JAPANESE SHIPPING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 178, 23 April 1919, Page 5

JAPANESE SHIPPING

STATE ENCOURAGEMENT DIVIDEND OP 50 PER CENT. A review of the remarkable progreßß of Japanese shipping has been published by the British journal, "Engineering." It states that the Government has made every effort to encourage, the development of the mercantile marine by means of subsidies, which prior to 1909, were granted to all trading companies whose shareholders were entirely Japanese, engaged in traffic between Japan and foreign ports. In 1909, bv the Ocean Service Subvention Law, Japanese companies whoso shareholders were all Japanese, received subsidies according to mileage, tonnage, speed, and age in respect of steel steamships of a gross tonnage of not less than 3000 tons, having speed of not less than 12 knots, and an age not exceeding 12 vears. ■ ' The following figures indicate (he very ranid advance of the mercantile marine: —In 1894 tho steamship tonnage was nlioiit 160,000 tons and this had increased in 1903 to 057,000 tons, while there were in addition 322.000 tons of sailing vessels, making 979.000 tons in nil. The Russo-Japanese War a year later acted as an added stimulus, and 27,000 tons of shipping was built in Japan and 117.000 tons purchased, making a total nf 790,000 tons, allowing for sea and war losses of 71,000 tons. At the end of 1914 the registered gross tonnage of steamers had increased to 1,577,244 tons, nnd that of sailing vessels to 513,244 tons, making a total of 2.090,269 tons. Thus in 20 years the tonnage ofJapanese steamships has increased ten times, while since tho war shipyards in Japan have been turning out ships for domestic, and foreign use nt about twice the normal capacity, which is about 200,000 tons annually. Shinbuilding was also encouras»d bv bounties, -which in 1898 were granted for the construction of vessels of iron and steol of over 700 tons, with ( he proviso as to Japanese shareholders. Prior to this date it was customary to order all vessels of over 1000 ton? from abroad. Tn 1909 vessels in order to earn bounty had to be of not less than 1000 gross tons. As far as output is concerned the bounty system has undoubtedly answered, for in 1914 428,832 tons of shinning vrns built in Japan, the product of 2-li nnvafe shipyards. There wr» in addition 03 dry docks in Japan, while Japanese salvage comnanies do most of the wreck work in the East. With regard to_ personnel, in the early days ns in the railways foreigners were very lnrc»ly employed both as officers in the ships and ashore in the yards, bul these have been now almost entirely dispensed with. The number of shipping companies in possession of above 10.000 tons deadweight of cargo,steamers, is 42, of which he principal are the Nippon Yusen Kaisba, owning 50 vessels of 337,755 tons deadweight, and the Osaea Shosen Kaisha with 42 vessels of 179,477 tons. Since the war Japanese' shipping has been exceedingly prosperous, ns instanced by tho 50 per cent, dividend naid by the Nippon Yusen Kaisha in 1918. Tne utmost advantage has been taken of the world shortage of tonnage, the Japanese continually starting new lines on routes previously . monopolised by British or other bottoms. Thus Japanese ihins are now running to India, to Europe via the Panama Canal, as well an via the Capo and i Mcditerannean, to (ho Dutch East Indies and to Australia, whereas before the war their shipping activity was, with the exception of two lines to Europe and America, practically confined lo their own seas. In addition to the above they were able to suonlv to the Allies for transnort of truops from the United States 100,00(1 tons of shipping in 1917, end lhi« nid was fo he increased bv a further 150.000 tons in (•noli of the years 1918 and 1919. Payment for this shipning is being made in steel sunnlied from America. With regard to harbour accommodation, Jnnan possess™ 37 onon norfs. but the.bulk of the tr»de : « <"im«d on through tho ports of Yokohama and Kobe.