SHIPBUILDING

Evening Star, Issue 16197, 19 August 1916, Page 2

SHIPBUILDING

* - AMERICA AS A RIVAL.

Among the many questions discussed by those interested in shipbuilding und shipowning the future of the industry in the United States receives particular attention. The reason for this is obvious: Americans arc taking full advantage of the prevailing conditions in order to establish themselves as firmly as possible in the shipping world, and with their enormous resources they might become very powerful rivals. The cost of shipbuilding hi Britain and in the United States after the war cannot easily be gauged, but certain principal factors are not likely to change their relative positions. The material cost in the two countries was practically'the same before the war, and it is likely fco remain so. The main difference has ahvays been Che cost, of labor in the two countries. A modest estimate of this difference before the war places American labor charges at least 50 per cent, higher than in Britain. This meaii3 about-25 pss cent, on the cost of the vessel. After peace is declared the labor charges in Britain will undoubtedly be considerably liigher than they were before the war, and if American conditions remained l unaltered it might be a long i.ime before the difference in total cost in the two countries became very marked. But the great point to bear in mind is that labor conditions in the United States will not remain unaltered.

The labor employed in the ship yards on the other side of the water is, comparative!}speaking, very inefficient, and in addition to this it is both unorganised and dissatisfied. The men's unions are at present very weak, but the'y are rapidly gaining power. *They believe in extreme measures, in very high demands, and in raising to the highest pitch the excitable passions of the very mixed collection of races usual in the American shipyard. It is estimated that our own labor troubles are likely to become acute after the war, but in the American shipyards conditions will he far worse. Thus, after a few years the relative price of ship construction in th.e two countries will approximately agree with that in existence prior to the war, "and shall have nothing whatever to fear from American coniDetitioa