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26 British Shipbuilding in 1908. The returns from shipbuilding cen- ters throughout the British Isles dis- close a decline in the tonnage launched during 1908, which is and far beyond anything anticipated The Clyde builders, who for the first time constructed upwards of 600,000 tons of ships in 1907, this year report a decrease bordering on 275,000 tons. The re- turns for the Wear are upwards of 200,000 tons down, the total for the whole of the 13 shipbuilding yards being less than the tonnage launched last year by Messrs. William Dox- ford & Sons alone. Then the Tyne, the Tees and the Hartlepool districts each record a diminution of some- thing like 100,000 tons, and in a lesser degree the story of decreased output also refers ~-to the Forth and the Humber districts. The Irish builders are practically alone in reporting an increase of over 2,000 tons, which is almost entirely due to the fact that Messrs. Harland & Wolff have placed in the water 106,528 tons against 74,115 tons last year, and have thus won the blue ribbon of British ship- building for the largest output, an honor which was gained in 1907 and also in the year 1905 by Messrs. William Doxford & Sons, who this year are not in the first six; while Messrs. Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Ltd., of the Tyne dis- trict, are second with 61,580 tons. According to the returns received from the 13 shipbuilding districts in the United Kingdom, the total out- put for 1908 has reached 1,045,036 tons, as compared with 1,726,997 tons by the same builders last year, so that there is a decrease of 681,961 tons. Never previously has such a huge drop been recorded. . "Of the ships. launched, allusion need only be made to two or three vessels. First place may be given to the "Leviathan," the new Mersey docks and harbor board dredger, which now completed and ready for her trials is the largest suction unparalleled, 12 months ago. dredge in the world, being capable of raising 10,000 tons in 50 minutes. Then there is the Otaki, which, launched by Messrs. Willtam Denny & Bros., in August last for the New Zealand Shipping Co., Ltd., is the first steam- er to be fitted with a combination of reciprocating engines and turbines; but since then, of, course, the White Star liner, Laurentic, with a similar TAE MARINE REVIEW type of engines and triple screws, has been launched. The performances of these two vessels will undoubtedly be watched with keen interest by shipowners the world over, because | they will settle a very important point in regard to the future propul- sion of steamers. With regard to British shipping generally, the year 1908 will long be remembered as one of the most un- remunerative to shipowners that can be remembered. At no time during the year has there been a profitable business showing for the shipowner; in fact, in the autumn, when the owners expected in a measure to re- coup themselves for the usually dull preceding months, freights were even worse. The consequence has been that owners have decided in many instances to lay up their prop- erty, and it is estimated that at the present time there are more than a million tons of idle ships carrying the British registry. As to the future, those who are best able to judge are of the opinion that after a year of such depression as has been experienced, the year 1909 will show a distinct improvement in the freight market. Indeed, the volume of the trade of the country has fallen to so great an extent that it is only natural to expect there will be a re- vival, so that owners are thinking of taking advantage of the very low prices ruling at present to modernize the fleets and dispose of their obsolete tonnage. In fact, dur- ing the latter part of the year several important orders have been placed, and in the shipbuilding industry