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| Mw A K AON UE . timates as to the coal only related to the quantity that was to be on the vessels at the time of their trials. The bunker capacity of the Birkenhead built scouts was more than four times the bunker capacity 'put down on the navy estimates as the basis on which the trials would have to be made, and this extra capacity was bound to be of immense value. Al- most everything on these boats had given way to coal capacity. H. M. S. Patrol, the second vessel of this type, now building by Messrs. Cammell, Laird & Co., is in an advanced state of construction. In regard to the rate war in the Atlantic passenger trade, a Brussels correspondent writes that the Shipping Confer-_ ence will meet again in September, but in the meantime the tariff difficulties threaten to be largely extended. The Ham- burg-American Line supported by all the other continental lines, intends, it is further stated, to establish a new shipping service between Scotland and Ireland, in order to prejudice the interests of the Cunard Line. It is strange how much -more.is known on the continent of Europe about this rate war than in British shipping centers. If the Hamburg-Ameri- can and other continental lines think they can do good busi- ness by a service between Scotland and Ireland I am sure the -- Cunard Line will not mind. The Cunard Line will thereby be prejudiced just to the extent as they have been by the ten- dollar steerage rate initiated by the German lines. At any rate the Cunard Line in the conflict still proceeding have not been the greatest sufferers. The new King's dock at Swansea, the first sod of which was cut this week by King Edward, will be constructed within the next five years and will cost nearly ten million dollars. The dock will have an area of 66 acres, and will contain provision for the easy doubling of that enormous capacity. It will be able to accommodate, the largest class of vessel even now contemplated, and will have the effect of converting the port into what is to all intents and purposes a deep water harbor. This vast undertaking is rendered necessary - by the ever increasing trade, and by its means it is hoped that Swansea will maintain her position among the chief ports of the world. In and around Swansea every kind of mineral is dealt with from those of the precious description to that most useful of all, coal. In their development Swansea has flourished and continues to flourish, and the addition of new industries has been such as to make incessant extensions in the facilities for import and export absolutely necessary. The Price of Wales dock led to the establishment of ocean trades and to the capture of the monopoly of tinplate ship- ments from Liverpool. That trade is now almost exclusively held by Swansea. Thanks to the formation of the International Sailing Ship union, homeward freights with which it is exclusively con- cerned, show a steady advance. Not long ago charterers, by playing off owners against each other, had got nitrate freights down to $2.50 per ton; owners could go no lower because it meant ruin. The formation of the union has caused owners to stand back to back, and the natural result is a rise of nitrate freights from $2.50 to $4 and finally to $4.50, but though the advance is considerable, it is only accepted until Aug. 15, when the official minimum of $5 per ton comes into' force. It will then only depend on the loyalty of the mem- bers to each other to get that figure and even more. At the end of this month the admiralty will offer to private ship builders contracts for the building of three battle- ships and two first-class cruisers, together with other: minor work, such as sloops, scouts, torpedo boat destroyers and sub- marines. These orders are of course supplementary to the work which is being undertaken in the government dock yards. There will be keen competition for these orders, as most builders are short of work. There is but a small de- mand for mercantile tonnage, and the admiralty work in hand is well advanced. eb ov a gow oom, -- The turbine steamer building on the Clyde for the Allan Line Canadian service is not nearly so far advanced as her sister ship at Belfast which is expected to be launched in August, but she will, if at all possible, be ready in the spring of next year. The Victorian building at Belfast will, it is hoped, be running this autumn. For this vessel Mr. Parsons has devised a special reversing arrangement whereby power astern can be obtained equal to that forward, securing almost instant stopping of the ship whenever necessary. She will have accommodation for 1,500 passengers, and carry cargo to the extent of 8,000 tons. The coal bunkers will carry fuel for several days more than the double voyage, while both turbine steamers will have on board a Marconi installation and 9 printing office. SHIPPING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. The Board of Trade has just published its annual report of the navigation and shipping of the United Kingdom for 1903. From the tables it appears that the total net tonnage of vessels entering and clearing with cargoes and in ballast at ports in the United Kingdom from and to foreign countries -and British possessions were: In 1903, 105,619,344 tons ; in 1902, 99,872,719 tons; and in I9QOI, 97,341,013 tons. The total for last year constitutes a record. Of the above the British flag was represented by 69,211,973 tons in 1903, 64,902,907 tons in 1902, and 62,789,841 tons in 1901, and the foreign flag was represented by 36,407,371 tons, 34,960,812 tons, and 34,561,172 tons respectively. In the coasting trade in the United King- dom the British tonnage which entered and cleared with cargo amounted to 62,055,475 tons, against 62,200,558 tons in 1902, and 60,401,213 tons in 1901, while the foreign tonnage ~ increased from 378,108 tons in 1901, and 374,977 tons in 1902, to 481,531 in 1903. Last year 988 foreign vessels, of 967,224 tons, entered, or cleared from ports in the United Kingdom with cargo for British possessions. The following list shows the principal ports in the United Kingdom, the tonnage being that of vessels entering and clearing for abroad with cargoes and in ballast: ; Port. Tons. Port. Tons. e london 7. 190,003,020 ~«-r2' Leith 2... :..<. 1,952,570 2 Liwerpool 3.00. 14,499,018 13. Sunderland .... 1,941,790 B Cardio... 13,170,150 (14 Dover :........ 1,805,300 *a, Lyne ports .... 0,021,217 15. Manchester .... 1,861,284 a Gee 4,686,918 16. Middlesbrough.. 1,801,241 6 Glasgow cis... 4,207,054. 17. Grimsby SL, 740,055 7. SOuriampion .. 3,756,001. 18, Harwich ..:...\ 1,477,382 8. Newport 2712574 19, Grangemouth .. 1,440,220 9. Swansea "2 7004. 20 Bristol'... 2... 1,306,487 Oo Vile 5 oc: 2,382,148 21. Hartlepool - Lo 321,020 it, Kigkaldy 66.22. 2,297,199 The Davis Coal & Coke Co., which controls the mines along the West Virginia Central railroad, is asking various ship builders to submit bids for constructing from four to six coal barges and one or two large sea-going tugs to be used for the coal business in connection with the Western Maryland railroad out of Baltimore as soon as the Cherry Run & Cum- berland extension is completed. F. S. Sandstreet, vice- president of the Western Maryland, says that there is now being handled 2,000,000 tons of coal a year on the West Vir- ginia Central and as soon as the line is connected up this will all be sent over the Western Maryland, requiring an average of five full trains a day and 1,000 vessels a year to handle it. Betts Bros, Wrecking Co. will raise the Clyde line steamer Kiowa, sunk off Boston light last winter by being run into during a fog by steamer Admiral Dewey. The Kiowa was abandoned by the Boston Tow Boat Co.