Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-10-12

| haTErs. barpucs ani bri-+. anI mpr,
I especially in THE evrr ausmenting
number w -he new Styles oi thr many
I masted schonl-rs.
\ n nuta n.- iet-ure ot t.r-r r-v tr~-
1 -aEs ~ lhat by diminishing the number
\ nf men th- owners arc able ty conn
Y rete win foreign bottoms eiurloyina
larger crews without at thy sam,
! time cutting down the wages rf Dbl.
\ American seameu. Foreigners cannot
/ rumpct. With us NJ cuA-tNis.. riyrt
I ana Internal navigation. Even TX
\ r.eaH commerce ihe nrw vessels hold
! their onn. ana arr neg inning u teaI
\ the Stars ana Stripes into lar-uff seas
/ Just as they did before the War. Prior
\ to thu ciyI War Wr held thc second
] place I'LL the world AZ a maritime na-
Y ton. ana There is every reason tG be-
< lieyv that wt Will regain that position
4 I'D the next decade.
| ~ far H. ships arm concerned the day
| m the wooden shin appears Ja ~ over
' 1t wa superseded by the Steel vessel
\ Maine has cunformed to these new
conditions ana at Bath has shipyari
\ whose output IL justly celebrated. TIM
steel man-of-War constructed there in
\ thu past ten years have proven among
\ the most efficient in th- navy ana have
\ won tho appreciation NJ the Severest
\ foreign critic. Nor " thu Industry
| confined tn warships. It'll" -hipyards
| vi Maine turn out model steamships.
| which have proved so successful as ~
/ increase the demands upon the build
4 crs.
Although Maine ~ far away from the
| iron ana Steel centers of the country
| the Increased distance il no great dis
| advantage. Land freight rates are
very low today ana the difference be
| tween long haul ard short haul X
not enough tn bt- a srrinus obstacle tp
! thu shipbuiIder IT IL more shan on
VT ny the advantages found in that
/ commonwealth Tie hays ana harburs
ate wonderfully adapted ~ boatbuild
| ing. Land il cheap ana the policy "
both local ana state officials il t.
favor tn. industry as much as posi-
| bic Rights of way cost but little,
where i'll New York ana Philadelphia
they often amount To enormous sums.
1t ~ feasible in Maine ID run the rail
way track right into thu shipyard and
~ avoid the tremendous expense ot
hauling and carting.
Even III the building 81 steel bottoms
large amounts of Wood are used. IN
the construction of ways and houses
ana for a thousand ana one purposes
incidental to the business. The Pine
| Tree State has an inexhaustihle supply
Of first class lumber. 50 that what the
builder loses BY extra freights On his
metal ne more than gains ny lower
cost VT his wood. He has the advan-
tage NJ large population which ne
has been training to the sea from i'm
fancy Our seacnast citizens are boat
builders ~ instinct as well as by edu-
cation. ana have q genius for that KIND
Of work National attention has been
called to the fact that the Maine boat
builders are always in demand when Il
comes to an important regatta, N
which the highest skill and knowledge
are necessities They offer contrast
to the ironworkers in many other parts
Of the country. the majority of whom
have never seen blue waters.
Prosperity i'll our shipyards attracts
artisans; from other states. ana even
Inther countries. French-Canadians
come down from Quebec and ship
wrights cross from the Mersey. Severn
and Clyde The high wages paid u
our land serve as a magnet 70 indus
trious and ambitious men who in their
own country receive one-haf. one
third and sometimes merely one
fourth Of our market rates.
BEYOND our own shipyards we supply
the timber to yards along the Atlantl'
and Gulf coasts There is scarcely I
city from Passport To New Orleans
but has from one to a dozen boat club
Of various kinds. | do not know nov
many yachts and sailboats there arr
today. but | know the figures are up II
the thousands This past year they have
been building al a more rapid rat
than ever before In Boston. Bristol
New York and other ports the outpu
Of these small craft has been phen"me-
nal While we supply some of th'
timber. all Of the rest represent loca
industries and gives lucrative employ
ment to Il great army Of skilled work
men.
This progress il national, not local
The san Francisco yards have stoot
in the very forefront ever since thel
masterpiece. the Oregon. proved her
self TO be the champion bdttleship 2
the globe Far up in the Northwest. y
Seattle ana Tacoma. the ship carpen
ter. fnrgeman ana riveter are impor-
tant members Of The business COM
munity and even in the Gun cite
they have begun TO turn OUT Ner.
creditable specimens Of marine con
struction.