OUR MERCHANT NAVY.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 17 January 1901, Page 4

OUR MERCHANT NAVY.

Britain First: The Rest Nowhere. Lloyd's Register gives an interesting return of the losses of shipping sustained throughout the world during the quarter ending 30th June last. The British casualties are, with two exceptions, the lowest on the list. Spain has tho best record, with the small percentage of 0.06, while Austro-Hungary comes next with 0.14. The percentage of the United Kingdom is 0.41, that of all the other maritime nations being higher. Of Dutch

vessels 0.44 per cent, were lost, of Swedish 0.50, of German 0.52, of American 0.55, of Danish 0 58, of Russian 0.61, of Norwegian 0.88, and of Italian 0.89. France is highest of all with 1.18 per cent. At tho middle of the present year the tonnage of the steam and sailing vessels of of the United Kingdom was no ks 3 than 13,241,446. If to this we add the tonnage possessed by our Colonies the enormous total is reached of 14.261,254. What have the whole of the other maritime nations to set against this ? Little more than 12,000,000 tons. Germany displays the greatest amount of vigor in adding to its merchant navy, but as yet the tonnage is only about a seventh of Great Britain's. Tho actual results are : FLAG. TONNAGE. British 1-1,261,251 German 2,650,033 United States 2,035,062 Norwegian 1,610,812 French 1,350,562 Italian 1)83,655 Russian 720,901 Spanish 601,780 Swedish 637,272 Dutch 530,277 Danish 519,011 Austro-Hungarian ... 416,081 The Italians, it may be explained, secure precedence over the Russians and Spaniards mainly by a larger number of sailing vessels. Germany, America, and France also still cling to this class of craft, which is practically neglected in our own country. The result is that if comparisons were confined to steam vessels alone the British preeminence in carrying power would stand out much more Our steamers have a tonnage in the United Kingdom of 11,513,759, and in the Colonies of 635,331 —a combined total of 12,149,030. The steam tonnage of the rest of the world is ju3t a little over 8.000,000. While, therefore, tho British total of steam and sailing vessels exceeds by 2,000,000 tons that of all other nations, our preponderance in steamers alone rises to 4,000,000. Both of these_ totals ar« proportionately higher than they were a year ago-, so that Our losses in tonnage are "being limply compensated for by our gains.