The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-09
AMERICAN FLAG
IS SELDOM SEEN
More Conspicuous When
Alabama Was Afloat.
COST OF BUILDING.
Much More Expensive in This Than
in Foreign Countries.
OUR SHIPPING INCREASING.
Repor of U. S. Commissioner of Navigation
Shows, However, That American Vessels
Garry Less of Our Imports and
Exports Than at Amy Time
in the History Of
the Country.
Much More Expensive in This Than
in Foreign Countries.
OUR SHIPPING INCREASING.
(By Associated press.)

(By Associated Press)
WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. S-The re-
port of Mr.. Chamberlain, the United
States Commissioner OF Navigation. states
that the past fiscal year has bee1 s;.e
third successive year of notable prosper
ity and growth in American shipping. ex-
ceedlng the two previous years. The ex-
tent and nature OF work under way or
projected In shipyards promises an even
greater growth tor the current .iscai
year.
American tonnage has now attained
practically the former maximum of 1861.
The figures of 1s1i compnred with 1861.
show an increase in coasting trade vss-
sells from 2,104,5i4 tons to 4,5s2, ,6S3 rors
(two-thrds of this increase being on INC
Great Lakes. a decrease in foreign trace
vessels from ., f96. SH tons TO SI9.o99 tons
and decrease in whaling and fishirss
from 35S, SS7o tons to .61. $40 tons.
OF our total tonnage, 3.623.ao1 tons arr,
wooden vessels. and only 1.901Gi1 toiis
are iron or steel In 1901 Great Britasl
launched 1.4i0,0C0 tons of steel vessels
FOREIGN TRADE.
Although registered American vessels
increased 62.i59 tons during the yeat.
American vessels carried only So psr
smallest percentage in our history
Our fleet of ocean steamers in foreign
trade, the report says. is too small to po
compared with that of foreign natiafss
1t is compared with the fleets of fo,trs'
large British and German steamship coz
porations, each of which exceeds so
American fleet in tonnage. mileage ami
business. The tonnage built and docu-
tnented In the United States during the
past fiscal year comprised 1,5S0 vessels
and 1885, $50 gross tons.
The steel vessels under construction or
under contract during the current fiscal
year will much exceed similar tonnage
built in any previous year. The b;ireetu
is advised of 50 merchant vessels of sio,-
$50 gross tons. to be valued at about
s36.O00,oGO. Besides these, Il naval vessels
of 2Sl,14S tons displacement are building
at contract prices of S7s.0OO,G00. In this
work A plants. with q capital of aboat
s6S.GeO, 0C0. employing about 5000 men. are
engaged The building of ten ansAt-
lantic steamers presumably rests on an
tcpated legislation by Congress. Six for
the Atlantic Transport Line are building
from the same plans used In building
steamers in England for the same COM
pany.
COST GREATER HERE
The American cost of steamer of the
..Minnehaha" type will be S1S46,OoO the
British cargo steamers will be S129.GO0. for
which the British prices ranges from so3i,-
600 to 1885, 600.
The difference in wages on American
and foreign vessels is considered in de-
tall In Illustration. the payroll (exclud-
ing master) of $50 men on the ship ST
Louis is s11.3G0; of Az on the british
Oceanic" is s., 900, and of 500 on the Ger
man. KAISER Wilhelm der Grose, Wis.
The German is the fastest steamship, the
American the smallest.
The report contains detailed statement
of the foreign voyages of American ves-
sells last year, showing that the Amert-
can flag was seen much oftener on the
North Atlantic during President Jeffer-
sons embargo act QS0S}. or during the
cruise of the .Alabama-" than at pres
ent Foreign shipping in our Pacific trade
has doubled in three years.
LEYLAND LINE PURCHASE
The purchase of the LeyIanG Line is
considered as evidence that American
capital is willing to invest in ocean
steamships: that there is an advantage
to American exporters in American con-
troll of ocean steamships even il not url-
der the American flag. and that IN the
coming development of our ocean trans
port facilities the union of trunk railroad
lines and steamship corporations. will be
an important factor.
Including the Leyland purchase, ,Ameri-
can capital owns fully $4,000 tons OF
steamers under foreign flags. which. in
ng power, exceed III eri-
actual carrying power. exceed. all Ameri-
can vessels now engaged in foreign trade
The War and Navy Departments also
own 126.Sti gross tons OF foreign pulil
transports and Golfers.
BY various special acts Sc foreign built
vessels of 132 1s7 gross tons have been adj,
mftted to registry. American money. ac-.
cordingly. of late years. has purchased
93l coo tons of foreign built steel steam
ers. while. since 1881. there have been built
in the United States 1.C06.Co0 tons of steel
steam vessels OF all kinds.
The principal foreign and American
mail contracts are printed in full anG it
| is shown mat at the present prices or
steamships. Rritish ocean mail cont acts
are more advantageous for steansn. p
Lines than American contracts under the
act of 1851.