ENGLAND'S FLATTERING RECORD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1623, 30 July 1887, Page 4

ENGLAND'S FLATTERING RECORD.

The reoord io the recent volume of "Lloyd's Register" (says the "London Times") Is very flattering to England, Half the tonnage .float sails under her flag ; and that f&ot is co adequate measure of her superiority, for it is m steam vessels that her predominance is most manifest, and for carrying purposes a steamer, whloh makes its voyages, luads and unloads rapidly, may be taken a_ three times as effeotive as a sailing vessel. Indeed, It would seem that nearly threefifths of the carrying trade of the world is performed by British vessels. Were we to add the colonial mercantile marine, this tuperiorlty would bo very striking. The tonnage of the mercantile marine of England is about 9,000,000. Next comes the tonnage of the United Stateß of Ameloa about 2,CC0,000 ; and the third lv rank iB that of the British colonleß, amounting to about 1,600,000, or slightly m exoes. of the aggregate tonnage of Norway and Germany. Nor is there any sign tbat this state of things la being materially altered ; last year, for instance, the mercantile marine of the United Kingdom received an addition, m ships constructed or purchaeed, of 329,000 tons— that is to say, 10 times as muoh as the addition to the mercantile marine of France m the same time. This does not enable one to say decisively whether the quality of vessels Is, on tbo whole, improving. But one faot is significant — while only a few vessels were constructed of steel out* side the United Kingdom, the total tonnage of the vessels built here last year was about 211,000. There may be another side to the matter not disclosed ln returns — there may be a tendenoy to work tbe ships with fewer able seamen, and a dangerous oravlng for rapid voyages But the balance cf evidenoe appears to be that things are mending ln regard to men and ships ; that among shipowners there is a growing demand for good solid workmanship, and a readiness to submit to all reasonable teats ; and it will be surprising if the labors of the Royal Commission on loss of life at Bfea do not ultimately bear testimony to this Improvement.