SHIPBUILDING IN CANADA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 80, 30 December 1918, Page 6

SHIPBUILDING IN CANADA

'' THE GOVERNMENT PLANS. A Canadian exchange of recent date states that supplementary to. previous announcements in connection with the Government shipbuilding, programme, the Hon. C. C. Ballantyne, Minister of Marino and Fisheries, announces that contracts have now been placed with the several shipbuilding yards 'in Canada for the. construction of thirty-one steel steamers, ranging in tonnage from 34(10 tons\deadwci<iht to'Bloo tons. In addition to the types of vessels for which '■contracts'have (boon placed, plans and v specifications for a larger type of 10.500 tons are in' the course of, preparation, and it is expected that contracts for the j construction of several vessel? of this type wjll be placed in the near future at Halifax and possibly at Vancouver.

All the. vessels to be constructed under the Government shipbuilding programme will lie , built of steel. Some of them will be of the one-deck type and some two-decks, suitable for bulk and general cargo. Tho sea speed of the ships will vary from nine to twelve knols> All tho vessels.will be built to Lloyd's or British Corporation hipihest class under the requirements of the British Board of Trade and the Canadian Steamship Inspection Board. . The first launching under the programme was due lo Kike place from the yard of Canadian Vickers, Limited, Montreal, toward the middle of November, when two vessels—one of -1300 tons and another of 81C0 tons—wero to > take the water- . The Minister stated that unless delays in thy delivery of steel occurred,, coven or eight additional vessels would be ready for commission on the opening of navigation next spring, nutl that he fully expected to have the whole thirty one' ships, aswrecating 175.000 tons, in commission before the end' of the year. 1 Mr. Ballantyno, after expressing the view that the rates of freight prevailing would coutimio for some time after i\a war, snid it was tho intention of tho Government to onerate its vessels in connection with tho Canadian National Railway system .on the. Atlantic, the Pacific, and.(he Great Likes. Heplyinn to the toast of "The Institute of Journalists" at ft I,»eds luncheon, followin" a conference, Mr. ,T. L. Gnrvin, urosident of tl"> institute and editor of the London "Observer," said that the Press bad been much criticised, mostly bv persons who knew very little about if. He ventured to say that if Mie Press were to cease operations it would bo like a perfect eclipse by day and ft total stop* page of gas and electricity by night.