Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-05
Our Shipping and shipbuiIdins.


an encouraging nature concerning ship
building or our foreign merchant ma
rine. It is the one rift in the lutte OF
our national prosperity, and it is
matter in which Maine has a special
interest. This volume, issued annually
by the Marine Review of Cleveland, Is
statistical publication and also a d.
rectory we'll known in shipping and
ship building circles throughout the
country, It contains as an introduce
ton a careful review of conditions pre-
yailing in these lines, from which it
appears that not a single contract has
been let for a vessel for the foreign
trade of the United States during the
mast two years. Here is a country
whose exports are unrivaled among
the nations of the earth without a sin
gle ship ordered for two years to carry
away its freight. Could any one thing
demonstrate more clearly than this the
need of government aid for shipping?
Why is this feature of our trade neg
| lected? The ability to make things to
export is aided by tariff. Why not
the carrier itself? Space in a ship is
commodity. 1t is something made to
sell. The statistics of our export trade
would be vastly enriched if there could
be added to them the freight earned in
| transporting the goods.
| Except on the Great Lakes, where the
industry is peculiarly a special one pro-
tected by the coasting regulations,
there is little encouraging to report re-
| garding shipbuilding in the United
| States. Orders have become like the
proverbial visits of the angels, few and
| far between. During the fiscal year
ended June 80 last, 1886 vessels of 1885,
O76 gross tons were built in the United
States, compared with 1857 vessels of
473,9S1 gross tons for the previous fis-
cal year. Vessels now under construc-
ton indicate further lessened output
for the coming fiscal year. The prin-
cipal decrease for the past year has
been in steel steamers built on the
great lakes, which number Al of 1850
tons compared with SO of 161,797 tons
for the preceding year. The previous
year was the one of greatest output in
the lake district. On the seaboard Is
ocean steel steamers of 1914 gross
tons were built-the largest output OF
this type in our history. Think of it.
Eighteen ocean steel steamers in this
continent-covering a country with
10000, 900 of souls. Nor were these al
+ for oversee trade. Far from it. Only
, five of them can properly be credited
: ! to that service-the Finland for lhe
Red Star line, the Massachusetts, Miss
| issippi and Maine for the Atlantic
, Transport Line and the Siberia for the
Pacific Mail Steamship Co. The Rec
Star and Atlantic Transport lines are
now controlled by the Internationa
, Mercantile Marine Co. All these ship:
were ordered over two years ago and
) there have been no new orders to fill
the plans left vacant on the stocks.
A few contracts have been received
t by the coast ship yards for some splen
! did vessels for the coastwise service
2 1t might be pertinent to state, since 81
many laymen appear to be ignorant O
l it, that the coastwise trade of the Unit
/ ed States and the foreign trade are twt
l different things. The coastwise trade
t meaning trade between United
5 States ports, is a protected trade. Yes
e sells of other flags may not engage in it
2 The past four years have marked ;
:. distinct revival in ship building for tn
S coastwise trade and Maine yards hav
y felt this revival, but the crest appear
4 to have been reached, for many new
e orders are not forthcoming The nov
. city of the coasting trade during tn
past year has been the construction o
t the seven-masted schooner T44o...
: Lawson.
Since the Spanish-American Wal
naval contracts have been we'll dis
tributed among the coast ship builders
= During the year contracts for four bat
tleships, two armoured cruisers an
two gunboats have been given to then
Contracts for two more 'battleships ar
about to be given, and in addition tn
| New York navy yard is building on
battleship. Forty-one warships are
present under construction, represent
ing a displacement of 33S,94S tons,
total horse power of ASSOC, and cost
ing for bulls and machinery $9O,314,51t
; The few remaining ''antis' will not
with great regret that the foreign
| DE: 1;,,o 40 inn