Evening star., 1924-03-14
LITTLE INTEREST
N|DLE us. SHIPS
Many Firms Prefer to Build
New Boats-CoastWise
Traffic Expanding.
BY j. G. ROYLE.
Srecial II snatch to The Star,

SHeflal ~ Snafcn 10 Inc Star.
NEW YORK. March 14-Coastwise
traffic is Improving steadily on both
the Atl"ntic and Pacific coasts. This
fact is Frightening the prospect OF
the Americ shipping engaged IN
this trade New vess els are being
built and projected to care for the
increase in traffic. both freight and
Passenger Plans for expansion by
the co stwise steamship companies,
SO far as is indicated at present, do
not contempt te employment of more
than a very few vessels now urged
for sale by the United States Ship
ping Board.
Practical shipping men of long ex-
perlence declared today that they
could see but little hope that the
enormous Shipping Board fleets now
tied up in the Hudson, at New London.
at Philadelphia, in the James river
above Norfolk and in a score of other
localities would ever be put into
commission again.
Terrific Deterioration in Ships.
In confirmation of this belief. so far
as passenger vessels or combined
freight and passenger carriers are
concerned, they pointed to the fact
that the Old Dominion Steamship
Company. operating between New
York and Norfolk, now is building
two new steamers, the George Wash
ington and the Robert E. Lee. at New
port News, each OF which, when COM
plcted, will cost 81 100000. The Clyde
Line also is adding two new boats
to its fleet which operates in south
and gulf coast waters.
Shipping Board vessels undoubtedly
are ohtain"ble at prices far less than
il would cost At present to build rev
boats OF equal tonnage. but steamship
men say that even at such prices they
are Il costly purchase. Deterioration
of vessels in the Idle fleets has been
terrific. since only watchmen have
been employed on them for a long
period.
Heavy Repairs Required.
purchase of these vessels there
f,.e involves not only initial cost but
reconditioninG and upkeep. At pres
ent more than 50 per cent of the ac-
tivities of the Atlantic and Pacific
coast shipyards is devoted to repair
work. Some vessel operators declare
that Shipping Board vessels in use
Just after the war lasted but one
voyage before it was necessary to
withdraw them for extensive repairs.
Marine architects of this city, in dis
cussing the wooden ships of the
board stated today that in many
was hanging about their sides like
Spanish moss.
Few inde pendent vessel owners are
inclined to regard the possibility that
the idle vessels will be purchased by
foreign countries.
Foreign Buyers Not Interested.
The return of those foreign coun-
tries to financial stability and to a
position which would enable them
to pay for American ships has been
slow and still hHs far to GO I'm
provement in world trade has been
equally slow. Great Britain and Ger
many. the best prospects for the sale
of additional ocean going tonnage.
naturally are anxious to put their
own shipyards back on an active ba-
sis.
1t is felt in shipping circles, there
fore, that they would prefer to make
it possible financially for vessel own
ers TO build new ships in their own
yards. than to purchase from the
American government, to which they
already are deeply in debt.
Activity in Lumber Reflected.
The Improvement in coastwise traf-
fic has reflected activity in the lum-
Der trade as thoroughly perhaps as
in any other industry. Vessels are
loading lumber steadily in the south
have not been SO brisk in the last
fortnight as earlier in the year, but
shipments on previously placed orders
have been heavy and continuous. This
fact. however, has affected only the
southern mills cutting on order and
not those cutting for stock. Incl
dentally, stocks have never been so
badly broken in the history of the
southeast as they are today. Rail-
roads have not been buying in ex-
traordinary quantities recently, but
this fact is not alarming producers
since the extensive maintenance-of-
way programs already provided for
give assurance that orders are only
being postponed.
Heavy Shipments by Water.
Docks at Jacksonville, Fla, for ex-
ample, are piled high with ties and
lumber, and terminal facilities are
fast being outgrown. More than 1000
ties week are being shipped from
the Atlantic Coast Line docks of that
city alone.
The bad weather of the last week
has had the effect of slowing up the
demand for lumber in most of the
: important centers Of the north and
east, but the market for most woods
remains firm, according to telegraphic
reports received here today.