The World's Shipbuilding.

Progress, Volume IV, Issue 7, 1 May 1909, Page 228

The World's Shipbuilding.

The total tonnage of new ships, merchant and naval, exceeding 100 tons, launched from all yards throughout the world during the past year is according to the carefullyprepared return of Lloyd's Register, 2,142,975 tons — the measurement of 1532 vessels. This is a lower total than for many years, and shows a reduction in ton-

nage of 956,000 tons, equal to 31 per cent., upon the figures of 1907 ; and of 1,139,800 tons, equal to 34y> per cent., upon those of 1906. Almost one-half— namely, 1,003,855 tons, the measurement of 559 vessels — represents the British proportion, and it must be admitted that it is satisfactory, although a decreasing quantity. Taking merchant shipping only, we find that in years of activity — ns. for instance, in 1901 — the British proportion was 58 per cent, of the world's aggregate production; in 1904 it had advanced to 61 per cent. ; in 1905, when trade was advancing to its maximum activity, our percentage went up to 65 per cent. ; in 1906, the year of maximum output, it was 62% per cent. Then began the depression in trade. In 1907, with a slight reduction from the highwater mark, the British quota dropped to about 58 per cent. ; and for the past year, with a lower merchant total than for ten years, we have an output in Britain equal only to 50 per cent, of the world's aggregate. The explanation, of course, is to be found in the desire of foreign countries to meet their own lequirements. As the demand for new tonnage in these foreign countries has not fallen off to the same

relative extent as in this country, there are grounds for the belief that in competition foreign builders and workmen are either able to offer easier terms to their clients or are willing to work for d less degree of profit — some shipbuilders might consider that it would be more accurate to say ''ready to incur a greater degree of loss." As confirming what we have said regarding the less diminution in foreign owners to British builders, there is the fact that several countries have increased their output. Amongst these the most notable is France, which has built a greater tonnage than during the preceding four years; Austria-Hungary, which partly because of the purchase of fewer ships from Britain, has built more vessels than in any of the preceding sixteen years. In the case of the more important countries the decreases aie not so serious as is the ease in Britain. Here the tonnage of merchant shipping Punched was 42 per cent, less than in the preceding year, and practically 50 per cent, less than in the year of maximum output — • 1906. In the case of Germany, on the other hand, the reduction is equal to only 24% and 34% respectively. Their total, however, is still considerably less than onefourth that of the United Kingdom, a fact which carries some consolation. The

United States output is 36 per cent, less than in 1907, which was the year of maximum activity, but the total is only onethird that of the United Kingdom. Japan shows a decrease of 10 per cent., but here the total is under 60,000 tons, as compared with 929,000 tons of the United Kingdom. Norway which comes next in point of tonnage, has a total of little more than onetwentieth that of the United Kingdom, and the aggregate measurements of the ships 8y 2 per cent, less than in 1907. Generally, therefore, Britain still holds the predominant position, although the shipbuilders are experiencing keen competition, and only by the greatest vigilance in keeping down costs and increasing the efficiency of labour can they combat this competition. There is another phrase of this question which is of considerable importance. In

addition to the tonnage built in the respective foreign countries, there were constructed in Britain for abroad 374,674 tons, so that the total addition to new merchant tonnage added to foreign fleets becomes 1,278.000 tons, as compared with 555.000 tons built to fly the Union Jack. Thus, although the shipbuilders have this year had the satisfaction of sending a larger proportion of their output to foreign countries, shipowners are faced, as a consequence, with increased competition from foreign sources. We pointed out in our review that the foreign tonnage was greater than in any previous year. Taking only merchant cm ft the proportion of Britishbuilt tonnage for foreign fleets is given by Lloyd's as 40 per cent, which compares with 34 per cent, in 1907, 20 1-3 per cent, in 1906, 21i/o per cent, in 1905,and 18 2-3 per

cent, in 1904. The British Colonies, too have increased their quota. A further aspect ] - the effect of the new tonnage on the tonnage available for sea transport. Lloyd's Register points out that the net increase in the tonnage owned by the United Kingdom, taking cognisance of vessels lost, and of sales to and purchases from foreign fleets, is about 169,600 tons less than the lowest for very many years, the addition in the last five years ranging between 405,000 tons and 764,000 tons, the latter the largest on record. In 1907 the addition to the British fleet was 426,800 tons. It follows that the ratio of existing British tonnage to foreign-owned tonnage has suffered in the past year a very serious diminution. We leave the reader to conceive for himself the effect which this must have on the national wealth derived

from the important work of transportation. Regarding the output of warships, Lloyd's figures clearly show that the British output has been decreasing, while foreign productions is more than maintained. Only in exceptional years has the total warship tonnage launched in Britain been less than half that of the collective output of all foreign countries, but for the past year it is less than one-third, notwithstanding the inclusion in the British total of a larger proportion than usual of foreign tonnage. The British total for the past year is only 49,560 tons — less than in any year since the beginning of the century and little more than one-third that of the previous year, and one-fourth of the year of maximum output. Germany, on the other hand, has built for her own navy 2 tons for every ton launched for the King's

Navy, their total being 97,660 tons, which is the largest on record, and compares with 14,800 tons in the previous year, and 62,678 tons in 1906. The United States, which come next on the list, have increased their total, as compared with the previous year, nearly five-fold, although it is less than in several preceding years — notably 1904, when the output was 170,000 tons. In 1908 there were launched for the United States Navy eight vessels, of 52,850 tons, which is nearly 3,000 tons in excess of the tonnage of British warships. The total number of warships launched in the world was 127, of 309,689 tons, of which Britain built for her own and other navies thirtysix vessels, of 74,186 tons. — Engineering. We turn to the fighting side, and we publish the striking tables of the same authority which show in a very startling

manner the parallel courses of the building programmes of the world. We see how Britain in times of stress put forth all her building strength. In the years after the Jameson Raid, enlivened by the strange telegram of the Kaiser, that message his officers are now taking on the blame for having sent, there was a great dash of energy in the British yards. So there was during the worst days of the Boer "War, those days in which the Kaiser lately claimed that he had saved the interests of Britain from the fangs of a united hostile Europe. But the closing years of the series are a revelation of change. It is not a matter of astonishment that the n&tion has been stirred by the revelation and by the things said and the things thought concerning the same in connection with the effect of the new Dreadnought programmes.