The sun., 1899-01-26

IuHinBS carry tnlA month, tne HTSJ American
merchantmen TO enter the port OF London
since 1897. The Catania carried American
ship plates 20 the Clyde in December. sec.
ond coast built ship OF the British tramp de.
sign has been built by the Harlan 4 Holllngs.
worth Company for the Virginia Carolina
Chemical Company Of Richmond.
Bath has also Just sent out the first Ameri-
can steel sailing ship b.ilt Of American steel
This is the Erskine NJ. Phelps. four master
built at the Sewall yard. The only thing about
the craft that is foreign is n THOMPSON com.
pass and a patent sounding apparatus. She
Is chartered to carry coal from Baltimore to
San Francisco and is now making her maiden
voyage. Arthur Sewal built the Dirigo, the
first American steel sailing ship. four years
ago. But the Dirigo was not American
throughout. her angle irons. plates. frames and
strakes we're imported from the Clyde. A
third steel sailing ship for the sewal fleet is
building. She will measure 1920 tons. The
Bath shipbuider believes there always will be
business for sailing ships. The cost OF the
first steel sailing ship at Bath was S4S regis
tered ton, but now the cost is but: S35, bring
ing the cost below the English cost. II Is be-
lieved that the minimum cost has been reached
In England, while on the Kennebec the cost 10
decreasing.
ENGLAND FEARS US.
Our rise In steel shipbulldinR is varlously
commented ON in the English papers. but all
agree that the United States is the power to
be feared. Some of the English critics hope
our shipping will grow faster than our ship
building and create a demand for ships built
In ENGLAND The London Times says;
In any case any development OF American
shipping beyond the present capacity OF Amer
lean yards to supply il would tend to the plac-
ships now afloat under the English flag which
we're sold TO American owners would probably
be replaced by their venders with new ships
built ut home
FdUpldy. London shipping Journal thus
advises striking worEmen:
Workmen must not forget that we are not
now builders for the world, They have been.
that the bogey Of foreign eompetition is Sal al.
ways held up as q red rag to try and intnidats
them, but the. writer has had frequent oppor.
tunities of seeing what is going on. and within
aud last. but by no means least. America, will
and II l am not mistaken. America will in
many ways Ways, prove ,n strong eom1getltor They
are SreatnE ing large & new s ing and th engi
buy materials much cheaper than we can. Their
workmen earn high wages, it is true, but the
lent IN work is done. and the American work
man is steady. Steel Is already coming to this
ity th1t contracts for large deliveries have
been arranged All this points to lower prices
Tor steel III this country. and as we pay more
for the raw materials and have moi, the labor:
saving plants of the Americans, II looks AS II
some one will have to go to. the wall re-
Gently had an opportunity OF discussing this
question with an eminent steel maker. and he
told me that he was not AZ all happy ut the
American competition. as he knew from per
long way ahead and that. unless we protected
ourselves the only choice left would be to re-
move to the other side.
.Svren and Si,ippinV II weekly journal Of ship
ming mn ublishel in onIpn saya.
Years ago it was impossible for American
iron works to turn out material for the build
ing OF iron and steel ships. Now. however.
this disability no longer exists. as witness the
fine fleet OF efficient vessels doing service on
the Great Lakes. the st. Louis and st. Paul.
United States ironmasters can now export
steel plates to Great Britain. Still. the art and
practice Of building steel vessels at economi-
cal prices-iS not acquired in five years nor
even in ten and though United States ship
builders have turned out the st. Louis and ST.
new orders since the late war. a'considerable
time must elapse before American shipbuilding
can provide for the wants of would-be ship
owners.
The London Shipping World frankly saws:
We know-leastwise we fee!-that in America
alone are to be found the men who can make
o and the Is o Py
cans are disadvantaged in the race with us.
But on the other, hand the cost OF inland
this country; and they are more ready to
adopt new Inventions machine tools. and la
tnrers That point was we'll put by an W Ameri- @
can during the great dispute in the engineer
ing trade which was settled after many months
told the visitor thathe could not afford" to su-
persede his old machinery by new types. And
we," replied the American, cannot afford not
to make the change
WILL CONGRESS GIVE AID?
Shipbuilders and shipowners:and men with
capital who want to become builders and own-
ers of ships are waiting to see what Congress
will do. So many,shippng bills have been de-
feated in Congress that there is no feeling OF
confidence that.the HANNAH Payne subsidy bill
will become law. Certainly there has never
been a bill which met with such unanimous
among builders and owners.
THE COST OF SENTIMENT.
Without Government aid our merchan. ma
rne is fighting against heavy odds" said Cen
cral Manager Griscom OF the American line to
a Sun reporter Our company loses 100000
a year because we changed from British TO
American registry. We haven't declared dlvi-
dend since we changed our registry. European
spend nearly 100000. 900 year
on their shipping. Even Japan spends millions
to aid her merchant marine. The North Ger
man LLOYD line would be run at IL loss of three
millions OF marks year did it not have n four
inllilou bONeTHHtHl SuDSluy. anu IHe CitSe Dl
the great j. and.O. line or.England is similar"
President Mckinley in his annual message
tersely stated the needs of our shipping:
The annexation of Hawaii and the changed |
Of the United States to Cuba Porto |
Rico and the philippines, resulting from the |
war. compel the prompt adoption OF mari |
time policy by the United States. There |
should he established regular AMI frequent |
communication; encouraged by |
the United States. under the American flag. |
with the newly acquired islands. Spain fur |
nished to its colonies. at an annual cost of |
about S2.OOO.OOO. steamship lines commune |
eating, with a portion Of the world markets
as well as with trade centres Of the home Gov |
TIE United States will not under |
peOple of Hawaii with facilities. under ma |
tIonal control. for their export and import |
-rade. 1t will be conceded that the present |
situation calls for Legislation which shall De |
PROMPT. durable and liberal. The part which |
american merchant vessels and their seamen |
in the war with Spain demon |
'trates that this service. furnishing both |
)ickets and the second inc of defence. Is a ma
ional necessity and should be encouraged in |
'very constitutional way.
MIR. WASHINGTON IN TROUBLE.