BRITISH SHIPBUILDING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1040, 7 September 1911, Page 4

BRITISH SHIPBUILDING.

From the returns compiled by Lloyd’s Register of Shipping it appears that, excluding warships, there were 496 vessels of 1,476,394 tons gross under construction in the United Kingdom at the close of the quarter ended June 30th, 1911. These comprised 466 steam vessels and 30 sailers, the tonnage ot the latter being 9405 tons.

The tonnage now under construction is about 102,000 tons more than that which was in hand at the end of last quarter, and exceeds by 358,000 tons the tonnage building in June, 1910. The figures are the highest reported in the Society’s quarterly returns, being 62,000 tons more than the previous record total, which was reached in September, 1901. The figures for June, 1909, namely 745,000 tons, have been practically doubled in the last two years. Of the vessels under construction in the United Kingdom at the end of June, 371 of 1,000,528 are under the supervision of the surveyors of Lloyd’s Register with a view ot classification by this society. In addition, 64 vessels of 237,072 tons, are buildiug abroad to the Society’s classification. The total building at the present time under the supervision of Lloyd’s Register is thus 435 vessels of 1,237,600 tons. Of the vessels now building, two are to be over 20,000 tons, and out ol the total 496, there are 350 being built for owners in the United Kingdom, 28 being for British colonies, and 118 for foreign owners. Returns received at Lloyd’s during the same period showed that vessels under construction abroad, excluding warships, comprised 268 steamers, of 691,006 j tons, and 41 sailers, of 28,996 j tons —a grand total of 309 vessels, with an aggregate of 720,000 tons. Germany’s share in the shipbuilding line is 82 vessels,, of 255,906 tons, the United States

being next with 53 vessels, totalling 197,803 tons ; Holland being next with 32 vessels of 78,385 tons, followed by France, with 29 vessels, of 126,180 tons, Norway 27 vessels (16,948 tons), Japan 26 vessels (34,239 tons), Italy 13 vessels (19,991 tons), AustriaHungary 11 vessels (54,750 tons), the remaining 36 vessels of smaller tonnage being distributed amongst other countries.

The foregoing lists exclude warships and all vessels under xoo tons are also included, so that the combined total gives 805 vessels building in the world’s shipbuilding yards, with a gross total of 2,106,399 tons, of which more than half is in British yards.