The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

16 ord of casualties for the past month of January, which argues ill if it be regarded as an omen of what ensuing months will bring forth. From London sources it was learned that the advance in rates on cargoes of grain: in first-class vessels will amount to fully 25 per cent, the rate of two-tenths of a cent a bushel on a full cargo of grain now being charged. Various rates obtain for various car- goes, but in each instance, it was said, a 25 per cent increase will be ob- served. ' The increase will be welcomed by underwriters for the reason that their business of 1906 resulted in little pro- fit. This was chiefly brought about by competition among the English com- panies, in which insurance was reduced to "perishing rates." SHIP BUILDING IN GREAT : BRITAIN. The following statistics compiled by Lloyds show the status of ship build- ing during the past year in Great Britain: - During 1906, exclusive of warships, 886 vessels of 1,828,343 tons gross (viz., 815 steamers of 1,809,433 tons and 71 sailing vessels of 18,9f0 tons) have been launched in the United Kingdom. The warships launched at both government and private yards amount to 29 of 108,450 tons displace- inent. The total output of the United Kingdom for the year has, therefore, been 915 vessels of 1,936,793 tons. In these notes, warships are excluded from consideration except where they are specially mentioned. The output of mercantile tonnage in the United Kingdom during 1906 shows. an increase of about 205,000 tons on that of last year, the previous highest on record. As regards war vessels, however, the total for 1906 is 21,351 tons less than in 1905. It may be mentioned that over 99.9 per cent of the tonnage launched has been built of steel, and that 99 per cent is composed of steam tonnage. Of the total output, 1,446,856 steam tons and 10,406 sailing tons, or 1,457,- 262 tons in all (over 79 2-3 per cent) have been built for registration in the United Kingdom. In this connection, it should be noted that the tonnage of United Kingdom vessels lost, brok- en up, etc., during twelve months is shown. by Lloyds register wreck re- . turns for recent years to average 251,- 000. tons (199,000 steam, 52,000. sail). Sales to foreign and colonial owners for the twelve months ended Novem- ber, 1906, according to the registrar THe Marine. REVIEW \ general's returns, reached a total of 504,000 tons (421,000 steam, © 83,000 sail), On the other hand 2,956 tons (steam) were built abroad for United Kingdom owners, and purchases. from foreign and colonial owners during. the same period amounted to 58,600 'tons (55,500 steam, 3,100 sail). The sailing tonnage of the United King- dom would thus appear to have de- creased by about 121,000 tons, and the steam tonnage to have increased by 885.000 tons. The net increase of United Kingdom tonnage duririg 1906 is therefore the record figure of about 746,000 tons. For the previous five years the estimated net increases were as follows: 1901, 543,000 tons; 1902, 643,000 tons; 1903, 405,000 tons; 1904, 429,000 tons; 1905, 469,000 tons. In 1906, 20 1-3 per cent of the total output has been built for foreign and colonial ship owners, as compared with 21% per cent in 1905, 18 2-3 per cent in 1904, 18 per cent in 1903 and 1902, 23 per cent in 1901 and 1900, 19 per cent in 1899, and 22 per cent in 1898. Germany has again provided the larg- est amount of work for the ship build- ers of the United Kingdom, viz.:-- 26 vessels of 104,207 tons (nearly 534 per cent of the total ourput). Norway occupies the second position with 71,- 464 tons and South America comes third with 40,099 tons, being followed by the British Colonies (39,237 tons), France (19,674 tons), Denmark (14,988 tons), and Austria Hungary (13,239 tons). Attention has been drawn in previ- ous ship building summaries issued by. Lloyds register to the increasing num- ber of large steamers under construc- tion. During the four years, 1892-5, on an average eight vessels of 6,000 tons and upwards were launched per annum in the United Kingdom; in the following four years, 1896-9, the aver- age rose to 25, and to 39 for the four years, 1900-3, although it dropped to 26 for the three years 1904-6. Of ves- sels of 10,000 tons and upwards, only three were launched in the .four years 1892-5; seventeen were launched during the four years, 1896-9; while 32 were launched during the four years, 1900-3, and 13 during the three yeats, 1904-6. At the present time there are under construction 35 vessels of 6,000 tons and upwards, of which 12 are of over 10,000 tons each. 'The largest steamers which have been launched during 1906 are the following: Tons gross. IMSitatiay Soc as eo 32,000 Mauretania gcc ee eae 32,000 POTIBUIC' Gis ucc (ae coe. dead ees 23,950 mouipress Of Ireland. 3,05. see 14,191 PUARUGVE ra ie ke ck a oe 10,537 EMEA PON GS hee abu pn ie Re 10,037 It may be noted that, excluding 'under steamers of less than 500 tons, the average tonnage of steamers launched in the United Kingdom during 1906 is 3,526 tons gross. -As was the case in 1905, the New- castle district occupies the first place among the principal ship building cen- ters of the country, showing an out- put of 385,987 tons. Then follow in order Glasgow (330,213 tons), Sunder- land (326,7or tons), Greenock (238,457 tons), Middlesbrough (147,857 tons), Bel- fast (146,231 tons), and Hartlepool (144,- 603 tons). In warship tonnage the leading ports stand thus: Barrow (24,740 tons), Newcastle (17,120 téns), and Glasgow (16,750 tons). The number of steamers in which the turbine method of propulsion has been adopted is steadily increasing. During 1906 twelve such vessels have been launched in the United Kingdom. Their names are as follows: Tons gross, WeGSUa ee ee ee 32,000 WiatinetanIa eC Sr ee oir een Gee ees 32,000 Rewa 36s es Cie eee a aS 7,267 Seon Oe ee eee i oe 2,456 Be ge: 2,387 Bie Batik in ee ere 2,387 MAMAN 26 oaks oc ele hoes 66 65s ace 2,009 IMAGNICDONC o.oo sees ot bea 1,940 ee £713 Wim eienen. er FY 871 MO HeSS OL NGO Vi Oe es oak 583 PAA oe oe es eon 486 In addition to the two large express Steaiters for the Cunard company mentioned above, there are at present construction in the United Kingdom seven merchant vessels of about 31,500 tons which are to be fitted with steam turbines. The returns for the year under re- view include 35 vessels of the turret- deck, trunk-deck and cantilever-framed types; 198 steam trawlers and other fishing vessels; 59 dredgers, barges, etc.; 29 tugs; 17 yachts; and other ves- sels designed for special service. Be- sides these, 35 vesseis, principally in- tended for river and harbor purposes, have been built in the United Kingdom and taken to pieces for shipment abroad. As regards the movement of the ship. building industry during the course of 1906, Lloyds Register re- turns show that, at the opening of the year, irrespective of warships, 1,355,- 756 tons .(1,350,839 steam, 4,917 sail), were being built in the United King- dom. The returns for the March quar- ter indicated an increase of about 46,- 000 tons in the work in hand; and the June figures were slightly better still. The totals for September, however, showed a very large decrease (144,000 tons), and at the present time the work in progress (viz.--1,166,989 tons) is no less than 242,000 tons below the the totals of six months ago, and only reached 8214 per cent of the total for