnegie Writes a Let
ter Advocating That America
Regain Her Former Supremacy
as Ship Building Country.
HEMAKES SUGGESTION
That a Great Shipyard Be
Started Near New York.
Says Ships Can Be Built Cheap
er in America Than England.

Cleveland, March 4.-This weeks is
| sue of the Iron Trade Review has the
following important letter from Mr..
Andrew Carnegie:
Cannes, France, Feb. 10, '9S.
To the Editor:
May I call attention through your
columns to the field which is open for
a first class shipbuilding yard upon the
Hudson, East river, or lower bay near
New York2
The price paid for steel by British and
German ship yards are 50 much higher
than shipbuilderS in New York would
be required to pay that the difference
would make in itself an excellent prof
it. Plates are worth about $22 or $23
per ton in New York The quoted price
at Glasgow is nearly $50. Other prices
are in proportion and all the wood work
of ships is also much cheaper with US
If a yard were built today with the
newest appliances, the total cost of Ia
Dor, even at much higher wages, would
be less than in any ship yard 1 know of,
either in Britain or Germany.
I name near New York as the best
for several reasons:
F'irst-A ship yard there would get
repair work, which is always profita-
BILE.
Second-A dry dock could be part of
the equipment, which would also be
highly profitable.
Third-Two years hence the cost of
transportation upon steel delivered at
the ship yard at New York from Pitts
burg will not exceed 81 per ton via Con-
neaut and the deepened Erie canal.
Indeed, it will be less, since it will cost
nothing to send steel to COnneaut in
cars which otherwise must return to the
lake empty for ore. The present sea-
board ship yards are so successfully
occupied with domestic business that
they cannot give foreign business prop
er attention. The New York yards
should be constructed on a larger scale
and with special reference to foreign
1nf hn T0if
ed States can readily regain the Supre-
macy in ship building it had when
wooden ships were in vogue. 1t only
needs an enterprising western ship
building concern to establish a yard
near New York and manage it with the
skill and energy which have character
lied those on the lakes.
This is the only prominent depart-
ment of manufacturing in which our
country is behind and it is one in which
it can easily obtain front rank. 1t
would justify steel manufacturers to
guarantee to such a ship building con-
Germ a continuance of the present eX-
tremely row rates upon steel for term
of years and also that steel of all kinds
and armOr and guns should always be
furnished at the lowest price paid by
European ship builders. But there is
nothing to fear from the prices of steel,
for these hencefOrth are to rule lower
in our country than in any country OF
Europe. 1t will not be long before a
large portion of it's steel supply must be
drawn by Europe from the United
States. If I were a young man, or
rather if I did not belong to a concern
which employs all my capital, should
be greatly inclined to enter upon the
building of ships somewhere near New
York harbOr. There would be no war
ships 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 element is pres
ent for regaining our supremacy as the
principal ship building country. Surely
some one OF the successful lake con-
Germs will consider the advisability of
establishing a branch yard near New
York, a branch which 1 predict would
very soon grow to many times the ca
pacity of the original works, and give
a much higher return upon capital, be-
sides rendering its originator famous.
Very truly yours,