MR. AUSTIN TAYLOR ON AMERICAN SHIPPING. [To TER EDITOR OP
TIM SPRCTATOR.1 SIR,—Mr. Austin Taylor's letter with reference to American shipping which appeared in your columns last week, and has also obtained some publicity in our local journals, can be answered in a few sentences : and I appeal to your sense of fair play in what is, I think, a really interesting controversy to allow a few words to be said on the other side. His general contention is that American shipbuilding has been killed by Protection. If there were a word of truth in this, I think we would find that shipbuilding in other countries—Germany, for instance—where similar Protective conditions prevail, would also be killed by Protection. The contrary is the case. The German steamers which trade between the Southern ports of this country and the United States are now the finest in the world ; and Germany is beating us, not upon the North Atlantic alone, but on every one of the great trade routes, and in every part of the world. Reference to the advertising columns of the London daily newspapers will go far to make this apparent even to a casual observer; and those of us who are shipowners engaged in general trade, and
who have to face German competition, know it to be so of our own knowledge. It is only in coal carrying that the shipping supremacy of this country still remains. So far from the shipbuilding trade of America being killed by Protection, the truth is that, without Protection, American shipbuilding could not exist at all. The facts are that American shipbuilding is carried on under difficulties with which Protection has nothing whatever to do, and which necessarily increase the cost of production. Those difficulties are,—first, wages ; and second, climate. The second is the more serious of the two. Not only are wages higher in America than in this country, but it is impossible for men to do as much work in the same time. The extremes of temperature are a practical hindrance. In winter it is too cold and in summer it is too hot, and these are the causes which tend to make American shipbuilding expensive. I make this statement on the authority of a great shipbuilding firm in this country whose employes have had American shipbuilding experience. As both the United States and Germany, desiring to encourage shipbuilding in their own country, admit all shipbuilding material free, it is somewhat difficult to see where Mr. Austin Taylor's argument against Protection comes in.—I am, Sir, &c.,
DAVID MACIVER,
Liverpool. M.P. for the Kirkdale Division of Liverpool.
[Mr. David Maclver need not have made any special appeal to us to publish his letter. Our invariable rule is to give fair play to the other side, subject only to physical considerations of space. We do not think Mr. Austin Taylor, should he desire to reply, will have much difficulty in meeting Mr. David Maclver's contentions, either in regard to Germany, or to the plea that the American climate forbids shipbuilding.— ED. Spectator.] [To THE EDITOR OP TEE "SPECTATOR."]
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