AUSTRALIA'S NAVAL DOCKYARD

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2177, 17 June 1914, Page 7

AUSTRALIA'S NAVAL DOCKYARD

RECENT DISCLOSURES

FEDERAL PREMIER MAKES A STATEMENT

Uy l'elcsraph—Prcs3 Association—Cooyrieht Sydney, June 16. Discussing tho defccts in equipment nnd organisation at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Mr. Cook (Federal Prime Minister) said: "Whatever is required will bo provided. It would have been far better to liavo allowed the building of the fleet unit to have been completed in England, whilst tho dock could have boon overhauled and made ready to build tho. subsidiary vessels, which are quito due now. Wo should have had a fleet in being complete, and £400,000 in good money saved, which would have purchased another cruiser."

There 1 are at present under construction at Cockatoo Island the light cruiscr Brisbano (ti. sister ship to the Sydney and Melbourne), and fhree destroyers—Derwent, Torrens, and Swan. The Brisbane was laid down on Octobcr 1, 1912, and the New Squth , Wales Government contracted to complete the vessel by, December 1, 1914. The three destroyers were laid down/ on August 1, 1912, and were, to hnvp bfen comnleted on October 1, 1914, TMis. the time allotted for the construction of all four vessels was two years and two months. Under the present conditions and rate of progress (states the Melbourne "Argus"), it is impossible for the Brisbane to bo launched until the beginning of next year, or At the earliest the end of this year, and it is possible that she may not be launched before the end of next summer. At least another year or flf.tecn months' \v;ill be required before she can he completed, and the destroyers cannot be launched till after the Brisbane. It seems, therefore, that the earliest date rit which, ii\ present circumstances, tho four vessels can "be niado available as comhative units, for the purposes of a Royal Australian Navy, will be in the middle of 1916. Indeed, a safe estimate of the time which will have been occupied in the construction of the vessels from the' beginning to end would be.not less than four and a half to five years. A sister ship to the Brisbane (the Ixiwestoft) wns completed in England in one year and nine months. The effectjvo life".of a modern battleship is now reckoned at ten years, although it may perform useful service for another five. At the present rate of propress, therefore, nearly half the effective life of tho Brisbane will be passed- awny by the time she is completed, or, to put tho matter on a financial basis, the Commonwealth Government. will obtain only ■£'109,000 worth out, of ,£700,000 which tho light cruiser will havo cost in capital expeiidjture.