The Washington times., 1901-11-09

too small TO be compared with that of
foreign nations and could only he com
pared with the fleets of the four large
British and German steamship corpora
tions, each of which exceeds it in ton
mage, mileage, and business.
The tonnage built and documented in
| the United States during the past fiscal
year comprised !, ,5S1 vessels of IS, ,G2l gross
tons. The steel vessels under construc-
tion or under contract during the current
fiscal year would much exceed similar
tonnage built in any previous year. The
bureau is advised of 50 such vessels OF
255.654 gross tons, TO be valued at about
SS5.OC0O0o. Besides thes {, Il naval vessels
Of 2S1.14S tons displacement are building
at contract prices Of S7S,Oo5.09O In this
work ~ plants with capital Of about
600, employing ic,eJ5 men, are en-
gagged.
The building of ten transatlantic
steamers, the report states. presumably
rests on anticipated legislation by Con-
gress. Six for the Atlantic Transport Line
are building from the same plans Ised in
| building steamers IN England for the
same company. The American cost OF a
steamer Of the Minnehaha type viii be
| $1,S46,800, the British cost S1a19,200. The
American cost Of the smaller trans-At-
lantic cargo steamers viii be $4,000, for
which the British price ranges from $j34,-
| G0J to s4s6GoO.
The difference in wages on American
and foreign vessels Is considered In detail.
In illustration, the pay roll, excluding
! master, of $50 men on the steamship st.
Louis is shown to be Sll 800; Of ~ men
and of 900 men on the German Kaiser
Wilhelm der Crosse S515. The German
/ is the fastest steamship; the American is
/ the smallest.
The report contains n detailed state
ment of the foreign voyages Of American
vessels last year, showing that the Amer
lean flag was seen much oftener on the
North Atlantic during President Jeffer-
sons embargO-lSlS. or during tn. cruise
Of the Alabama-than at present. For
eign shipping in our Pacific trade has
doubled in three years.
The purchase Of the Lcyland line is
considered rs evidence that American
capital is willing to invest in ocean
J steamships; that there IS an advantage
/ TO Anne mCricau exporters in American con-
I trol Of ocean steamships even If not un-
| der the American flag, and that in the
| coming development of our ocean trans
| ports ton facilities the union Of trunk
| railroad lines and steamship corporations
| will be an important factor Including
| the Leyland purchase, American capital
owns fully $1,000 tons Of steamers under
| foreign flags, which in actual carrying
power exceed all American vessels now
| engaged in foreign trade. The Army and
| Navy Departments also own l26, ,S47 gross
| tons of foreign built transports and
| Golfers. BY special acts. fifty-siX foreign
/ built vessels Of 132, ,1S7 gross tons have
| been admitted to registry. American
! money, accordingly, Of late years has pur-
! chased g3l, 60 tons of foreign built steel
| steamers, while since 1891 there have been
| built in the United States 1.0hGo go tons Of
steel steam vessels Of III kinds.
The principal foreign and American
| ocean mail contracts are printed in fun,
| and IL IS shown that at present prices for
| steamships the British ocean mail CON
| tracts are more advantageous for steam
| ship lines than American contracts under
| the act of 1891.
| The report contains the usual statistical
! tables of American shipping, and also
| tables illustrating the growth Of British
and German shipping. II will not be
( printed for distribution until December.