Shipbuilding in the United States. (From Census Bulletin No. 81.) On January 1, 1905, 1,097 establishments, exclusive of those conducted by the Government, were engaged in iron and steel or wooden shipbuilding. The combined capital of these establishments was $121,623,700. They employed, on an average, 50,754 wage-earners, paid $29,241,087 in wages, used materials costing $37,463,179, and manufactured products which, including repair work, were valued at $82,769,239. A comparison of these figures with those for the census of 1850 shows that the industry has made remarkable progress. Although the number of establishments has not increased materially, the capital invested has increased twenty-one fold and the value of the product nearly fourfold. As the construction of iron and steel ships has grown in importance since 1580, capital has become more essential to the development of the industry. During this time the altered conditions, the rapid transition from wood to iron and steel construction, have produced a progressive concentration of shipbuilding in large establishments. In 1880 the 2,158 establishments involved an investment of $20,979,874, and, including repair work, gave an output of $36,800,327. Twenty-five years later nearly six times the amount of capital, $121.623,700, invested in about one-half the number of establishments, 1,097, gave an output valued at $52,769,239. BRANCHES OF THE INDUSTRY, In 1905 no less than 83.5 per cent. of the entire shipbuilding capital of the country was invested in iron and steel construction, as against 77.4 per cent. for 1900. Of the total number of private establishments reported in 1905, on the other hand, 95.1 per cent. were engaged in wooden construction work, for of the entire number of shipbuilding establishments not under governmental control only 54 were devoted to iron and steel construction, while 1.043 were credited to wooden construction. For 1900 the relative position of the two branches was nearly the same, as the number of establishments was 44 for iron and steel and 1,063 for wood. The majority of the establishments engaged in iron and steel construction are of great size and require costly and expensive equipment, while most of those engaged in wooden construction are small yards which perform minor repairs on small vessels, and turn out wooden vessels of comparatively light tonnage. MATERIALS USED. Within the last fifteen years the increasing importance of iron and steel in shipbuilding has been especially marked. As an item of expense in 1890 the cost of iron and steel was less important than the cost of lumber, but in 1905 the cost of the former constituted 41.2 per cent, and the cost of the latter only 17.9 per cent. of the amount paid for materials. PRODUCTS. In 1880 the value of the work done on wooden vessels of five tons and over was nearly three times as great as the value of work done on iron and steel vessels of the same class. For 1905 conditions were practically reversed, for the value of iron and steel work was nearly four times that of wood. The value of "iron and steel construction" was $43.395,704, and of "wooden construction" $9,724,231, the total, $82,769,239, being completed by an output of $3,001,292 from "small boats under five tons,' $22,829,040 from repair work, and $3,818,972 from "all other products." Both in the capital invested and value of products New York and Pennsylvania have always been among the leading States. Virginia has made the most striking progress. Since 1880 this State has risen from twenty-second to third rank in value of products and from seventeen to first rank in capital invested. California and Washington led on the Pacific Coast, and Ohio and Michigan in the Great Lakes region. Nearly three-fourths of the aggregate value of products of the shipbuilding industry was produced in the Atlantic and Gulf district. Although there was a greater number of establishments in the Great Lakes district than on the Pacific Coast, the value of the output of the latter was greater from the fact that on the Great Lakes many small establishments exist because of the market there for small boats. GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHMENTS. An increasing navy has compelled the Government to equip the navy-yards adequately for the repair work which necessarily results from the larger number of vessels now continually in commission. Government yards have also undertaken the construction of the largest types of warships. As a result, the value of products of the Government establishments increased from $11,022,312 for 1900 to $17,265,469 for 1905, or 56.6 per cent. VESSELS LAUNCHED. Of the total net tonnage of merchant vessels launched during 1904, 64.8 per cent. were built in the shipyards of the New England States and New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and of the production of these States 59.6 per cent. was intended for the lake and river trade. The shipyards in the Atlantic and Gulf district launched vessels which aggregated a greater tonnage and value than the combined output of the shipyards in the other districts. With reference to the value of ships of five tons and over launched by private shipyards in 1900, Pennsylvania, Maine, Virginia, and New York led, in the order named. Michigan. for the Great Lakes, followed, with