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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6418, 31 March 1892, Page 2

Fbom the Returns compiled by Lloyd's Register of Shipping, it appears that, excluding warships, there were 494 yeeeels of 793,913 tons gross under construction in the United Kingdom at the close of the quarter ended 31st December, JB9I. The particulars of the vessels in question are as follows, similar details being given for the corresponding period of 1890 for the purpose of comparison:— 31st Dec, 3JstDec, 1891. 1890. Description. 2 a °a No. O-g No. a$ Steam. ■ Steel ... 301 580,89f 301 601,583 Iron ~. ... ... 51 14,536 63 17,721 Wood and Composite .2 75 4 1,120 Total 354 198,405 388 620,424 Sail. ;- "~~ ' Steel 09 192,309 62 105,228 Iron ... ... ... i 2,445 7 4,820 Wood and Composite 37 3,656 34 3,538 Total 140 198,405 103 113*686 Total Steam and Sail 494 183,913 471 734,010 —From the above statement it will be observed that the merchant tonnage under construction in the United Kingdom at the ond of 1891 was over 8 per cent, in excess of the tonnage under construction at' the end of 1890. The largest returns received during the year were thoee for the March quarter, which rhowed 804,846 tons under construction; and tho lowest thobo for September, whioh showed 702,114 tons. On these last figures, as will be seen, the present returns show aninorease of upwards of 90,000 tons. The returns of vessels. "preparing" also chow a large increase this quarter, there being now 145 vessels of 299,516 tons reported as preparing, against 110 vessels of 189,070 tons at the close of the previous quarter. It appears, in' faot, that there ia now " preparing a larger tonnage than at any. date since December, <

1889. A noticeable feature in recent ieturng has been the development of the building of sailing vessels. Four years ago, in December, 1887, only 9 per cent, of the total tonnage under construction was '• sailing ;" in fBBB, 10 per cent.; in 1889, 10 per cent.; in 1890, 16 per cent.; and in 1891, no less than 25 per cent.