The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-14
Economic Shipbuilding.

Economic Shipbuilding.
The opponents of subsidies for Ameri-
can shipa and legislative encouragement
for American shipbuilding have stock
argument which is being worked thor
oughly. They point out that American
manufacturers are underselling those
OF Europe In certain departments of the
steel and iron industry; that American
locomotives, American bridges and
American agricultural machinery are
competing on even terms with those of
all the world; and consequently. they
say. no reason exists why ships cannot
be built as cheaply In the United
States as elsewhere. No reason. con-
sequently, exists for legislative encour-
agement to an industry which ought to
he able to stand alone.
1t Is, OF course, sufficient answer TO
say that the existing facts contradict
the theories: that the American ship
building industry does not compete ut
present with that Of Great Britain. or
even OF Germany. The existing fact Is
a natural Offset to the closet theory.
The reasons why the American ship
builder cannot compete at present and
why competition would be difficult even
II wages were on the same scale in both
countries, are clearly set out in a re-
cent article by Eugene It. Chamberlain
commissioner Of navigation. in the Les
lies Weekly.
These reasons are identical with those
which account for American supremacy
in railroad bridge construction and To-
connective building Mr. Chamberlain
points out that the relative cost OF ma
terial and relative wages are not the
only elements to be considered In fore
casting our future as shipbulding ma
ton. but that the scale on which the
industry Is conducted is of even greater
Importance. Great Britain can build
vessels to sell to other countries be-
cause she manufactures on a scale fif-
Aftii w lWthtt kitdttf tNc
United States. A shipbuilder who has
ten or fifteen vessels TO construct, all On
identioally the same model. using the
same molds. and the machinery In one
being an exact duplicate OF that In the
other. can naturally build them very
much more cheaply than the man who
has but one vessel to build on the same
plans. Hundreds OF English tramp
steamers have been put afioat from sim
gle British shipyards, one being a sub
stantIal duplicate of the other, The in
stances are rare where an American
shipyard has ever had an opportunity
10 build two vessels on Identical lines.
During the year 1889 Great Britain not
only built practically all her own yes
sells. but also sold TO foreign nations
ss5,oo0.eoo Of shipping, Two British
shipyards. one with an output of 77.50l
gross tons. and another with an out
put Of 50 s9t gross tons each built more
steel steam vessels during last year
tran all OF the shlpyards In the United
states put together. yet the construc-
ton Of vessels OF this description was
the largest In our history. on the other
hand, the railroad system OF the Unit
"a states Is eight times as great IS
that OF Great Britain, our manufactor-
les devoted 60 the production Of railroad
material are on commensurately
greater scale than hers. and consequent
! Is this country can export successfully
| locomotives. rails and bridges In com
petition with British manufacturers,
Notwithstanding the higher wages paid
in this country. The economy in pro
duction on the large scale more than
Offsets the enhanced price paid To the
( individual workman.
! Il would hardly require extended ar
sument to prove that no ordinary ma
| chine shop no matter how we'll equip
| Fed. could manufacture successfully =
| single sewing machine. typewriter. BIZ
! cycle OF agricultural machine at cost
/ loss than or even equal TO that az which
| the factory turning them out by thous-
ands can sell them. TIE same condition