Douglas Island news., 1919-06-13
NORTHERN CITY
 TO BUILD SHIPS
Prince Rupert to Build Ships for Canadian Government and
 Operate Drydock

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 Seattle is to have another rival in Inc contest for shipbuildlng suprem- icy on the Pacific coa9t. Prince Ru- pert. B. C., being the latest contend cr for houors i'm this field. ship yards Financed by American capital ist8 with offices in New York have leased Che drydock at that port and a contract has been signed with the Canadian government for the con- 8truction of two S,1OO-ton ships, to cost $l.5OO,OOO each. This informa- ton has been given out by the De- pertinent of Commerce.
 The British Columbian vessels are Co have a speed Of II 1-2 knots and are Co bo completed within eighteen months. It is the expectation of the officials of the company that these contracts are the forerunners Of many others that will be signed within few weeks. Being unham- ucrcd with restrictions in the taking of contracts for foreign account, the British Columbia yards probably will be on the market for some of the big orders for foreign account which gre alleged Co be floating around" but which are found Co be very in tangible when it comes to signing them.
 Although there has been consid- ,rablc talk about these foreign con tracts. with stories of British yards .aking jobs of building 5,OOo,OOO ons for Che French government and 100000 for Scandinavian inter as,s and l.OOO.OOO tons for tho ltal- ian government, these yarns have invariably proved that those who
 circulated them failed Co distinguish between am inquiry as to prices and l contract. So far as can be asccr- aiucd nobody has ever appeared be- fore the Shipping Board with gen uinc oner of contract for foreign account
 However. more than 12,OOO,OOO ons of shipping was destroyed by submarines during the war, and his amount of tonnage must be re- placed. In another two years the United States will have built about two-thlrds Of it. if the suspended outracts are rcinstltcd, or if new .ontracts for tho same amount of tonnage, but in ships of-a different uzc arc made That many ships will 5c bcuilt i'm the United States during The next few years Is certain. The British yards have work enough on land to keep them busy for three ,ears. Tho American yards have 7u ..icut work to keep them busy for a year and a hclf, that is, pro yidcd the suspended contracts are .cinstated.
 Foreign countries must have ships 10 replace those lost in the war, but u ifs not likely that contracts for them will be made until after tho peace treaty is signed. When the contracts for tonnage for foreign ac- .ount are available. it is certain, m the opinion of officials at Washing ion. that the Puget Sound yards will get heir share of them. but the work will be done on a keenly competitive basis and probably not at the high prices that arc now being paid.
 The British Columbia plant at Prince Rupert will be contender for these contracts for foreign ac- count According to the information in the hands of the commerce de- nartment. the new enterprise to the norh of Seattle is well equipped to enter the shipbuilding industry on Inc Pacific coast. Tho yard IS equipped with a drydock and is qual- flied to do repair work. The dry docl, has a lifting capacity of 2O'- OOO tons.
 The yard is as favorably situated as are the yards at Seattle in regard 10 climatic conditions and 1t is about as close to the supply Of steel plate.
 Tho construction of the drydocK at Prince Rupert while 1t will be a competitor with Seattle for repair work. will be of advantage to a number of vessels plying In Alaskan water. in that ships which may be damaged In the Alaska run will be closer to repair base.-Seattl' Times