The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-11-14
Statistics Showing The Increase of
Our Shipping.
1T HAS BEEN NOTABLE THIS YEAR
Despite Our Remarkable Increase But
Little nore Than 8 Per Cent of the
Country's Commerce is Carried By
American Vessels.

Washington, Special.-The report
Of Mr. Chamberlain, the United States
Commissioner of Navigation, states
that the past fiscal year has been the
third successive year of notable pros
| perity and growth in American ship
ping, exceeding the two previous
years. The extent and nature OF
| work under way or projected in ship
yards promises an even greater
growth for the current fiscal year.
American tonnage has now attained
practically the tormer maximum OF
1861. The figures of 1901, compared
! with 1861, show an increase in coast
| ing trade vessels from 2,704,544 tons
to 4,582,6S3 tons (two-thirds of this
increase being On the Great Lakes),
decrease in foreign trade vessels
from 2,496,S94 tons to S79,595 tons and
q decrease in whaling and fishing
from 338,754 to 81, $40 tons.
OF our total tonnage 3,623,201 tons
are wooden vessels, and only 1901
OF tons are iron or steel. In 1909
Great Britain launched 100000 tons
of steel vessels. Although registered
American vessels increased 62,425
tons during the year, American YES
sells carried only SO per cent. of our
! exports and imports. the smallest per-
centage in our history.
Our fleet of ocean steamers in for
eign trade. the report says, is too
small to he compared with that CT
foreign nations. 1t is compared with
the fleets of four large British and
German steamship corporations. each
of which exceeds the American fleet
in tonnage, mileage and business.
The tonnage built and documented Ill
! the United States during the past
fiscal year comprised 1855 vessels
and 4S3. .4G9 grcss tons. The steel YES
sells under construction or under con-
| tract during the current fiscal year
| will much exceed similar tonnage
built in any previous year. The bureau
| is advised Of SO such merchants YES
sells of 355.645 gross tons, to be
valued al about s36,000,000. Besides
these. II naval vessels Of 2S1.14S tons
displacement are building at contract
prices of $7S.000.000 In this work Al
plants with a capital Of about S6S,000.-
| coo and employing about $4,000 men
are engaged The building OF ten
transatlantic steamers presumably
rests on anticipated legislation by
| Congress. Six for the Atlantic Trans
port Line are building from the same
! plans used in building steamers IN
| England for the same company. the
cost Of steamer of the "MinnehahaY
| type will be 1S46,000. the British
cargo steamers will lie S729,0O0, for
which the British price ranges from
| S534. 900 to $4S6.000.
The difference in wages on Ameri-
can and foreign vessels is considered
| in detail. In illustration. the pay roll
| Excluding master) Of $50 men on the
steamer st. Louis is S11,300: of Az
on the British steamer Oceanic is
| $500, and OF 500 on the German
Kaiser Wilhelm Der Crosse. S7,1l3.
| The German is the fastest steamship
and the American is the smallest. The
report contains a detailed statement
Of the foreign voyages Of American
vessels last year. showing that the
American flag was seen much oftener
on the North Atlantic during Presi-
dent Jefferson's embargo Qs0S) or
during the cruises of the Alabama
! than at present. Foreign shipping in
our Pacific trade has doubled in three
years.
The purchase of the Leland Line is
considered as evidence that American
capital is willing to invest in ocean
steamships. that there is an advan'
tage to American exporters in Amerl-
can control of ocean steamships. even
il not under the American flag and
that in the coming develoDment of
our ocean transportation facilities the
union OF trunk railroad lines and the
steamship corporation will be an i'm.
portant factor. Including the Leyland
| purchase American capital owns fuiiV
| 10000 tons of steamers under for
eign lacs. which in actual carving
| power exceed all American vessels
now engaged in foreign trade. The
War and Navy Departments also own
| 12G.S47 gross tons of foreign-built
transports and golfers. Bv various
special acts. sc foreign-built vessels
of 1321S7 gross tons have been ad-
| mitted to registry. American money
accordingly of late years has pur-
chased 931 900 tons Of foreign-hullt
steel steamers. while since 1891. there
have been built in the United States
! / O06 600 tons of steel steam vessels CT
all kinds.