DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF PASSENGER STEAMERS. 289 



sections suitable for shipbuilding and are not without hope of being in better shape yet, once 

 the revival of business brings the exporters to realize the benefits of standardization. 



The British have gone further and are at work standardizing ship fittings as far as 

 found practical and desirable; this is a far-seeing step in the maintenance of their shipbuild- 

 ing position and one we should not lose sight of. 



The work done in the standardization of marine oil engine construction has been fully 

 covered recently in publications devoted to the internal-combustion engine. 



Considerable progress has also been made abroad in standardizing steam marine recip- 

 rocating engine and Scotch boiler construction as far as moderate and low powers are con- 

 cerned. This is advantageous in more ways than one. It facilitates construction and, equally 

 important, it facilitates upkeep. With standard shafts and other parts which are most liable 

 to need replacement available, the economy to be realized by quick repairs and consequent ab- 

 sence of delay should need no argument before this body. 



Anything which helps standardization along rational lines should have our united sup- 

 port; we have the fleet now to give us the opportunity. Standardization has been pushed 

 too far in some quarters, but after the exaggerations of the overzealous have been eliminated, 

 there is still a large field to be covered. The claims for the prompt execution of repairs is 

 one that should not be overlooked; it is an aspect of standardization that deserves more 

 attention than it has received, though it is largely taken care of by standardized construction. 



Referring again to the question of engineering standards, the success attending the pre- 

 sentation of the John Fritz medal to Sir Robert Hadfield last summer and the accompanying- 

 international engineering conferences constitute another link in the chain leading up to more 

 efifective engineering cooperation, which naturally includes standardization. 



COMPETITION AND THE FUTURE. 



Prior to 1914 the British and Germans divided the lion's share of the world's passenger 

 carrying; it is not so now. Germany no longer has a passenger-carrying fleet worthy of 

 the name. 



Besides ourselves, the ancient empire of the Mikado has now come into a prominent 

 place in passenger-carrying circles, at least as far as the Pacific is concerned. As an indi- 

 cation of the need that still exists for passenger ships, the following table is of interest; its 

 meaning under normal conditions of world intercourse and trade will not necessarily be the 

 same as under present conditions : 



WOELiys SEA-GOING TONNAGE. 



Liners and intermediate vessels . 



Cargo ships 



Tankers 



Totals . 



The lines of tied-up cargo ships are -^tVi explained by the above figures, which are a 

 variation of Lloyd's regular returns, taken from a paper read by Mr. Ballard last year before 

 the Northeast Coast Institution (England). 



The shortage in ocean passenger ships is brought out, also the wisdom of the govern- 



