TRADE AND SHIPBUILDING

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 46, 22 February 1917, Page 5

TRADE AND SHIPBUILDING

AMERICAN CAPTAIN INTER-

VIEWED.

Captain Janws S. Gibson, president and manager of tho largest stevedoring [ company in the United States, was in Auckland this -week, and was initerview- | ed by a Star reporter. ' When:' questioned on shipbuilding in the States, the captain said: "Shipbuilding ! Why, of course, it's the industry of the day. Everything depends upon our output of ships, and the building meter might he. said to be the foundation of the economic. success of the States. In my centre at Seattle, during the last three months, -we have launched eight vessels averaging 8000 tons, and six submarines. In addition to this, keels laid and the boats in construction represent 40,000 tons. It :is abnormal—the growth —and all the attention of those men who engineer the trade progress of the country is centred on increasing it. Most of our tonnage under construction is steam, ■ though ithere are several auxiliaries around Puget Sound later destined for the Australasian trade. These are being built of Oregon timber, and are suited for tho work for which they are bein^ constructed. The- tonnage output will not be entirely monopolised by American shippers; in fact, 70 per cent, of the boats building are for foreign owners." JAPAN'S AWAKENING. In. speaking of Japan, Captain Gibson displayed a great knowledge of that country's trade connection and possibilities. "Japan," he said, "has made a progress in the Northern Pacific which is phenomenal. This is largely due to labour troubles, which led to 'the recently enacted seamen's law. This has practically killed all possibility of our shippers being able to compete with Japanese-manned ships, and legislation, i as in the case of your own country, is ! the only way of solving the problem of Japan's capturing trade routes and connections, which have taken the other nations years to, compete. I think Japan's great march towards a goal desirable in trade is largely due to labour legislation, a thing, it seems,-that will become 60 drastic that it will kill itself in time." PORT OF SEATTLE. "My city, Seattle," continued the captain, "has developed a trade of which you hear little. Before the war we sent, perhaps, a couple of boats annually to Vl.idivostock, but now several leave daily for that port with cargoes composed principally of engineering output, such as railway carriages, rails, etc. It is the stock distributed. from our port that has double-tracked the Great Siberian railway. This development will, of course, remain after the war, so that the. Enropean struggle has been responsible for opening up a remarkable connection as qtiicldy as some of the equally important trade relations have bean broken."