The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-06
4NERfCAN-OWNED SHIPS
NUMBER 1884
And the Total Gross Tonnage OF the Yes
sells Was 2,25o,ooo-Greatest
Percentage Was for At
lantic Coast.


f. Hartley, chief statistician in charg
of the recent water transportation in
quiry, made as of Dee. 81, 1916, Amer
ican.owned merchant vessels of five tom
net register or over, OF all classes, OPP
Grating during the year 1916 on the coas
or inland waters of the United States
including Alaska, or between ports of tn,
United States and foreign. countries
numbered 1884 and had a total gross
tonnage of l2,250,000. (Gross tonnage /,
calculated by dividing entire internal ca
pacity, in cubic feet, by l00)
The geographical distribution of this
gross tonnage was as follows: Atlanti,
coast and Gulf of Mexico, $500 900; Mis-.
sissippi river and its tributaries, 1921 :
900; Pacific coast, including Alaska
| l.lS6,000; Great Lakes and st. Lawrence
river, 2,73s,000; canals and other inland
waters, 10000. The distribution ac-
cording to method of propulsion was
Steam and other power, 6,09s,000; sail,
l,0S9,000; unrigged, 5,063,0o0.
Decrease in Tonnage Since 1906.
The increase in number of vessels as
compared with 1906 was equal to only
lh per cent, and the gross tonnage
shows decrease amounting to 5 per
cent This is accounted for by the
marked falling off in number and tonnage
OF sailing vessels and in tonnage of I'M
rugged craft. The former show de-
crease in number from 7,l3l to 2,979,
or 50 per cent, and in gross tonnage from
l,704, 900 to l,0so.000, or 30 per cent.
Unrigged craft, although increasing
slightly in number from 20 .283 to 20,334,
or four tenths of / per cent, show de-
crease in tonnage from 100000 to
1903 900, or 20 per cent. On the other
hand, craft propelled by steam and pow
err increased in number from 1927 to H.
5sl. or AZ per cent, and in tonnage from
4,060,000 to 6,09S 900. or 50 per cent.
The average tonnage per vessel, for
the country as whole decreased from
345 in 1906 to 1923 in 1916.
The proportional increase during the
lo-year period in number of vessels was
most pronounced ON the Pacific coast, in
GLIDING Alaska, where il amounted TO 6 |
per cent; but the greatest rate of in
crease in tonnage, "a per cent, appears
for the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of
Mexico, as against q per cent for the
Pacific coast. including Alaska. For the
Great Lakes and st. Lawrence river the
increase in tonnage was IA per cent. On
the other hand, a great decrease in ton
mage, from 4,4l2,000 to ! ,62l 900, or 81 !
per cent, took place on the Mississippi |
river and its tributaries; and a decrease
of "a per cent appears for canals and |
other inland waters.
Increases in Value and Business Done. |
Despite the very small increase in
number of vessels and the falling off in
total gross tonnage throughout the coun-
Try as a whole during the l0-year period,
he figures for value of vessels, gross in
some, wages paid and freight carried
'how marked increases, amounting to 80
Der cent, 81 per cent, Al per cent and
Z per cent, respectively. The number of
employees, however, increased by less than
per cent and the number of passengers
arried shows decrease of not quite 10
yer cent The foregoing items. for the
'ear 1916 are, in round numbers, as fol-
ows: Value of vessels, s96O000,000;
ross income, 1864. 100000; wages paid,
03,000000; freight carried, including
ighterage, or harbor work, 376,00,0O0
ons of 1000 pounds; number of EN-
loyes, $4,000: number of passengers
arried, 33l, 100000
The pronounced increase between 1906
nd 1916 in freight carried, accompanied
$ it was by a falling off in gross ton /.
age. is accounted for by the fact, AL ,,
eady pointed out that the decline in :
onnage took place entirely in sail and
nrigged craft and was offset in consid-
rable part by a decided increase in ton ! !.
age of steam and other mechanically
ropelled vessels, which, because of their
reater speed, are able to carry more
eight per annum, in proportion TO ton
age, than can be transported by other
asses of craft.
The decrease in the number of passen
ers carried is due to the reduction in =
,rry traffic resulting from the establish !,
tent of the tube" service in greater
ew York. :,
The vessels operating on the Atlantic i
,ast and the Gulf of Mexico represented :,
less than three-fifth of the :,
,tal number for the United States, a lit ;,
e more than half the total gross ton !;
age, and about two.thirds the total .,
ilue, and reported nearly half the total a
tl8nb tdEiitu Inc Percentages VI III / n
ease in gross tonnage, value, gross in a
me. and wages paid-34, 1870, 1876 and q
/, espectively-were much greater for
Iese vessels than the corresponding per
ntages for those operating in other see Y
ons of the country. In respect of freight
FRIED. however, the increase for the At
mite coast and the Gulf of Mexico was
latively small, being only 20 per cent.
against "A per cent for the Mississippi
yer and its tributaries. 40 per cent for G
e Pacific coast including Alaska, and -
per cent for the Great Lakes and st
Iwrence river. Canals and other inland
sters, however, show a decrease of %
r cent.
Idle Vessels. of
The figures above given relate 10 YES tr
Is which were active in operation dur W
2 all or a part of the year 1916. In pl
dition. the report for 1916 shows 2.6sl vi
ssels, with gross tonnage of $4,000, az
less than per cent Of the total ton ha
&c, as idle during the entire year The
'reases in number and tonnage Of Idle bl
ssels during the l0-year period amount en-
10 - per cent and 1903 per cent re ju
These increases appear for ca
tn power and unrigged craft, but = de I'M
'aSe from sos TO 800 Is shown for idle fe,
Iling vessels, although the tonnage Of hs
n vessels increased from 10000 20 20. hs
,. The proportion which idle tonnage in,
presented Of the total shows an in an
.ase from 1906 to 1916 for each Of tbs Ia
-ee classes Of craft