the prospects, in some districts at least are much brighter than they were. During 1908 no sailing ships of any size calling for notice have been built, and this type of ship is rapidly dis- appearing from the British registry, by reason of the fact that steamers are encroaching more and more on their business.. This review would not, of course, be complete without a brief reference to the important co- partnership scheme unfolded by Sir Christopher Furness, in October last, and under which all those engaged in the shipyards of Messrs. Furness, Withy & Co. have become share- holders and . profit...sharers. iin the works, for by a majority of ten to one the workmen accepted the pro- posal. In proof of his confidence in the co-partnership principle, Sir Chris- - Messrs. seriously | topher Furness, the head of those works, has stated that the Middleton and Harbor yards of this firm are capable of turning out 24 ships a year, and at his own risk he has given or- ders for half that mumber, or six for each yard. Several of these are now under construction. he has also ordered two more from William Gray & Co, that the Teeside yards have now an amount of work in hand which con- trasts strongly with the almost en- tire absence of it when the engineers' strike was brought to a close. The following are the returns from the various shipbuilding centers in the United Kingdom: PER PY INE, 1908. 1907. Ves. Tons. Tons, Swan, 'Hunter, &c......... 17 61,580" 75,818 Armstrong, Whitworth ..... 9 51,384 74,228 Northumberland Ship Build- ing CO. Gite ene es 22,840 41,717 Wim. Dobson Co..0.0.... 10 17,164 8,805 Hawthorn, Leslie & Co..... 4 12,810 20,275 Tyne Ship Building Co..... 3 10,512 thgid Readhead & Sons..'.-...... 2. 10,123 26;437 Palmer's Ship Building Co.. 3 7,149 19,111 Blyth Ship Building Co....°-3 © 6,725 7,834 Smiths = Docks Cou onudscc: aL 6,151 7,961 R. Stephenson & Co....... 253939" 26s Wood, Skinner & Co....... ° 8 -4,832): 13,915 oP. Bitringbanr, & Co... 6 4,154... 1,458 Hepple: &° Go... s sss 9 868 737 J. P. Rennoldson & Sons... 4 -. 745. 1,364 SOP ele ei ascii ci ce stake e bache aie 6 117 219,976 336,922 DHE CLYDE. 1908. 1907. Ves. Tons. . Tons. Russell 8 COee ras soaks ee 13 48,618 71,705 Barclay, Curle & (Co. .) os. 6 38,810 47,332 Ce Connell Qi Conca ieee ea. 7 30,698 40,298 Wine Denny i Brose. 2... 4 20,875 34,418 Alex. Stephen & Sons..-:.. 4 19,904 44,094 D. and W. Henderson & Co. 6 17,805 35,886 Fairtield: Se.&. \We"€o.s. 5.3: 3 17,520 48,020 IGaind Be GOn re okie occas 2 16,723 63437 Napier. .& Miller, Ltd... :. 4. 16,211. 19,283 Jonn: Brown & Oo... esi... 3. 15,300. 35,2068 Wm. Beardmore & Co..... 1 115533, 14508 Wim. Hamilton & Coo... 2 11,386 44,305 A. | MeMillan & Son/....... 5° 9,715 21ods Wa Simone & Coc... 3. 31... 7,933 e738 'Clyde Se Sud Cow ee. 5 7,201 10,981 Moe y. Ineliss Ltd. . oo... 5 6,777 3 8yoe Lobnitz & Ca. Lidi. 6s... 20 6,663 Sime Greenock & Grangemouth Co. 3 6,524 16,337 Ailsa Ship Building Co.... 22 5,985 10,778 Fleming & Ferguson....... 10. 5,050 6,450 iWeGhan aw = SONS. s sce <= 184 4,205 3,011 Soottes. 16.0 C6 ie ne 2° 4,174. 20:9 Mereuson. Bros. 52s e ce ed 9 3,086 4,500 Alley & MeLellan.......... 25 2,930. -2)ag MEAOW WC Onc a os celasls s 13 2,811 cases Bow, M'Lachlan & Co..... 24 2,370 "3:8 De ieeDunion & Co.cc... 1. 2,300. <2;008 Mackie & Thomson........ 17. 2.187 See A Rodoer & 700. . ovens... 2° 1,891 "22:67 John Pullerton & Co...... 5 1,883 3,011 Scott & SOUs ccsys sce: ath 1,629 2,436 Apmossam (CO oe sas $401,517 873 Ceo Brown & Co:o: cy... 3. 978 ane Ritchie, Graham & Milne... 9 377. 1,885 Be Macerersor &' Sons..:... 10 315 481 Murdoch & Murray.......- 1 282 6,850 WORT Wyk. k es, 1 92 70 London & Glasgow Co..... .. fe ee Robert (Munean. <)4 ca ae es 5,981 KamppeltOn CO, Genes Gace « « 2,483 etic --_---- Totals 474 354,225 617,809 wee Ce CRC ew mee eee ee In addition,