BRITAIN'S SUPREMACY ON THE SEA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7927, 19 July 1887, Page 3

BRITAIN'S SUPREMACY ON THE SEA.

Tho record in the recent volume of " Lloyd's Register" (says the Lundon Tiinus) is very flattering to Kngland. Half the tonnage alloat sails under her Hag ; mid tluitfactis no adequate measure of her superiority, for it is in steam vessels thilt her predominance is most manifest, and lor carrying purposes a. stnirner, which makes its voyages, loads ami unloads rapidly, may be taken us three times as effective as n sailing vessel. Indeed, it would seem that nearly three-lifths of the carrying trade of the world is porformed by Uritish vessels. Were wo to add the colonial mercantile niaiiue, this superiority would bo very striking. The tonnage ol thu mercantile marine of -Wiiglaiid is about 0,01.0,000. Next comes the tonnage of the Unitud States of America, about 2,000,000; aud in the third rank is that of the British colonies, amounting to about 1,500,000, or slightly in excess of the aggregate tonnage of Norway and Germany. Nor is there auy sign that this state of things is being materially altered ; last year, for instance, the mercantile marine of tho United Kingdom received an addition, in ships constructed or purchased, of 329,000 tons—that is to say, 10 times as much as the addition to the mercantile marine of Prance in the same time. This volume docs not enable one to say decisively whether the quality of vessels is, ou the whole, improving. ]{ut one fact is significant—while only a few vessels were constructed of steel outside the United Kingdom, the total tonnage of such vessels built here last year was about 211,000. There may be another side to the matter not disclosed in these returns —there may be a tendency to work ships with fewer able seamen, and a dangerous craving for rapid voyages. But the balance of evidence appears to be that things are mending in regard both to men and ships; that among shipowner there is a growing demand for good, solid workmanship; and a readiness to submit to all reasonable tests; and it will be surprising if the labours of tho Royal Commission on loss of life it sea do not ultimately bear testimony to this improvement.