The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The West Coast Times.” TUESDAY, AUGUST 30th, 1921.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1921, Page 2

The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The West Coast Times.” TUESDAY, AUGUST 30th, 1921.

AUSTR A LI AN SHIPBUILDING. Tub Australian public are taking a renewed interest in the question as to whether the Commonwealth Government shall continue to build and operate its own vessels, chiefly on account of a ministerial announcement that the lacks of funds would prevent the building of any further Government ships at any of the dockyards, and the agitations by the Labour Party, which have followed the dismissal of large numbers of men consequent on the current year’s financial appropriation having exhausted in eight months. Opposition to continued Government construction of tilrips comes from the organisers ■»!' ft non-partisan agitation known us the

“Economy Movement,”'which is seeking a reduction of all Government expenditure on the ground that the comI bined Commonwealth and State debts of over £800,00,0000 are too large to allow ' of any increase, even for productive en- ' terprise such 'as ships. According to tho American Trade Commissioner at Melbourne, the Commonwealth Govern-

ment fleet was begun in 1916 by tbe purchase of fifteen steel cargo vessels of an average dead-weight capacity of about 7,000 tons, and two wooden ves‘sels, one of which was subsequently wrecked and the other sold. It was afterwards decided to increase the fleet by building in Australia twenty-one steel and twenty-four wooden steamers, in England five steel steamers, and in America fourteen wooden ships. Tbe last proved to be unsatisfactory and were sold to American interests, but payment on five was defaulted by the buyers, and the Commonwealth bad to take them, and they are now running on tlie Australian coast. Contracts for twenty-two of the tweny-four wooden ships to have been built in Australia were cancelled. The steel cargo ship programme was divided into two parts, the first consisting, of six sister ships of a dead weight capacity of about 6,000 tons, eflcb 331 feet long by 48 feet beam, and having a loaded speed of 10.1 knots, and the second being composed of fifteen vessels of the Islierwood shelter deck type, of similar dimensions to the first series of ships and carrying 6,000 ton (lend weight. The first part of the programme lias been completed and al! the vessels are now in commission, wh.il? ships of the second series are either launched or under construction. Although it has been asserted from time to time that the Commonwealth fleet was losing money, vet those who are in a position to know the facts connected with the actual working have quite another story to toll. The manager'of the Commonwealth line declares that gross profits from the beginning of operations of the fleet to June Both of last year were £3,182,(XX), and not profits £2,201,000; and in regard to the first half of the current year lie states officially that in spite of the losses, ns a result ixf the Australian shipping strike, there will be a substantial profit, while the second half promises a moderate profit. The hope has been expressed by the Minister in charge of shipbuilding that arrangements will soon he consummated hv which the construction of two 12,000 ton steel steamers would he resumed at the Government dockyard at Cockatoo Island, from which a number of workers had been discharged. The vessels will be equipped with oil fuel, and wil] have a loaded' speed of 13 knots and will he 530 feet long by 63 feet beam. In addition to the Aus-tralian-built ships, throe 12,000-ton vessels are building for the Commonwealth Government at Vicker’s and two at Benrdmpre’s, in the United Kingdom.