WORLD'S SHIPYARD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1696, 12 March 1913, Page 8

WORLD'S SHIPYARD.

9 UNITED KINGDOM'S GREAT LEAD. WONDERFUL FIGURES. .v' l '. l . lo , wonderful position 'which ti« ; United Kingdom occupies with regard to the shipbuilding of the. world, is shown' once again by Lloyds annual summary (says the Westminster Gazette"). J.he world s output for 1912 was 3.430 3'IS ■ ™V,° ll,at rebels 1,9.!0,-,)1 tons, or considerably more than rtn^«nfen < ? ,ed fWm ill The summary says that of merchant vessels over 101) tons gross launched during " 'Vi nr ,'" F cc ? t ' •*'«*« built in the United Kingdom, tins figure comparing with 68 per cent, in 1911, and .nearly 59 ■ per cent, in 1910. The tonnage figures for 1911 and 1911! are:— United Kingdom'. 1911, 1912 Merchant vessels ...... 1,803,841 '1,788,511 Warships 230,78# 191)737 Totol 2,034,630 1,930,251 _ Abroad. 1911. 1912. Merchant vessels 846,2!>G 1,103,253 Warships 638,05: l 342,892 Total 1,384,373 1,506,117 World's output ... 3,119,00!) 3,436,398 The United Kingdom launched 712 merchant Vessels and 30 warships against'the, rest ot tli® world's 1007 merchantmen and 144 warships. The return presents this curious anornniy, 111 the words of Lloyd's Register •'Although the activity which has char-' acterised tht? shipbuilding industry in tho United. Kingdom throughout 1912 ' has never been equalled Ix'foro, the amount of tonnage actually launched for various reasons fell below the total output of 1911 by some 65,01)0 tons." Foreign shipyards have achieved a record output, having . launched yo fewer than 317,000 tons of merchant vessels in ■ excels of tho-.tonnage put into the water during 1911. The highest foreign individual increases for the year, are;--United States, GO per cent.; Germany, 50 .. pel" cent.; and Italy, 45 per cent. Of the . tonnage launched iu the World during 1912 the United' Kingdom has acquired 45.8 per cent. If only seagoing merchant steamers of 30C0 tons gross, ana upwards he. taken into account, out of tho total of 367 such steamers, of 2,019,763 tons, launched iu the world, 71.8 per cent, of the tonnage has been launched .in tho United Kingdom. After deducting vessels . lost, broken up, etc., the net increase of United Kingdom tonnage during tho year was 355,000 tons, the biggest sincv 1907. The British colonics were the bsst customers/taking 72,970 tons, the next highest. totals, being Norway (69,006), Germany . (43,151), and Ilolhuid (40,678). . The return comments on tho increasing size and speed of vessels. Duriug the vquinquenmum 1892-6, it stales, 17 vessels of GOOO'tons and upwards Wvere launched in the United Kingdom. During tho iivo years 1907-11, 167 such vessels were launched, 48 being over 10,000 tons, eacli. In 1912 alone, there wero of 6000' tons, 16 of'them being ovet- 10,000 tons. The notes on foreign shipbuilding show that Germany leads with.375,317 tons, tho 'United States being second with 284,223 tons, and France third with 110,734 tons. The largest vessel launched during tho vear was Germany's fast 52,0C0-ton turbine im'perator, the biggest ship in existence.