SHIP DERELICTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1952, 8 January 1914, Page 8

SHIP DERELICTS.

Captain Priteliard, harbourmaster _at the port of Sydney, is of tho opinion that proper provision for ship breaking iu the port will harp to bo made at no distant date. In his anmial report to the Harbour Trust tho lis.rbourmastor says on tLis subject: "At present, shipbreaking in -this port h. in the hands of a. fevi- firms and individuals, on (jiving a guarantee to tho commissioners that, the work will be performed within a certain period—which often has ■ to he extended—permission is given to tow the vessel to bp broken iip to some retired ba,v .in tlic narL'dur where the Work k carried aut. As I pointed out, there, jeems to be no possibility of compelling owners to tow old vessel?, which have been hiial!y placed out. of commission, to soa and siftk them, becauw their vatue is often such that it would b<? unreasonable., to , insist upou such a course bqmg followed. I think, however, that it ts iiWESsar.v that, wo shouM gtvo some iaeilities for breaking up vessels within tl-.o port, as it is the. practice in other large ports, such as London, Liverpool, etc., whore companies with very largo capitals carry on tlic business of buying raid breaking up all classes of old ves?el9. Tlioso companies probably, carry out their operations on their own property; Tho number of vessels hero to i>o demolished is probably not so great that we cau expect tho different firms wlio carry on this business, to acquire premises largo eneiipjh to_ perform tho work, but if wo do not give reasonable facilities for breaking up vessels wo shall have in course of time n largo numbor of derelicts lying ■ about in tho port which will become, in several an incoiivctiicnco from a shipping point of view." . . ,