The sun., 1900-04-02
70 PROMOTE FOREIGN TRADE
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details on this point are Indicated as be
Ing In the Commissioner OF Navigation,
report, the pages in all such references
being named.
Cen Grosxenor's report shows tha
during 1899 there were 10 sail and steam
vessels OF 36, l07 tons built in the Unitef
States for foreign trade.
Our average annual construction o
ocean eamships (most of all of which
we're for our coast wise trade) for ter
years past he's been only 81 900 tons pei
year, compared with the British average
construction OF 96S tons per year.
The cost OF shipbuilding, it is stated,
10 IN Great Britain at least 20, and prob.
ABLY averages 20, per cent. lower than in
the United States, as shown by the evil
aence OF those who appeared at the hear
ings In both the House and Senate Com.
mittees having the bill in charge. Mr..
| Gfiscom, for instance, President of the
international Navigation COMPANY.
states that he could have had the ST.
Louis and the st. Paul built for 81, ,lOO.-
S0Oo less money in Great Britain than
Shey did cost in the United States. LII
that connection it was shown that the
cost OF duplicating in tie United States
the-BrItish built steamship Masconoma
ranged between $3.50, 900 and $3.50 600,
her cost IN Great Britain deliveIed new
IN July, 1898, having been. $2l7, 900.
Low grade ships, says the Grosvenor re-
port, cost more to build in the United
States proportionatey than the high
grade.
Mr.. Thomas Clyde is quoted as having
made the following statement to the
committee:
Tie elements OF the cost OF ocean
transportation are three: First, the cost
i the vessel, second is the cost Of the
maintenance Of the vessel, and the third
he cost OF operating the vessel. II ie
the difference OF the sum of these ele-
meats under the American flag and the
sum OF them under the foreign flag that
is to be given the American vessel owner
by the BILL"
That people will buy where ships are
built cheapest, is obvious, and this ac-
counts, Gays the committee, for the fact
that Great Britain practically monopo.
Lies the building of the worlds ocean
tonnage, Notwithstanding our possession
of the energy, enterprise, skill, capital,
shipbuilding material, harbore, ,shioyards
and machinery for building the ocean
trade ships. The cost of shipbuilding
and OF operation, however, and as will
be shown later, does not comprehend all
OF the obstacles to our success as mari.
time power, the aid given by other ma
tions to their ships constituting an i'm
portant factor.
Passing from differences in cost OF con-
structing ships here and abroad to the
cost of their operation, the committee
finds that the ave rage wages paid to
American seaman on sailing vessels cross
ing the Atlantic is $40 and to British
seamen $l4 per month; on long VOYAGES
from the Pacific coast to Great Britain
American wages were from SIS to $40
and British $l2 l5 to $14. 5S per month,
on such voyages American boatswains
receiving S22 to S25 and British from
$40. Al to $24 80. $50 that it appears on
the whole the British wages on sailing
vessels were somewhat less than three
fourths the American wages" On pas
senger steamships in the trans atlantic
trade seamen's wages in American vessels
were only slightly larger, but for other
pOIbloH5 Vi Gne crew, sucn as nremen,
trimmers, coal passers, etc, the Ameri-
can wages were $40, the British average
being 'just about one-half the American
pay" Tables giving these comparisons
in detail, and which are extended to
German, French, Dutch and Norwegian
vessels, are cited in the report OF the
Commissioner of Navigation.
A table is quoted that shows the actual
wage expenses on five different steam
ships, of about the same size, under as
many different flags, to be as follows per
month