COLONIAL v. BRITISH SHIPPING. [From the Economist.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 749, 6 October 1852, Page 4

COLONIAL v. BRITISH SHIPPING. [From the Economist.]

In a circular of Messrs. Gibbs, Brighton, and Co., of Liverpool, who have colonial ships on hand for sale, and may therefore be supposed to exaggerate their good qualities, we find some curious statements relative tothe colonial shipping, and to shipping in general, whicb we must lay before our reader*. They say — That the colonial built shipping now forms so large a portion of our tonnage, that a few facts and statements may be interesting to those who have not hitherto directed their attention to such property. In the American trade, colonial-built ships alone compete successfully with our United States rivals. In the guano trade they have carried the great bulk of our imports ; and although it is one of the heaviest and worst cargoes to put into a ship's hold, yet our own experience, supported by onr surveyors here, is, that the well-owned and well-built bacmatac and pine ship delivers her cargo in better order than the British A 1 twelve years ship. In the Calcutta' trade there bas recently been a correspondence respecting the damage dofae to cargoes ; and when coloniaUshipping becomes employed in it we have litile doubt that the delivery^ their cargoes will not be complained of. The Australian trade has been carried on from this in colonial ships of superior construction, and in their passage they have averaged considerably less than the Britishbuilt ships from London. The experience of most practical shipowners is, that Lloyd's classification of a good colonial ship is no criterion of her value. The specific gravity of the wood causes her to draw less water, sail faster, and be easier at sea than an oak or other heavy wood ship ; and when to these qualities we show, that even in price, (based upon a* standard considerably unJer the true value of this class of property), tbe colonialbuilt ship can sail, and carry faster and cheaper than others, we hope it may induce you carefully to peruse our inventories, with a view of purchasing a property now depreciated below its actual cost of production. Here a powerful cause, wholly independent of the repeal of the Navigation Laws, is brought before us for a decline in the value of the old home oak-built ship. Cheap colonial-built ships have entered into competition with them, and are beating them out of the market.