SHIPBUILDING IN AUSTRALIA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 32, 1 November 1907, Page 5

SHIPBUILDING IN AUSTRALIA.

■ OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL FIRMS. In the Fedoral. House of Representatives a fow days ago, Mr. Wilks (New South Wales), drew attention to statements regarding the intention uf the English shipbuilding firm of Armstrong, Whitworth, and Co. to extend their operations to Melbourne, and asked:— 1. What.were tho terms offered by tho firm mentioned?. 2. Had any other offers been received? 3. Did the Government propose to establish shipbuilding works for the purpose of naval construction? 4. If so, would tho works bo centralised, or would tho various suitablo sites throughout the Commonwealth bo availed of? 5. Before deciding, would the Prime.Minister consider the exceptional facilities ior such a purpose now existent at Sydnoy, both privately-owned and Stateowned? 6., Would the Primo Minister ask the Premier of New-South Walos as to what assistance would bo given by'tho Now South Wales Government in the matter by tho use of the Government works at Cockatoo Island, which wore so admirably situated for such works? ■ Mr. Doakin stated that thero was nothing beyond tho general intuition of tho willingness of the firm to enter into a contract. Similar offers'had been received from other firms, but beforo any arrangoment was entered into local firms would !(o given every opportunity of tendering. Mr. Hughes (Now South Wales) read an oxtract.from an English , paper, in'which it was asserted that tenders had been lot for tho construction of eight 2G-knot torpedo destroyers and four 20-kuot torpedo-boats. Ho suggested that in viow of the facilities for building ships in Sydney, especially at tho Government dock at Cockatoo Island, the English firm ought not to bo encouraged to enter' into competition with Australia. Mr. Deakin said that no contracts hi\d been let for the vessels referred to. 'Ho know nothing about the relations between Colonel Stanley, the representative of the English company, and the Premier of Victoria, beyond \, what ho had seen in the newspapers.