COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ITEMS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10263, 4 February 1899, Page 7

COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ITEMS.

BRITISH SHIPBUILDING.

The shipbuilding returns of the United Kingdom for the year 1898 are the most brilliant ever recorded, and it is* expected that 1899 will even beat the record again. The laumchings and tonnage of £team vessels from the private and Government yards for. the last three years compare as follows: —

Year. Ships. Tonnage. 1896 752 1,329,309 1897 639 1,047,951 1898 932 1,655,030

It is true that the great engineers' strike interfered with the output for 1897, but, after making a liberal allowance for the effects of tha* disaster, a considerable increase would be shown. Taking the average cost of construction at £25 per ton, the value of the output of the private shipbuilding yards in 1898 may be estimated at close uoon £40,000,000. A large proportion of this has been on account of foreign countries, but it has not figured amongst British exports as it ought to do, and as in future it will. The material of all kinds used m the construction of the vessels launched in 1898 is of enormous magnitude. No fewer than twelve engineering firms during the year turned out more than 30,000 Lh.p. The North of England yards are at present taking the lead, the Belfast yards following.