The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-19
SHIPPING OF UNCLE SAM
COMMISSIONER OF NAVIGATION
HAUSTIVE REPORT FOR 1899
IS LESS THAN IT WAS IN 17se
American Vessels I'm Original ThIr-
teen States Aggregate Less Tom
mage Than They Had
Century Ago.

for some years. Returns for the cur
rent fiscal year promise an even moro
satisfactory record.
For the first time since the Civil war
the documented tonnage Of the United
States exceeds 100000 gross tons. June
80, 1900, American documented tonnage
comprised %, 1893 vessels of 5,164 S39 gross
tons, an increase Of 100000 tons over
the previous fiscal year. The maximum
tonnage was 1888 tons in 1861, then
larger than Great Britain's, and nearly
equaled the British empires. British
shipping now amounts to 1925, 900 gross
tons. American vessels are almost
wholly confined to the coasting trade,
which employed last year 4,33S,14 tons,
or more than the total tonnage of Ger
many and France. Tonnage In the for
eign trade was only SIG, 795 tons, and car
ried last year only 8 per cent of our ex-
ports and imports.
LESS THAN A CENTURY AGO.
A century ago American shipping regis
tered for foreign trade was 669, 921 tons,
while the tonnage now in the thirteen
original states amounts to 482, 1907 tons.
The report says that for serious compe-
tftion with foreign nations in the ocean
carrying trade we are practically re-
stricted to 81 registered steamships over
1,OOO tons, aggregating $50, 325 tons. Sin
corporations
greater tonnage. Japan has SO ocean
steamships of over 1900 tons, aggregating
2S6,0OO tons. Besides these steamships
we have lbs registered square rugged sal
vessels, over 1000 tons each for the deem
sea trade. More than half of these are
over twenty years old, and as such yes
els disappear their places are not sup
piled by new construction.
Our tonnage is distributed between the
Atlantic 40
great lakes, ], 565, 587 tons; Pacific coast.
including Hawaii, 612, 494 tons; Mississippi
and tributary rivers, 258, 456 tons Our
steam vessels amount to 2,657, 1877 tons:
documented canal boats and barges to
$4,000 tons, and the remainder /, 8S4. S42
tons are sail vessels and schooner barges.
The increase in shipping during the
decade was 740,342 tons, of which 532
tons stand to the credit Of the great
lakes. In ten years the Increase on the
Pacific has been 104, 522 tons, due mainly
to Alaskan and Hawaiian trade, and on
the Atlantic and gulf coasts only SO 297
tons, while the tonnage on the Mississip
pt and tributaries has increased &c. 900
tons.
Since 1890 the worlds steamships haya
1nel eased from 12,9S5,O0O gross tons to
zz'oo9,VOO gross tons, sail vessels have Ge-
creased from 9, 166, 900 tons to 6,674. 600 ions
and the effective carrying power of the
worlds merchant fleets has increased 60
per cent
The most notable change in the worlds
shipping has been in the size of steam
ships. In 1890 there were 218 ocean steam
ships of 1900 tons or over, while now
$50 such steamships, aggrega ting 5000 OO0
tons, constitute one-fourth of the worlds
steam tonnage
Increased speed, though great. has
less nv
steam tonnage of 1890, 10 per cent 429
screw steamships, 1,650,000 tons. were of
twelve knots or over. OF ocean steam
tonnage in 1890, "a per cent, LOG screw
steamships of $3.50, 900 tons, are Of twelve
knots or over. The hulls of 80 per cent
Of the worlds shipping are now made of
steel, compared with only 20 per cent in
1890
Concentration of the worlds ship own
ing has been notable during the decade.
The thirty principal steamship com
pan1es of the world own 1000 steamships
of $4,000 gross tons Qncluding some
vessels now building), or one-fourth in
tonnage, and more than one quarter in
/ carrying power, of the worlds ocean
steamships.
The export trade of the United States
requires about 20 per cent of the world g
sea-going tonnage in foreign trade. in
Guiding the largest, fastest and most
expensive steamships. The weight of
exports by sea in 1899 was 81, 00O, 600 long
tons To carry these exports and pas
sengers requires steady employment
through the year Of about 12OO steam
ships, aggregating 3,6000 600 gross tons
AMI l,3O0 sailing vessels of j .OO0, 900 tons
The number and tonnage of vessels actin.
ally engaged is Of course larger, as many
vessels are engaged only part Of the
year IN the trade of the United States.
STEEL SCREW THE KEY.
The problem of ocean transportation
at this time, the report SAYS. is essen
TALLY one of transportation by stee
screw steamships The SueZ canal re.
duced opportunities for sail vessels. and
the Nicaragua canal, it is ~sta ted viii
Iurther reduce them. In the past ter
years Great Britain has built 4, 69S steam
vessels of $4,000 tons, while the United
States has built 465 steel steam ,-esso1e
OF f43,VO0 tons, of which 1913 of 450OOO tons
were built on the great lakes. Our en-.
tire construction for the decade is NOT
more than half of Great Britain's out
put Of 100000 tons during 1899. We have
punt Tor the foreign trade since 1880 onl1
49O steel steamships of 800, 900 tons anf
of this total III vessels of $4,000 tons
were built as mail steamers until the
postal subsidy acts.
Aug. 10, 1900, sixty-eight merchant stee'
/ peam vessels, aggregating 27S, 900 tons
ana forty-seven naval vessels, 113, 900 Ton,
(displacemenD were building or contract
! ed Tor. Contracts since that date brips
| the merchant total up to $4,000 tons. in
Guiding about 100000 tons on the lakes
/ Congress has authorized 179 800 tons dds
placement Of naval vessels. not contra ct
ed for Part of the merchant construc
ton will not, be completed in two wear
or more, but the current year viii cove
much the largest steel building in on
history. The coasting law and its recen
extensions, heavy appropriations 70
building and rebuilding of vessels to re
place those bought for transports and til
postal subsidy law giving steel shir
building its recent stimulus.
AS TO SUBSIDIES.
Mr.. Chamberlain reviews in some o.
tail the subsidy bills, and gives the dill
ference in cost of building and operai
ing American and British steamships 2
the present time
The freight steamship CARRYING 5er
tons cargo now costs STE, 900 in the Unit
ed States, compared with 1921, GOO in Ores
Britain, though steel is much cheaper her
than abroud. Besides labor cost I'll
British advantage lies in the enormou
scale of production, Great Britain helm
the worlds department store of sbir