The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-02-19

lUS ntlOiS, III NHiCH NiNNl t'A''''H ''''N
till then the leadership But with the
ascendancy Of the United states IN iron
and steel production and the advent ot
this country into the new era of oce-
anic responsibility, both commercially
and politically. the present period Of our
maritime progress is clearly mark i m
from all that has preceded it. Hisior-
ically. our development in shipbuilding
has reached the point at which the eco
nomic outlook is based upon the most
favorable Industrial and commercial con
ditions ever known in the history Of our
! merchant marine. These conditions are
shown first in the internal development,
OF the shipbunding industry The in
fiuence Of the naval policy on merchant
.hipbuilding has developed shipbuildlng
plants to a point Of equipment with
tools and machinery, and to scale Of
production which. with a larger de-
mand for ships, would almost put the
best American shipbuilders on the same
olane as the British as TO cost Of pro-
duction. The use Of electricity In the
operation of shipbuilding plants, the
employment Of pneumatic tools aul th-
services OF cranes and derricks in hand
ling heavy materials at every stage
have revoluticnized shipbuilding meth
cds in the United States to such an ex-
tent that the best ship yards in Amer
lea are even better equipped Than those
Of Europe. The chief obstacle to ship
building in competition with foreign
ship builders is the lack Of sufficient
orders at our yards to keep them busy
en- a sufficiently uniform yolcme Of
work
The difference IN the labor cost of
production u foreign ami Amo snn
shin yards IS conceded TO b. about 25
ner cent greater on the hull, an! so
per cert greater on the machir'ry in
the American yard This difference, il
accepted Is correct. it is held, must be
overcome by the introduction Of piece
work methods of labor and the stan
dardizing Of iypes and parts Tne re-
rort finds that as compared with Brt.
ish ships. comparatively little progress /
has been made in this country in either /
OF these respects, except in those To- /.
Gated upon the lakes. The lake ship /.
yards have turned out volume ( ton- I
mage which has enabled. them to udliz
European methods Of reducing cost ,
more generally than is the case on tn
seabolrd.
The progress on the lakes IN produce /
tive economies has arisen largely from /
Of plants, whereby spec /
ializing could b. more general de- /
veloped and uniformity in typ. Of con-
structon introduced The consolidation .
of shipbuilding plants with st-el-mak-
ing establishments seems to be another
in which economics In pro-
ductive cost Of ships must BE- realized.
complain that tn huctga-
ton of prices in the steel market have
been among the greatest hindranc-s to
the development of steel shipbu.lding
In the United States, as compared with
European prices, which are more sta
BILE.
The second part Of the inquiry Il d.
voted to the study Of the merchant ma
rina as a apart Of the national dis.r!bu-
tive system. 1t cites the fact shown by
statistics that with the growth in the
volume Of ocean commerce an iuc.eas-
ing portion Of our surplus wealth mas
been handled by sea, 50 that tn nation
al interest has been forced to avai. It.
self Of agencies not Of its own con
troll in order to reach and maintain
foreign markets subject to the dis
,riminaton of shipping lies organized
n the service Of our competitors. The /
growth in the volume Of our foreign
commerce is mainly responsible for the
,act that American capital has prac-
.ically overcome its timidity for invest
nent in either shipbuilding or shipping.
Under existing conditions, however,
distribution by sea between the United
States and the outside world is in for
ign control. For the fiscal year ending
tune 30, 1900, imports and exports by
- -.,o..ao.otos 60 ooa zoo ere q n