The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-05-30
SHOWS DECLINE
IN SH|PBU|LD|NC
uoyd's Register Reports Total
Of 7,086,766 Ship Tons
in Yards Of World.
BIG DROP IN U. S. IN YEAR
Total Building Here, 100000 Tons,
Is Only About 40 Per Cent Of
Record Year Ago-Japan
Shows Small Gain.

New Y0rk.-More than 100000
gross tons Of merchant vessels are re-
ported as being in the shipyards Of the
world, says a statement by Lloyd's
Register. Compared with the total on
January !, the 7,Os678e tons, to be
exact, represents decline Of less than
100000 tons, nearly IN per cent.
The actual decline in shipbuilding
activity has been much sharper in the
past three months than appears on the
surface, says the statement. The total
reported for Great Britain, S,798,503
gross tons, Is a gain Of $1,000 tons
over the January l record, but there
has been marked reduction in the vol
ume Of tonnage on which work is
actually proceeding, Lloyd's Register
finds.
Work Suspended.
Included in the total in the hands
Of British shipyards are $4,000 gross
tons of vessels on which work has
been suspended, and an additional $780,
900 tons, the completion Of which has
been postponed, chiefly owing to the
strike Of the shipjoiners, which has
interfered with the fitting out Of
number Of large liners and other YES
sels," the report continues. taking
this total Of $4,000 tons into consid-
Grafton, therefore, the total Of new
ships on which work Is proceeding in
British shipyards is 2,951, 503 tons, or
about 20 per cent less than the total
At the beginning of the year.
Additional indications Of the condi-
lions in the British shipbuilding are
furnished by the returns Of launch
fngs and new work begun during the
first quarter Of this year. New keels
represented only 391, 900 gross tons, in
comparison with $4,000 for the last
quarter Of 1920, and 701,0O0 for the
quarter ended April 1, 1920. Launch
ings during the quarter just ended
represented 431,0OO tons, as against
$4,000 tons for the last three months
of 1920. Even with the delays due to
strikes and other causes, therefore,
work is being completed more rapidly
than new work is coming on"
Decline in America.
Returns from American shipyards
show that the decline which has been
In effect more than year continues,
Lloyd's says. The total construction
reported under way on April l is
100000 tons, only slightly more than
40 per cent of the American total
year ago. The aggregate for all other
countries except the United States,
Great Britain and Germany flor the
last-named no official returns are avail
able) shows a gain of about 25,OOO tons
over the January total. Lloyd's esti-
mates.
'The apparent world decrease in
shipbuilding activity during the last
quarter, therefore, has been not far
from million tons, decline of about
12h per cent" the, statement says.
"In some directions, however. gains
are shown in the volume of construc-
ton under way These are most
marked in the case of France, which
now stands next to the United King
dom and the United States as a ship
building nation, having displaced Hol-
land during the last quarter. A year
ago France, with only 100000 tons un-
Ger way, was led by Japan, Italy and
Holland, and was constructing only
5000 tons more than the British do
minions. Today, with $4,000 tons
building, she has nearly two and a half
times the total for the British domin-
ions, and leads Japan and Italy by
$4,000 tons and $4,000 tons, respect
lively.
Japan shows small gain in the I
total under construction, as compared
with the previous quarter, and Italy,
Holland and the British dominions
slight decreases"