The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1921-06-15
uoyd's Register Reports Total
Of 7,086,766 Ship Tons
in Yards of World.
BIG DROP IN U. S. IN YEAR
Tetal Building Hero, 100000 Tone,
ls Only About 40 Por Cent OF
Record Year Aso--Japan
Shows email Gain.

New York.-More than 100000
gross tons of merchant vessels are re
ported as being in the shlpyards Of the
world, says a statement by Lloyd's
Register. Compared with the total on
January l. the 7,os0T66 tons, to be
exact, represents decline Of less than
100000 tons, nearly 1A 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. 3.79S,593
gross tons, Is q gain OF $4,000 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 10000 gross
tons OF vessels on which work has
been suspended. and an additional $50
600 tons the completion OF which has
been postponed. chiefly owing to the
strike Of the shipioincrs, which has
intcrfcrcd with the fitting out of
number Of large liners and other yes
sells, the report continues. Taking
this total of 1900 tons into consd-
GRAFTON. therefore, the total Of new
ships on which work is proceeding in
British shipyards is 2,o51,593 tons, or
about 20 per cent less than the total
at the beginning Of tho year.
additional indications OF tho condi-
tinns in the British shlphuldin. are
furnished by the returns Of launch-
ings and new work begun during the
first quarter Of this year. New keels
represented only 301 900 gross tons, in
comparison with 5O3,0GO for the last
quarter of 1920, and 10000 for the
quarter ended April l. 1920. Launch
ings during the quarter Just ended
$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 | is
1,1o2o0o 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 (for the
last-named no official returns are avail
Of a.
over the January total, Iloyd's eSti-
mates
The apparent world decrease In
shipbuilding activity during the last
quarter, therefore, has been not far
from a million tons decline OF about
1912 per cent" the statement says
"In some directions. however. gains
are shown in the volume OF construc-
tion under way. These ere most
marked in the case Of France which
now stands next TO the United King
building nation, having displaced Hol-
land during the last quarter year
ago France, with only 10000 tons un-
der way, was led hy 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 half
times the total for the British domin-
ions. and leads japan and Italy by
i33.o0O tons and $4,000 tons, respect
lively.
Japan shows small gain in the
total under construction, as compared
with the previous quarter. and Itnly,
Holland and the British dominlons
slight decreases"