The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-06


and. with prophetic spirit. explained In
advance. how absurd would be in 1900 any
attempt by Mr.. Chamberlain to use tramp
steamers of old types in calculating the
comparative cost OF shipbuilding in Great
Britain and the United States.
1.-The proper form in which to put tie
question is: Can you build a ship 10 do
the work of the City of New York or the
Majestic. or the Columbia in all respects
for the same cost? To that question
would reply Yes, or within as small a
margin as would he likely to prevail in
similar case between any two British
shipyardS.'
1T is the fact that the first cost of
ships is not .nly not a prime factor. but
II is not even serious factor. in any
competition that may occur between this
country and Great Britain for a share OF
the traffic of the ocean
''If the current policy Of naval recon
struction be pursued for another decaEe.
TIL QS02). coupled with a vigorous and
consistent execution Of The measures re
Gently enacted in behalf of the merchant
marine. the question which forms the
subject of this paper will be asked no
more; unless, indeed. its point should be
reversed and Englishmen be asking enc
another, can we build ships as econom-
| tally as they can in the United States?
Put the plans and specifications of the
| average English tramp in the hands OF
an American shipbuiIder, and he could not
duplicate her. He would build better
vessel. of superior workmanship, and
neater finish in every respect.
Under these circumstances this branch of
the subject may be dismissed summarily.
with the statement that an English freight
I ff~f -.
Gated in this country at any cost"
The actual status today Il as follows: As
to the building of great steamers that, as
Mr. Chamberlain explains, are to charac-
terize future ocean commerce. we lead the
world. He himself reports as under con-
| struction here for the foreign trade only
one ship Of less than 5000 tons, but two
steamers each of a,GG0 tons. one of 6174
| tons, one of 1900 tons, two each OF $3.50
tons. two each of 1890 tons. two each of
$50 tons. and two each of 10000 tons;
also that our shipyards are not merely new.
but specially established with reference
| to such work; that the vessels last noted
as under construction are larger than asy
others now in existence; that American
shipbuilding plants as a rule are much
newer than British establishments and bet
| ter equipped with labor-saving appliances
so that American labor Is more effectively
employed. il employed and the relative
difference In labor cost is not altogether so
great as the relative difference in rates Of
wages. The efficiency of labor in the ship
yard depends, however on the steadiness
I Of the employment and the expensive
/ tools which make high-priced labor eco
nnmical when busy: when idle render such
| labor very costly. At the present time and
I for some months past our shipyards have
! been busy labor fully employed. and the
D zE I'll 4 II.
| ened;" and that assured prospects ahead
| are for even greater prosperity Of Amer
! lean shipbuilding for years to come-which
means further cheapening of the rate at
! which orr shipyards can and will steadily
/ claim an increasing proportion of the
/ worlds trade.
/ When to this is added Mr.. Hills ex-
perience already cited. it becomes evident.
/ on the one hand. how immaterial is the
/ comparative cost at which British and
/ American yards will undertake to build
/ tramp steamers CT small size-which are
/ going out Of date. and for which our new
yards are not planned; and on the other.
! how certainly. if present conditions are
! not interfered with by our laws, the
/ United States will permanently lead in
! shiDbuilding.
| In this new situation. as in so many
/ former ones, the old alternative is pre-
! sented. BY subsidy legislation we can in
/ volve such high prices as to limit at once
| our use Of American material. our employ
/ ment Of American labor, and our product
| of American built ships Or. by leaving
our capitalists to completely founding
new yards. utilizing new economies in
method, and devising advanced types of
J vessels-we can better and cheaper our
( product. and. continuing the progress of
! the last few years, create demand here for
the material and labor TO supply. not
merely our own people. but the world.
Our capitalists are competent to deal
| with either end of the dilemma Enact
| legislation Offering them extraordinary
profit in corralling the American market
and they will promptly so combine to
limit production and raise prices as to
pocket the Treasury largess with least
employment Of labor and capital But give
them to understand that they must depend
upon their own enterprise. and they will
promptly put in sufficient capital and en-
plcy enough labor to earn. by concaar:c e
the worlds trade. more for themselves and
far more than by the Subsidy bill they
now hope to get without earning.