California sixth. Five years later Pennsylvania and Virginia still held first and third places, respectively, but California had risen to second place; Massachusetts supplanted New York in fourth place; Maine dropped to fifth, while the State of Washington rose from eleventh to sixth place. As a rule, the rank for steel vessels closely approximates the rank for all classes and governs the relative position of the State in shipbuilding. EQUIPMENT OF SHIPYARDS. The repair work of a shipyard is closely connected with the drydock and marine railway equipment. Of the 1,097 private shipyards reported in 1905, 388, or 35.4 per cent., were credited with 77.3 per cent. of the total value of ship repairs reported by all establishments. Two-thirds of the drydocks are situated in the North Atlantic States. New York alone had over one-third of the entire number. New Jersey, second in importance in this respect, had as many drydocks as the entire North Central division. The South Atlantic States had eighteen drydocks, the North Central States twenty-three, and the Western States only seven. Foreign Trade of the United States. (Compiled from the Report of the Bureau of Statistics of the Department of Commerce and Labor.) EXPORTS. MERCHANDISE AND SPECIE EXPORTED FROM THE UNITED STATES DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1907. MERCHANDISE AND SPECIE IMPORTED INTO THE UNITED STATES DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1907. 1,097.000 Molasses, and Syrup...........galls. 17,309,241 2,348.457 ...lbs. 21,237,603 831,162 340,742,864 33,377,398 8,308,1125 5,735,613 4,001,813 83,349,575 2,287,926 FOREIGN TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES-Continued. VALUE OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF MERCHANDISE, 1881-1907. 1 717,953,382 25,911.118 1,420,141,679 1,025,719,237 2,445,860,916 394.422,442 2,451,914,642 469,739,900 2,636,074,737 401,048,595 1907... 2,970,428,343 517,300,657 1,853,718,034 27,133,044 1,880,851,078 1,434,421,425 The imports and exports of specie are not included in the above table. VALUE OF IMPORTS INTO AND EXPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES OF MERCHANDISE BY COUNTRIES, YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1907. FOREIGN TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES-Continued. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS AT PRINCIPAL PORTS OF THE UNITED STATES. Baltimore....$30,084,658 $37,774,305 $109,925,048 $104,808,952 New York... $734,350,823 8853,696,952 $607,136,314 $627,949,857 Charlestown 106,442,077 124,432,977 98,739,647 100,872,147 Portsm'th. 945,678 12,027,215 8,359,445 780,231 Brunswick... Charleston... Detroit Galveston.... Mobile. 12,626,072 11,225,477 Pensacola... 886,457 606,908 18,440,12 19,218,433 94,832,480 14,867,172 5,018,-76 4.851,326 7,029,185 166,317,652 237,08,494 Puget Sound 43,659,308 21,724,380 24.468,719 San Fran.... 34,0 6,664 N'wp'rt News 2,630,317 New Orleans. 39,4 4,982 46,046,772 150,479,326 170,562,428 Savannah... 2,945,919 20,119,334 14,932,671 Wilm'n, NC.J 1,503,069 2,203,847 64.839,551 63,039.8:4 503,385 812,876 DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF THE UNITED STATES BY GREAT CLASSES. TOTAL EXPORTS Values. MANUFACTURES. Per Cent. Values. Per Cent. $999,465 1870. COMMERCE WITH CUBA, PORTO RICO, HAWAII, AND THE PHILIPPINES. EXPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES TO IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM 1892. Cubs. Porto Rico. 82,856,003 Hawaii, $3,781,628 2,827,663 Philippines. Cuba. Porto Rico. Hawaii. Philippines. 1894.. 20,125,321 2,720,508 3,135,634 1,506,512 7,888,961 4,131,366 1896.. 1897.. 7,530,880 2,102,094 3,985,707 1,988,888 4,690,075 169,466 40,017,730 18,406,815 1898.. 9,561,656 1,505.946 2,685,848 No data. 10,943,061 11,683,893 4,832,900 11,7 3,180 6,200,20 12.036,675 5.459,414 14.435,725 8,661,424 Countries Excelling in Production OF THE PRINCIPAL STAPLES, AND THE RESPECTIVE QUANTITIES PRODUCED THEREIN. (Compiled in the Bureau of Statistics of the Department of Commerce and Labor from latest available official data.) a Preliminary estimate for 1905-06. b Exclusive of Transcaucasia with an annual production of 30-40 million bushels, for which no data are available. c Production unknown. Roughly estimated at 50-60 thousand million pounds. d Cleaned rice. e Official estimates for such parts of British India, as return statistics of production. Preliminary estimate for 1906-07. g Unofficial estimate. h Exports and mill consumption. Exports. Production unknown. Exports of raw silk (including wild silk) from China during 1906 were 14,731,467 lbs. The Twelve Greatest Seaports. THE following table, prepared by the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor, shows the relative rank in tonnage movement of the principal ports of the world. Figures of coastwise trade are not included: Fiscal year. + Exclusive of Chinese junks engaged in the foreign trade. The tonnage of these vessels entered in 1904 was 1,534,874. Exclusive of warships, transports, native crait, and vessels under fifty tous, but inclusive of vessels engaged in trade between the Straits Settlements, Emports and Exports of Principal Countries. (Compiled from the report of the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor.) |