THE WOUNDER SHIPBUILDIN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 60, 11 March 1915, Page 2

THE WOUNDER SHIPBUILDIN.

LLOYD'S FIGURES FOR 1014.

AN ALL-ROUND DECREASE. WAR NOT -HESPONSIBLE. The annual return of the world's shipbuilding, compiled" by Lloyd's Registry, has just come to hand through the local representative (Captain C. C. Piiinket). It is a.very thorough compilation, covering all mercantile Vessels over 100 tons gross thait were launched in 1914, whether .they- were completed in- thab not. :<For obvioii* reasons', the figures "for Germany and "Austria refer ohly'to part of the year, and for similar reasons no particulars of warships are given. The following arc some. of. the most, important facts set forth: —, Tlhijing the.year 690 vessels M 1,683,5.13 tons gross (621 steamers 0j1 1,674^58"t0n5, and. 3fc sailing vessels of 9,915 tons) were launched in _the_ pnited Kingdom, a dc-_ crease of 248,600 tons as compared with th.c 1913 total, which was the highest ever reached. Ou,t of the-whole number of vessels all .but a email, proportion were steel --steamers, and the sailing vessels were mostly barges and similar -craft. Of the whole tonnage, "5 2-3 per cent ■was-for registration in the United Kingjdomj and-36,7«!6~t0nfi re for the over'scas dominions. -Holland. Norway, Greece and Belgium were Britain's best I foreign customers.

" ENGEfEERTNG PROORESS.' Seventy-one vessels over 6,000 tons were lanchejd,_including. 13 over 10,000 tons, the.-largest -being the. White-Star, liner Britannic, of "-47,500 tons, the" Hoi-" land»Amerika liner Statendam, of 32,500 tans, 'and the Belgcnland of 26,00tt toils. Seven, other .vessels exceeded J2.000 tbru. Eleven steamers were capable of a speed

"of 10 knotr"aTnt~overr the-fastest -being I I the; turbine" sjasamers .'Princess Irene and Prtneess Margaret-for the-Canadian-Pa-«ific and one turbine" steamer intended for ..service in the English Channel, all of which were designed •for a speed of 23 -knots. - Ninesteamera ftonnagc oVJiO.!) were designed for steam turbines only, and seven of the largest steamers (including-the -Britannic and Statcndam) -for a- combination --of tur-bines-'and' reciprocating -engines. < As showing the- trend - <jf engineering • progress, all the large. steamers driven by turbines---onlv are fitted -with reduction peirmsr. - Seven vessels - (28.898 tonsl were" fitted wifH" internal "combustion engine«,. the largest bein? the Elbrur. of tons, l'-wentv-five steamers (167.----488 TonsT 'were "built on "the IslierwOod svatem__ at. lonrit.ndinal framing . .

.The! Clyde .district occupies the first place anions the shipbuilding centre* of the eountrv. showing an output of 444.621 tons (Glasgow 255.103 ton* and Their follow the Tyne (315.535 tonftL.Olc Wear C277..V28 tons), Belfast (23t>,»10 tonsL Middlesbro' (13~,1€5 tons), and Hartlepool

;-f tons. As regards the movement, of the shipbuilding industry during the course of 1014, Lloyd's Register Teturns show that, at the opening of the year, 1,950,606 tons were being built in the United King-dom.--The- returns for the March • cjuai'-' te'r indicated a decrease of about 66,000 tons in the work in hand, and the June. Teturns showed a further decrease of 7"TliercTwas prac-' ticaTly no change in the September figures,..but the.year closed with another decrease of 7 about 95,000 tons, thus' showing a .total"decrease of about "329,000 tons, as Compared with the.total building at the. end. of 1913. VESSELS TO" BE LAtJNCHF.D. -. At the .end of December there were iiiiacr-Tcongtructiori, including a numiier of vessels already launched, . but not completed,"fifty-seven vessels of between 6.000 and 10^)00:.tons; seven'of'.between 10,000 and 15,000 tons; .ten of between 15,000. and 20,000; -four . ot : .- between BPflOO,andJP,pop tons; .and one of 47,{i00 tons. These include among .vessels on the- stocks: —'(a) Eighteen steamers (161,23*.i0n5), to be fitted with steam turbine engines, including four of 'over 13,000 tons each. . The largest is one of -aijOOO- tons for the Navigazionc Generaie Italians. Of the above vessels twelve-are to .be fitted with geared turbine engines. (b) Eight steamers (144,250 tons), which will be fitted witb •a combination ;of reciprocating engines and steam turbines; the largest being one .of 03,500 tons .for the. White. Star line, .(c) Six vessels of over 3000 tons *aeh 4*32*980 tons), for which the propel-. ling power will bo internal combustion engines. (d) Fourteen steamers of

about '87,000. tons which aTe building on the Isherwood- longitudinal framing system. " ' '

FOREIGN TOTALS,

Freights .for other countries are as follows:-—Germany, 387,102 tons; apparent decriraase,"7B,ooo tons. United States,----200,762 tons; decrease, 76,000 tons. Holland, 118,153 tons; an increase of 14,000 tone. France, 14,052-tons; decrease, .62,000:t0n5." Japan, 85,861 tons; nearly T33 per cent, higher than'" the' output for 1913. AustriayHungary, ,34,335.t0n5; apparent decrease, 27,000 tons. Norway, 54304, a slight increase. . British Colonies, 47,534 tons; about the same as 1913. Italy, 42,981 tons; a decrease of 7000 tons." ~

. .Of the..jjprl.d:6..t9.taL (2.802J53. tone), wbferlr shows a decrease of 480,000 tons, 45 percent, or 1,288,647 tons -fly the British ;flag. per-ccntTtjrf-all tlie.yc?Bets.aTid..64 per cent...of all seagoing steamers oyer 3000 tons were, -lairn-ehcd "in tbe ■ United Kingdom.