THE ENGLISH SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY. [TO TEE EDITOR OP THE ..srscraves1
SIR,—In the Spectator of October 31st you ask the question : " What has enabled us to obtain almost a monopoly of ship- building ? " Would it not, however, be much more in accord- ance with the facts given below to ask the question: " What has caused us to lose the practical monopoly of ship- building P " which we undoubtedly possessed ten years ago ?— MERCEAXT AND WAR VESSELS LAUNCHED.
1992. 1902. Increase. United Kingdom 1205.000 tons ... 1.463,000 tons ... 258,000 tons
All foreign countries 337,000 tons ... 1,080,e00 tons ... 693,000 tons
In other words, while British tonnage built in ten years has increased lees than one-quarter, the tonnage built abroad (almost entirely in protected countries) has grown nearly three times. These figures are even more striking if merchant tonnage only be taken into account
MERCHANT VESSELS LAUNCHED.
1891 1902. United Kingdom 1,105,000 tons 1,420,000 tons . All foreign countries 215,000 tons 890.000 tons
That is, whereas in 1892 we built over five times the tonnage that the foreigners did, in 1902 we only built little more than one and a half times what they did.—I am, Sir, &c., SHIPBUILDER.
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