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World Shipbuilding Volume ls Lowest Since 1926 , LOWER volume of world con- A struction of merchant vessels than at any time since the end of 1926, due to a sharp decline in the work in the shipyards of Great Bri- tain and Ireland during the quarter ended Dec. 31, is shown by a state- ment just issued by Lloyd’s Register of Shipping covering all maritime countries except Russia. During the quarter for which returns have just been issued the world total showed a decrease of 243,000 gross tons the de- cline for Great Britain and Ireland alone being 207,000 tons. As compared with the total building just before the war, throughout the world, the present construction total of 2,326,000 gross tons shows a de- crease of 836,000 gross tons, and of this the decline for Great Britain and Treland represents 813,000 tons. The shipyards of the United States, how- ever, are building nearly 85,000 tons more than they were before the war. During the quarter ended Dec. 31, Lloyd’s Register points out, Ameri- can shipyards showed a gain in work on hand of about 20,000 gross tons. Small gains were also reported for Germany, Sweden and Denmark; while, in addition to the decrease re- ported for Great Britain and Ireland, there were declines in France, Italy, Holland and Japan. Comparisons of the volume of ship- building during the past two quar- ters in the chief groups of countries are shown by Lloyd’s in the follow- ing table, the figures representing gross tons: Dec. 31, Sept. 30, 1930 1930 Great Britain & TPGIANG cgcevecsccs.c.s. 908,902 1,116,746 United States ........... 232,030 212,974 Other countries ........ 1,185,154 1,239,316 World Total i 2se045 2,326,086 2,569,036 At the end of 1929, Lloyd’s returns show, Great Britain and Ireland were constructing slightly more than half the world’s volume of tonnage. At the end of last September, however, their proportion had fallen to 43.5 per cent, and in the quarter just ended it dropped to 39 per cent. The pro- portion of the United States’ share in the work advanced from 8.3 per cent at the end of last September to practically 10 per cent; and that of all other countries combined from 48.2 per cent to 51 per cent. There was a continuance in the quarter just ended of the conditions whereby new work secured by the world’s shipbuilders falls short of re- placing that being sent towards com- pletion. During the three months ending Dec. 31, launchings represent- ed over 200,000 gross tons more than the aggregate of new work begun. Again the disproportion was much the greatest in Great Britain and Ireland, where new work was 165,000 tons less than the volume of launch- ings; while for all other countries combined the shortage was only 40,- 000 tons. Lloyd’s shows the contrasts between launchings and new orders in the following table, the figures rep- resenting gross tons: Dec. 31, Sept. 30, Launchings 1930 1930 Great Britain & Prelang kote. 294,601 376,593 Other countries ........ 327,998 828,214 World: Total 2.06.4 622,599 704,807 New Work Great Britain & TTOlANG sss. 128,875 158,344 Other countries ........ 287,369 314,541 World Total 5. s.:. 416,244 472,885 The volume of tanker construction also showed a decline during the quarter just ended, says Lloyd’s, a decrease of about 125,000 tons being shown, as compared with the total at the end of September last. Here again the decrease is due to the fall- ing off of the work in hand in Great Britain and Ireland, the decline there amounting to 151,000 gross tons. For the United States a decrease of 17,- 500 tons is shown; but gains of 14,- 000 tons are shown for Germany, of 10,000 tons for Sweden, and of 17,- 000 tons for the other maritime coun- tries combined. JLloyd’s shows the contrast between the last two quar- ters in the following table of gross tonnage: Only steam and motor tank- ers of 1000 gross tons and upwards each, are dealt with in the returns: Dec. 31, Sept. 30, 1930 1930 Great Britain & Lreland ie 388,897 540,318 Germany? ican: 148,250 128,545 Sweden. .ibu.8: see 100,600 90,550 United States ............ 50,000 67,500 Other countries ........ 224,551 207,231 World total «.i...0...053 907,298 1,034,144 Motor vessels bore the brunt of the decline during the quarter end- ing Dec. 31, the decrease in the cur- rent construction of these ships ag- gregating 226,000 gross tons, as against only 16,000 for vessels of all other types taken together. As a result, vessels equipped with internal combustion engines now represent about 57 per cent of world merchant shipbuilding, compared with about 60 per cent at the end of last September and 63 per cent at the end of last June. Comparison of the types of construction in the past two quarters MARINE REvirw—March, 1931 is shown in the following gross ton- nage table: Dec. 31, Sept. 30, 1930 1930 Motor Vessels .......... 1,332,709 1,559,334 Other types 3.6.52... 993,377 1,009,702 World total: 3.55 2,326,086 2,569,036 At the end of the September quar- ter, Great Britain and Ireland were building 196,000 gross tons more of motor vessels than at the end of December; and during the same pe- riod MHolland’s motorship construc- tion fell off about 22,000 tons. The United States total showed a de- crease of less than a thousand tons. A comparison of motorship building during the past two quarters is given in the following tonnage table: Dec. 31, Sept. 30, 1930. * 1930 Great Britain & : ireland. 233.5233 440,276 637,154 Germany. 176,650 148,565 Hollands: itacn.. 152,713 175,680 Sweden 2.5.60 Cee 135,350 115,300 Denmark iisewaG oes 103,430 94,580 United States ............ 42,563 43,385 For oil engines the total indicated horsepower at the end of December was 1,051,662, as compared with 1,- 199,588 at the end of September. During this period the decline re- ported for Great Britain and Ireland brought that total from 332,785, to 229,428 indicated horsepower. Ger- many’s total dropped from 187,070 to 163,070; Holland’s from 131,990 to 123,420; and for the United States, from 41,314 to 22,144. A gain of over 300,000 shaft horse- power for steam turbines was made during the quarter just ended, the total for -all countries combined ad- vancing from 757,315 shaft horsepow- er to 1,062,825. For Great Britain and Ireland, there was an advance from 225,965 to 402,975, and for the United States from 194,000 to 304,- 100 horsepower in steam turbines. The figures for reciprocating steam engines for all countries show a de- cline during the last quarter from 365,885 indicated horsepower to 279,- 575. Great Britain and Ireland’s de- crease was from 216,475 to 164,740; and that for all other countries com- bined, from 149,410 to 114,835. The comparison of the various coun- tries in the volume of tonnage or- ders during the past two quarters is shown by Lloyd’s Register in the fol- lowing table, the figures representing gross tons: Dec. 31, Sept. 30, 1930 1930 Great Britain & freland: 32x 908,902 1,116,746 United States .-2....5: 232,030 212,974 Germany. seco 218,215 194,200 Tally 2c one ee 179,677 188,384 PiYranGe@ eee 174,215 209,307 160,078 184,920 145,750 125,660 107,660 97,335 86,060 104,250 Lloyd’s Register reports that there are now under construction through- out the world 13 vessels, each of 20,- 000 gross tons or more. 41