The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-15

4 GREAT deal is being made
~ in the anti-admnistration
4 " press of the recent assertion
of James J. Hill. the Ma
poleon of the northwest, that ships
for ocean carrying can be built at less
cost in the United States than in Great
Britain. This is construed into an ar
gument against the pending ship SUBJ
sidy bill, the line of reasoning being
that if ships can be built more cheap
ly in this country than in Europe no
encouragement to the upbulding of an
American merchant marine is neces-
sary.
The argument is fallacous from the
fact that cost of ship is only one of
the factors entering into cost of ship
ping. Another factor, equally import
ant, is cost of wages paid the crew,
cost which is at least % per cent.
higher on American than on COMPETE
tive ships. If this We're not so and If
ships could be built in the United
States more cheaply than in Europe,
the only explanation which would re-
main for the spectacle of American eX-
porters paying out in excess of $780,
100000 year in ocean freights to for.
eign carriers instead of building cheap-
er ships and paying this immense sum,
profit and all, into their own pockets
would be that they were suffering from
an inexplicable epidemic of paress.
But as matter of evidence, Mr..
Hills alleged statement is incorrect
The commissioner of navigation in his
last annual report traverses this
ground thoroughly and shows that
while the cost of steelship plates has
temporarily fallen lower in the United
States by $l2 to sl4 a ton than in Great
Britain, this difference does not enter
largely into consideration, because labor
is the greatest element in the expense
of building ships. Last year. for ex-
ample, two steel freight steamships, the
Hyades and Pleiades, designed for coal
or grain cargoes, We're built, one in
when plates We're selling here at S2S "a
ton and in Great Britain for $iO.S6. The
American bid was S275,OO0 and the Brit
ish bid $21i,000 for exactly the same
vessel and machinery. The cost of the
material in the American vessel was
$63,00O and in the British vessel $50, 900,
leaving $4,000 for labor, profit and so
forth In the American and $l34,OOO in
tie British.
"Excluding the cost of materials" the
commissioner of navigation says, "the
difference in cost of the American and
British steamships in this instance
about .0OO-represents the higher
wages paid in American yards and the
higher salaries of American superin-
tendents," and he gives a table OF
wages paid In British. Scotch, and
Irish shipyards, as compared with
those paid in the United States. This
table shows that patternmakers, re-
ceiving from $3.50 to s9.SS per week in
Great Britain, receive from $3.50 to s21
in the United States; riveters from
Ss75 to s1O.7l in Great Britain and from
$3.50 to $24 in the United States; join
ers from 1915 to $9,52 in England, and
from sl4 to SIS in the United States:
furnacemen from $3.50 to 1904 in Great
Britain and from si1.5O to $24 lin the
United States; iron workers from 50. SO
to S972 in Great Britain and from SIS
TO s21 in the United States; brass work.
ers from $9.4S to S10.S0 In Great Britain
and from SIS to SCI in the United States;
pachinists from SI.2s to Ss.72 In Great