The Washington herald., 1913-02-23
Merchant Shipbuilding Overdone.

Inc large amount OF Sh1pOuhd1ne
that is going on, and has been for the
past fifteen years, does not look as
Though the various alleged shipping
I'pools were successful in suppressinl
competition in the sea-carrying trade.
Last year was far better year ir
the American shipyards than the one
before, according to the returns col.
lected by Lloyd's Register, but it was
not the best year they: have had The
increase last year over the year be-
fore was thirty-two vessels and more
than $4,000 gross tonnage. The num-
Der, I74,> has often been exceeded. II
was from 200 to go in each of the
nine years from 1000 to 1905. The
tonnage, 284223, has been exceeded ter
times in the past twenty years, the
latest being 1910. when the tonnage
was 33I,3Is. The increase last year
over the preceding year was mostly
on the coast The vessels launched or
the Lakes had a tonnage of about
10000. g..
These figures are exclusive of war
ships. OF these there were launched
last year fifteen, with a tonnage of o.
673. Except for 1909, the number was
larger than any year since 1902, bu,
the tonnage exceeded that of any year
since 1905, and the largest tonnage was
10000, in 1904
The worlds launching of vessels
other than warships IN 1912 amounted
to little less than 100000 tons. a con-
siderable increase over 1911. and ex-
ceedcd only slightly by 1906. The
amount of capital that is being in
vested in sea transportation is cnor-
nous. From 1899 on the worlds
launching OF vessels (not warships)
has exceeded 100000 tons each year,
excepting four. The size of steamers
is increasing rapidly, and turbines and
internal combustion engines arc more
in use. The vessels of 5000 tons and
over launched from British yards
were forty-seven in five years ended
1896; I66 in the next five years, I56
in the five years following, and I67 in
the five years ended 1911 OF vessels
of 10000 tons and upward British
yards launched only fvc' in the first
period of five years, thirty-two in the
second, twcnty-nine in the third, and
forty-eight in the last In I9I, sixty
nine vessels of over 6.ooo tons and six
teen of more than 10000 tons were
launched. The two largest of these
were more than 1900 and less than
1900 tons. At Hamburg the Impera-
tor, of $4,000 tons, was launched. This
is the largest vessel to date.
In view of the exclusive policy
which the United States maintains, one
of the most interesting points in this
report is that British shipyards launch
ed ten vessels of more than $4,000 tons
on German account last year. Yet the
German yards, exposed to free compe-
tition. have grown from comparative
unimportance twenty-five years ago to
the equal of the British yards. Last
year German yards launched I65 YES
sels, of H5,3I7 tons. e.
Every year a considerable amount of
tonnage is lost or broken up; still, at
present, the worlds merchant marine
is increasing enormously. Freight rates
are high and shipping profit is liberal,
but in many years the sliipbuilding
business has been ovcrdone; it has
been impossible to keep all the vessels
employed; competition has driven
freight rates down, and good steamers
have been tied up at their wharves, a
dead loss to their owners. ...a.