Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-17

aggregate tonnage or L. 3l ,.tn tons were
under construction in the United King
aggregate displacement of 2S9..DO tons.
At the same date in 1909 there were 331
vessels of 913,43O tons under construc-
ton.
Practically all of these vessels are being
built of steel. only about one-half of l
per cent being wood.
Builds Ships for World.
About 50 per cent Of all the new ves-
sells built in the world were launched in
the United Kingdom last year. and If
only steamers of 5000 tons and upwards
were taken into account the United King
dom would be credited with "a per cent.
The total new merchant ships built in
the world during the year 1910 represent
ed 1857 1853 tons, an increase of about
3:,6.GO from 1909. OF these about 100000
tons represent sailing vessels
The increase of steam vessels and the
decrease of sailing vessels is SO rapid
that very. soon practically everything
will go by steam.
in the size of the vessels that have
been constructed during the last few
years. 1t is quite as phenomenal as the
increase in the size Of business blocks
that are being erected in our cities. and
is due to the discovery that there is
greater economy in maintaining and oper-
ating large vessels. and because the
larger the cargo the less the expense of
carrying it per ton per mile. 1t is as
serted by experts that a steamer of
2D,C,0 tons can be maintained and oper-
ated at a comparatively slight advance
over steamer of 10000 tons, while a
steamer of $500 tons costs very little
more to maintain and operate than a
steamer of 5000 tons. The speed. of
course. must be taken into considerat on.
because fuel is the largest item OF eX-
pense in operating any steamer. The
faster she goes the more coal is needed
to keep her in motion. The economy of
large steamers in the consumption of coal
is quite as great Is in the carrying of
cargo. and the type Of steamer that is
now most profitable is one that will
make eighteen knots an hour and carry
a cargo of 20.W0 or more tons. The eX-
pert says that the maximum of economy
and the minimum of expense has not
yet been demonstrated. and the expert
ment of the steamship companies in
building such great vessels as the
Olympic and the Titanic of the White
Star line is of the most vital interest to
the shipping trade, as it is expected to
solve the problem. If the cost of trans
porting a ton mile across the ocean
is to be reduced as rapidly in the fu-
ture by the increase in the size of the
carrier as it has been in the past we
will soon be crossing the Atlantic in YES
sells of 100 600 tons. That is. if YES
be operated at a very slight advance
over one that will carry cargo of 2O.-
nO tens. will the same advantage be
found in still larger vesselso
Twenty years ago the limit of fre'ghterS
was 5000 tons: ten years ago 1t was
practically 10000 tons: now four steamers
of more than 1900 tons are under con-
struction.
Aeronautics as an Industry.
During the last year a new industry
was developed called aeronautics. Twenty
two factories have already been estab-
lished in the United Kingdom for the pro-
duction of flying machines of various Ge
signs, representing an investment in ex-
cess of sJO0,OOO. The best authorities place
the number Of aeroplanes produced
throughout the entire word during the
year 1910 at 3.OGG The largest number
were blu it in France. One French fac
tory produced 500 and the French gov
eminent was it's largest patron. Germany
comes next in the number of machines
produced, England third and the United
States fourth. 1t is estimated that more
than 500 men are now employed in Eng
land alone in the production of aero
planes. engines. prupellers and various
supplies that are required by the manu-
facturers. 1t is the unanimous opinion
that the aeropllne has come to stay, al
though it is not believed that the -avel-
opment of the industry WI be so rapid
and remarkable that of the automo-
bile. The reasons are obvious
Notwithstanding the great prosperity CT
the United Kingdom III 1914, the labor
conditions We're unsatisfactory. There
were more strikes than eve. before and It
is estimated that they involved directly
502.5 - working people, who lost the wag IS
of 9.S40,WU working days. The actual
number of strikes throughout the United
Kingdom was JOi. of which II. were
failures. In 81 cases the strikes won
The number of people involved and the
loss in wages the highest recorded
since 1S93. Most of the Sc strikes were in
the mines and the cotton trade: there
were also several disputes in the ship
yards and engineering trades. The num-
Der of work pc ople involved in the strikes
Of 1910 amounted to per cent of the
total Industrial population of the king
dom, and the wages lost represent one