The Ensign. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1907. BRITAIN'S MERCANTILE MARINE.

Mataura Ensign, 18 December 1907, Page 2

The Ensign. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1907. BRITAIN'S MERCANTILE MARINE.

Of lato some concern lias been felt at the advance which has been made by German and American shipping in competing with Britain's mercantile marine. There have existed good grounds for this alarm, as was shown by Mr Frank Bullen in his recent lecturing tour through the colonies. The latest figures on the subject, however, are of a reassuring character, showing as they do that the British Board of Trade is fully alivo to the necessity for preventing Britain's oversea trade being wrested from her by fair means or f"ul. The latest Blue Book on the subject issued by tho Homo Department stows that on the seas tho Old Country is not only still supreme, but ; s attaining even greater pre-eminence. The tonnage that entered and cleared at ports in the United Kingdom last year was over 120 million tons, of which 63.3 per cent, was British. Prom German ports 27.1 of the shipping tonnage flow the British flag, a slight increase over the proportion in 1905, and a slight decrease on that of 1904. But German shipping declined in that period. More than half the tonnage entering and leaving American ports was British, in increase being shown here also, while American tonnage showed a decline in the two years from 15.8 per cent, to 14.6. Britain is thus holding her own in her own ports and gaining on her greatest commercial rivals in theirs. The British tonnage engaged in the Australian trade, unfortunately, shows a slight decline from 75.4 per cent, to 74.5 per cent. On the other hand, England seems to maintain her place in the shipping for British India, 80 per cent, of it being British owned. In shipbuilding, Great Britain has a commanding load, building last year over eleven hundred thousand tons, against somo four hundred thousand built in the United States, and 125,000 in Germany, Foreign sailors, except Lascars, are decreasing in number in British ships. In two years the number of British seamen rose from 177,000 to 188,000, while the number of foreigners diminished from nearly 40,000 to 38,000, Lascars increasing by some 1500 to 44,300. The efforts made to induce ship-owners to employ British lads are gradually having their due effect, and last year nearly 1600 indentured apprentices enrolled, or 200 more than in the preceding year. It is probable that the number of foreign seamen employed on British ships will be still further diminished in consequence of a new regulation requiring from them a fair knowledge of the English language.