Page
10
The CHAIRMAN said that it was more than likely that Mr. Jack had obtained his figures from very reliable sources. At the time the steamers he mentioned were built iron and steel were very low in price, and that fact accounted, in some measure, for the low rates he quoted.
Mr. KINGHORN did not wish to doubt the correctness of Mr. Jack's paper. All he wished to point out was the difficulty, in this hot weather, of keeping one's head in making the calculations.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
a
▼
[July 4, 1895.
There were other figures which would be bad The Chinaman was paid less and did less work, as it did not seem to be possible that they could enough to work out in cool weather, but when but there was no man who was physically able be built as cheap in Haiphong as they could be the thermometer stood at 90 in the shade, they to do so much work in the East as the Chains- in the United Kingdom. With the rest of the were too much for him altogether. He would man, He (the speaker) was certain that a steamer paper be agreed. As regards the future of like to know how Mr. Jack arrived at his figures, could be put in the water in the East at consider China be mentioned that two years age he because one never knew when one might be ably less than a steamer of similar size could be visited both the coal and iron mines of the ang called upon to make a bill of costs something built at home. As regards the time of buildingsne, belonging to the Viceroy of Hupeh, and like Mr. Jack's. But he hoped that this would he quite agreed with Mr. Jack that if local ship in his opinion they only wanted development. not be the last paper which Mr. Jack would owners were to consider the time of delivery | As usual, capital was lacking. They simply write, as he was eminently qualified to write from the time negotiations were opened. wanted more money and better tools to get what about the subject, and it was to be hoped that local builders could place a steamer in the they were aiming at. The ores were examined Mr. Jack would see that the Institute had appre-water and put her on her run mnob quicker than and found to be very fine indeed, and equal ciated his efforts. (Applause).
by bringing her from home. He referred anything in England or Amerios. The Hanyang particularly to 1,200 to 1,500 ton ships. But at ironworks were on too large a spate, and present he did not think we could build a large wrongly located-far away from the urines. steamer, say anything from 2.000 tons, to com- Another point that should be remembered was pare with those at home. There was a lack of the silver question; as long as China and Japan. workmen. We could command to a great extent continned using silver, they would be able to the material, but the men could not be found in quote prices far below those of gold using sufficient numbers. At home, however, plenty countries. Already England was feeling this of workmen could be found, and it must be in the cotton trade, in which Japan was going considered that in shipbuilding yards almost ahead rapidly. Mr. Jack's paper came at an without exception repairing and building of opportune moment, when changes were likely to boats were continually being carried on, and oooar in the whole aspect of business in the East, Mr. JOHNSON said that when prices were low there were comparatively few that combined the Hongkong had special advantages for becoming he had seen steel quoted at less than £4 108. a two classes of work. But here such was not the a shipbuilding centre, in being a free port and ton, and boiler plates at £5 10s. 6d. Of course case, and if a ship was being built it was almost always having cheap freights to any part of the lately there had been a big rise. A year or two certain that the work would have to be suspended world. Shanghai had built à special class of river ago, when business was very dull, steel manu- for a time while repairs were effected on an in-boat, with great success, and Hongkong might facturers got orders simply to keep the works coming steamer, otherwise local owners would do the same for the West river. If the Weat open.
They were not making any profit, and complain not only that they could not get ships river was opened up shipbuilding in Hongkong ship plates were down at £4 10s. a ion.
built but that they could not get them repaired in would receive an impetus, and firms would be able Mr. WINTERBURN thought that Mr. Jack
reasonable time. The time might come when a to compete with the home people. He thought had taken a rosy view of shipbuilding in the sufficient number of orders would be given to Mr: Jack deserved very great praise for his able East, and the Chairman agreed with him, and enable the building and repairing of ships to be paper. as they represented the largest ship yards out carried on at the same time, and thus the local here their opinion was very valuable. For his owners would be benefited. Europeans in the part he thought it would be a considerable time East were greatly increasing in numbers. before iron ships would be built to a great extent Hongkong was not a place that people came to in Hongkong. There was a 2,000 ton ship and for a few years, made dollars, and then went another of 1,800 tons on the stocks at Singapore, home again, as they used to. A large number but these were being built only by way of ex of Europeans now looked upon Hongkong as periment.
In Hongkong there was a great their home, and they showed no desire to go any difficulty to contend with in obtaining labour. where else. Consequently there were men in At home there was a staff of men employed and the colony who were premanent residents and when trade was bad they migrated to various who were able to carry out all the duties neces- parts of the country, and there was always an
sary in the building of ships, and as the enormous stock of skilled artisan labour to draw requirements increased he had no doubt that upon. In Hongkong the men had to be trained, more help would be forthcoming. He had so that there would be a lot of trouble before much pleasure in bearing testimony to the they could gain a good experience. They could good effects that might result from Mr. Jack's no doubt build wooden vessels all right, as Chi-paper, and he hoped it would be an example to nese were remarkably good carpenters, as they were in all mechanical trades when they were traized. As to the cost of ship-building he thought that Mr. Jack had over estimated the cost of a Hongkong built boat. He thought one could be built at a cheaper rate than he gave. If there were sufficient orders the cost would be materially reduced, and the work would be developed more. At present a considerable time elapsed between each order, whereas if there were two or three vessels on the stocks at one time there would be a great differ- ence in the cost of building. The paper was one of the most instructive the members had heard and he hoped it would bring the subject to the notice of shipowners.. If it resulted in orders being given, its purpose would be admirably served. He thought, however, that shipbuilding in Hongkong would not make much progress unless the port was subsidised by Government. The Japanese had made progress by Govern. ment assistance. (Applause).
