The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-20
WHY SHIPS cOST MORE HERE.
An fisherman Compares the British ana
the American Shlpyard.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN--Sir: great
many people wonder why it Is that it costs
more to build ship in the United States than
1t costs TO build one In Great Britain. Tor IN
stance. and letter published In the London
Times Of July 7. over the name OF An ulster
Work ngman." and written from Belfast,
Ireland where the great shipbuilding plant
OF the Harland 4 Wolf Company is located,
may shed some light on the subject Per-
init me to quote from the letter In question;
fellow workman and were In receipt OF DO
shllings per week each some time ago. My felio"
workman decided that he would abandon his coun'
try and the Gag and 60 TO q country shat would DO
better for him. so he went to the United States OF
America and received 10 shlllings per week right on
When he was In this country at the wage OF 70 shsi'
lIngs weekly. his expenditure was ~ shinas which
left shngs OF margin; now. while his wages
have Increased bg double the amount he received
when In this country he assures me tina, his ex.
pendlturo has increased by only third. thus:
In this country His In the United States
receipts were 90s. of America his re-
wecky............. sos ccipts are weekly. COS.
His expenditure was. His expenditure B
weekly ".,.,....... 21s. weekly, 16s.
---
Margin OF saving His margin OF saw
power weekly. . as ing power weekly. 24s.
Or. in other words, for every shilling he used
TO save In this country. he can now save eight
shings In the States besides having better educa-
tonal facilities provided for his children.
There is much more OF interest In the letter
quoted. the writer asserting that British
workmen ARE. without doubt. the finest
and most intelligent men In the world" on
which account he says they should receive
the highest wages. and he asks Tree traders 10
tell him why British workmen don receive
the highest wages
ba ha linen oto
explains why IL Is that Great Britain il able
to build ships from Is TO 30 per cent. cheaper
than this country can build them. Free
traders in the United States desire that the
economic conditions prevailing in Great
Britain. az explained by the Ulster Work.
ingman. shall obtain here. so that we can
build ships here that will enable their owners
to compete with British ships in the foreign
carrying trade OF the United States. Ameri
can protectionists. on the other hand. are
willing that wages in the United States shall
remain double those in Great Britain. but
those interested in shipping ask that the
protection which our Industries enjoy upon
the land shall be extended to our ships in the
foreign trade, so that our workinGmen. both
on land and on sea. shall enjoy the American
standard of wages This difference in the
wages paid TO American vorknKmen in our
shipyards and on board OF our ships, as COM
pared with the wages paid In British ship
Yards and on board British ahips. fully ex-
plnins the need in the United States Of pro-
lection II American workinRmen are to build
and American citizens are IN run tho ships
our foreign commerce employs.
II we wait for free trade. and wages for
American workin gmen or a level with those
paid To the Ulster Workingman.' instead
of holding fast TO the wages his former chnm.
now an American citizen. receives. some day
in the dim future We NAV build our own
ships. hut the American people-and espe-
cially the American worSingman -sho nd
know what it IL that holds us back from build
ing our own ships and hope that THE SrN
will let the It lister WorkinGman" explain il 10
them. as above. ALEXANDER K. SMITH
PELHAM n, Y, July 10.