An excellent indication of the flourishing condition of the British shipbuilding industry is afforded by. the returns just issued by Lloyd's Register for the quarter ended on March 31 last, says "Engineering." From these it appears that, on that date, there were no less than 865 merchant ships with an aggre-Bate gross tonnage of 3,394,425, under construction in the yards of the country—an increase of over 400,000 tons on the corresponding figure for the December quarter, and of nearly 1,140,000 tons over the figure for the first quarter of last year.
In comparison with pre-war times the present figure shows an increase of nearly 65 per cent. over the tonnage under construction in March, 1913, viz., 2,063,694 tons, which was the record figure for that period. We have also regained our Position as the world's greatest shipbuilding nation, the tonnage now building in this country' exceeding that under construction la the United States by 821,127 tons. The vessels launched during the quarter, biwayer, show a sistinak decrease in comparison with the figures for the December quarter. In the latter period 153 ships, making 459,354 tons, were launched, but in the March quarter only 131 launches took place, and the ton-age of these ships was 454,204.
"New vessels put in hand during the March quarter numbered 223, with an aggregate tonnage of 780,- 031, as compared with 168 vessels having a total tonnage of 603,632 commenced in the last quarter of last: year.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.