NEW SHIPPING LINE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 166, 9 April 1920, Page 8

NEW SHIPPING LINE

;/!v— 0 : TO .TRADE BETWEEN CANADA AND AUSTRALASIA tOCAL AGENTS APPOINTED With Germany and Austria practically out-rof r ,tlio„world's shipping, a great '" oppAi-tuility presented itself for other countries to.'Obtain at least a portion of tho' shipping formerly carried on by these lowers. That opportunity has by two dominions of tlie _ and Canada. .The "'Commonwealth Government .has,-, for some time been conducting a large fleet with, .marked-.success, but it is:only of late that Canada has made her presence felt. 'Before the war, in Canada, as in ■ Australia;'* shipbuilding was a ineligible quantity, but the war gave the necessary stimulus. The Canadian Goverrf..nient hai.a very ambitious programme, and the vessels built are to be sent all ■ •over tho''World. One trade marked out for expansion is that between Canada ■and Australasia, and with this in viewfour steamers have been allocated. This number will increase, of course, as trado warrants. The local firm of Messrs. Murray, Roberts, and Co., Ltd., yesterday announced ■ that' they had been appointed agents for the Canadian 'Government Mercantilo Marine, Ltd., and that the first steamer to call at Wellington would bo the Canadian Importer, diie to arrive about the end of the month from Vancouver, via Australian' ports. After discharging a part of her cargo at this pin t, she is to ■ load for Vancouver, and inland Canadian and U.S.A. points, proceeding'to Auckland- to complete discharge and loading. ' Already one of the Canadian Government's vessels has arrived in New Zealand, tho Canadian Haider now being at Auckland discharging a cargo of Newcastle coal. She has been fixed to load for Montreal and New York. This vessel, it is stated, was not built for this and it is understood that on her return to Canada she will be drafted into the Eastern run.

The present fleet of the Canadian Government Mercantile Marine, Ltd., consists of 70 vessels of an aggrcgato tonnage of 425,000 tons. These vessels are all 'cargo carriers, but. recent reports from Canada stato -that the Government is considering the building of passenger steamers of 15,000 tons in connection with tho Canadian National Railways. Types of Vessels. There are seven different types of vessels being constructed for the Canadian Government Mercantile Marine, Ltd., ranging in size as follow:—2S00 tons, 31<K) tons, 3750 tons. 4300 tons, 5100 tons, 8100 tons, and 10,500 tons, deadweight. The vessels to bo employed in tho Australasian tride are of the 8100-ton type. They ;are of the two-decked type, with poop bridge and fnrmastle, are 413 feet long over all, with 100 feet between perpendiculars, 52 feet beam (moulded), a depth of 31.feet (moulded), and a draught when fully loaded of 25 feet 1 inch.