Evening star., 1938-05-18
FAST PACE IS SET
BY SA|PBU|LD|NG
First Contracts for General
Cargo Vessels in IS
Years Are Let.
By ]. G. DONLEY.

specia' Dispatch to The star.
NEW YORK, May 1S-shipbuAding
Is wing with the aircraft manufactur-
ing industry for the title Of brightest
SPOT In the American business picture.
The most significant recent news
on shipbuilding Is the letting, for the
first time in 16 years, Of contracts for
construction Of ocean-going general
cargo vessels. Back In 1885 and
1895 the American shipbuilding In
dustry attained the enviable disttnc-
ton Of being the leading tanker build
ers Of the world. They also had quite
o tussle with ferry boats, tugs and
fishing trawlers; but mainly it was
tankers, tankers, tankers.
Altogether the Maritime Commission
has signed contracts for eight cargo
vessels, four steam and four motor
ships, to cost more than $4,000. 900.
The steam propelled vessels will have
displacement tonnage Of 1880 tons
each, length Of 435 feet and speed
Of l5h knots. The largest vessel now
ON the ways In this country Is .
passenger steamship of 1880 gross
tons, being built by the Newport
News Shipbuilding d Drydock Co. for
the United States Lines to replace the
Leviathan.
Stages Slow Revival.
The American shipbuilding industry
has been slowly climbing out Of the
trough Of l932-dring that year lens
than 1900 tons Of shipping was
launched In our yards-for the past
four or five years. The business for
1885 more than doubled that Of 1885
and last year saw further broad
gain, although increased operating
costs, particularly for labor, - result
Of the strikes early In the year. held
profits down.
The naval construction program
has contributed . good bit to the
comeback, Of courss, and In 1886 more
than half the total tonnage Of lhips
launched was contributed by naval
vessels. But with the United States
the leading exporting nation Of the
world, It was . foregone conclusion
that sooner or later something would
be done to build up our merchant
marine In order that at least ponder
able percentage Of American exports
may go abroad in American bottoms.
Tonnage Increases.
The latest monthly report Of the
American Bureau Of Shipping shows
that Ill ships aggregating 3s6. .430
tons, were under construction in
American shipyards as of May !. The
number Of ships on the stocks Is con-
siderably less than the 2l8 being
built . year ago, but the tonnage
shows q gain Of s6.379 tons over the
3l0,051 tons under construction On
May /, 1887.
As compared with May !. 1896,
when 62,293 tons Of shipping was
under construction, there has been .
gain Of more than 40 per cent IN
tonnage on the ways. The tonnage
now being built consists Of 80 ocean,
going craft Of 3l5.4 .475 tons. 5 Of $3.50
tons for service on the Great Lakes
and 73 Of 44,605 tons Of . miscellan-
eous nature, such as car floats, barges,
lighters, small tankships, towboats
and dredgers.
Including the ocean-going tonnage
are IL tankers Of 1880 tons each for
the Standard Oil Co. Of New Jersey.
When completed they will add 5000
tons to the tanker feet Of "Jersey
Standard" which Is already the larg-
est under private ownership in the
world. The new tanker tonnage viii
bring the company'4 aggregate neet
Of such vessels well above the 1000
0O0-ton mark.
(CopyrieAt. 1881