Mr. MITCHELL said the gist of the whole matter was that, in regard to iron shipbuilding, owners displayed a want of confidence in the yards in the Far East, and seemed to be afraid to entrust shipbuilders out here with the con- struction of steamers. He thought the want of confidence was not justified. He had not the slightest doubt that there were men in differ- ent yards in Hongkong and Shanghai who were quite capable of designing either shipbuilding or engineering work which would be absolutely serviceable. Mr. Jack had said that stern- wheelers could be put in the water and finished for less than the f.o.b. prices of builders of the same type of steamer in England. But Mr. Jack forgot that the firm of which he was manager in Haiphong made a special feature of sternwheelers, and he had also left out the profit. The price at home covered the profit to the builders, but Mr. Jack's quotation gave no profit. He also re- ferred to the cheap rate at which steamers could be built here as compared with the rate at home. The workmen at home, though, did very much more work, and were in every way competent.
|
|
some of the 85 per cent, of members who took no interest in the papers which had been prepared by the remaining 15 per cent. (Applause).
|
Mr. ROME asked if we were prepared to com pete at a profit with the old country ? The general tone that evening was.
as far wooden ships were concerned, yes; 88 far composite ships were concerned he should also yes. Hongkong as a shipbuilding port was in its infancy and they must creep along gradually.
The CHAIRNAN said the meeting had produced a most instructive discussion, and he hoped they would hear more instructive papers rend út future date!
The discussion closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was proposed by Mr. Bain, and seconded by Mr. Rome.
A NEW DEPARTURE.
[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.] An entertainment that will be considered by The CHAIRMAN thought that one great draw the optimist a happy augury of more cordial back to shipbuilding in Hongkong in particular relations between the Chinese and their foreign had been that up to the present shipbuilding had neighbours was held in Shanghai on the even been carried on only to provide men with working of the 18th inst. This was a banquet given and to train them in repairing work. He had by the Taotai to some fifty or sixty of the lead- not known of any large orders coming into ing European residents of the port, and this in Hongkong, except in one or two instances, for the first occasion on which the Taotai has enter- now work. As Mr. Mitchell had said, if orders tained foreign ladies. The place selected for were given to a large extent it would pay the dinner was the spacious and handsome A firm to keep a part of their yard pavilion in the popular place of resort known as entirely for shipbuilding. There was a great Chang's Gardens on the Bubbling Well Road, and difficulty in finding a sufficient quantity of the occasion served to show how admirably suited trained men for the work, but a lot of repairing the building is for dinner parties as well as balls. work was done in Hongkong that helped to train Half the lofty ball was partitioned off with men and properly organise them, so that in a handsome folding screens and fitted up as a very short time they would be efficient to be drawing-room, the remainder being devoted to employed on a new ship. At present there were the dinner tables. On either side of the not so many men as would be required if ship- main entrance ladies' and gentlemen's retiring building were carried on on a very large scale. The rooms were arranged, while the verandah work turned out in Hongkong, Singapore, and looking on to the garden and the spacious Shanghai fully justified owners in giving local gallery running round the entire length of the shipbuilders and engineers an opportunity of hall were fitted up as elegant promenades. The showing what ability they had.
dining tables were arranged to form three siden of a square, the decorations being as novel as they were light and graceful. Fale green bro- cad d silk furnished an artistic table contre, finished with buttercup yellow silk loosely puffed along its edges, the silk being covered by innumerable vases of graceful form filled Mr. A. JOHNSTON was of opinion, that, as with a variety of delicate flowers, the prevailing other gentlemen had said, labour was the great tiut of which was deep yellow, shading to dark stumbling block to the success of shipbuilding in terracotta red in the centre. Little or Hongkong. He thought that if owners were to foliage was used, the only relief to the yellow support the local firms in giving them orders being a few white flowers near the Taotai's sent. Hongkong could successfully compete with home In harmony with this elegant and unique table yards. (Applause). He had had a good deal to decoration was a draping of yellow and red silk do in training Chiness, and had found them carried in festooms round the gallery fron very apt. In five or six mouths they looking cheerful without being heavy, the pres tarned out very good workmen indeed. They vailing air of cheerful lightness boing sustained had opportunities which boys at home by an abundance of bamboo greenery. An did not have, and Hongkong had supplied excellent precaution against the nuisance caused boiler makers, mechanics, and ships carpenters by the dropping of defunct insects on to both to the north of China and the Straits. He the table was taken by the gas chandeliers agreed with Mr. Mitchell as to sternwheelers, I being enveloped in gauze wire, which cradled
Mr. KYLES said his experience was that it was to the care and responsibility of the Euro- pean heads of departments that the excellent workinanship of the Chinese was due. He had seen heavy work turned out by the Chinese as well as it could have been done at home.
по