The Wanganui Chronicle AND Patea-Rangitikei Advertiser. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1899. THE SHIP-BUILDING TRADE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIII, Issue 15000, 24 February 1899, Page 2

The Wanganui Chronicle AND Patea-Rangitikei Advertiser. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1899. THE SHIP-BUILDING TRADE.

Bnu'isu ship-builders have hud a very busy year, and have contracts on hand at the present time that will keep most of them fully employed for the next twelve or eighteen months. This rush of work is due to the engineers' strike of a couple of years ago, which caused large arrears of work to be piled up. John White's Annual Skipping Review for January last says that during the last year the total production of tonnage lias been so large that fears are generally expressed that it exceeds all requirements of trade, but that v study of details will show that this is not conclusive. The report says : "The production of the year from the British shipyards has been 1,588,162 tons. The principal districts contributing to this total have been: Clyde, '"66,832 tons ; Tyne, 307,324 t:>ns ; Wear, 262,969 tons ; Belfast, 121,330 tons ; Tees, 146,624 tons; Hartlepool, 119,040 tons. The production of each of these districts in 1897 were respectively 340,087 tonsf 209,915 tons, 181,299 tons, 108,985 tons, 89,612 ions,

63,697 tons, the reduction being oil account of the engineers' strike, except Belfast, which was not affected by the strike. Of the tonnage built during the past year, 251,324 tons are warships, yachts, trawlers, etc. ■ Seventy-nine steamers alone icpresent 480,638 tons, of which four are each over 10,000 tons, five over 8000 tons, eleven over 7000 tons, and twelve over 6000 tons gross register. These large vessels are for regular lines, and although carrying in their service a large amount of cargo, they represent in their capacity, large passenger accommodation, engine space — being of high speod— and space for special cargo, such as refrigerated meat, etc., so that they do not, to anything like their normal tonnage, supply the place of what is known as the tramp steamer. Thus, m these vessels and warships, trawlers, etc., nearly one-half of the total production of the year is accounted for. Six years since (1892), the total production was 1,210,657 tons, which did not represent such a large production of special ships as .in the past year." The total gross tonnage on the British regis ter does not compare with the production that is going on, for the leason that sales of new and second-hand ships and

steamers to foreign customers are so large.' The total gross tonnage on the British register, at the end of 1897, was ! 10,396,760 tons steamers, 2,958,866 tons sailing ships, which is nearly the same as in 1896, when steamers were 10,237|703 tons, and sailing ships 2,900,2£16 tons ; in 1888 the gross tonnages were : 6,950,96' i tons steamers,- 3,224,059 tons sailing vessels ; and in 1878 the net tonnages were : 2,316,472 tons steam (equal to about 3,710,000 tons), and 4,238,692 tons sail. The question has been raised as to whether the supply is overtaking the -demand, and iv this connection the report points out that the following figures arc important : The total imports and exrjorts ill 1897 were 92,477,142 tons; in 1887, 65,612,050 tons; and in 1878, 45,924,850 tons. The total tonnage of all nations — of which over two-thirds were Briti--h — entered and cleared with cargoes ut ports in the United Kingdom during the past year has been about 78,650,000 tons, which in 1888 was 58,741,622 tons ; and 1878, 42,899,934 tons. lv consequence of the demand, ship-building material has risen considerably in price during the year, and considerable orders for ship plates have been given by British builders to American manufacturers, who have been able to accept lower prices and give quicker delivery than British makers. II is noticeable that sailing ships have practically ceased to be built in the Old Country, except small craft. The report states ihat iv France several large sailingships are being built, but that the ob ject is to earn the bounty, freight being a secondary consideration. While's report concludes with the grutu'.utory assurance that "the amount of work in band ensures the next twelve months providing full employment for nearly all our (British) ship-builders und engineers and the universal reports of trade wan anl Ihe an ticipation that ship-owners may confidently expect another satisfactory year's trading-" __________________■