British Empire Trade Ship

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1922, Page 4

British Empire Trade Ship

TO SAIL IN AUGUST, 1923. LONDON, Dec. 22. Next February the American trade ship St Louis will commence a world tour. After leaving South American ports she will proceed to New Zealand, so that it should be fairly early in the year when people in the Dominion will have an opportunity of becoming familial with this method of advertising the trade of a country. It is doubtful, of course, whether the American enterprise will bear much fruit, as not only New Zealand and Australia, but all the other countries which the vessel will visit, are hardly in the position at present greatly to extend their business connexions. Still, it only goes to show how necessary it is for Britain to exert herself to retain and foster her overseas trade. ’Certain progress has been made in the enterprise which the “British Trade Ship, Limited” has in view—the despatch of the ship British Industry on its world tour, particulars of which I have already supplied. There have been an enormous number of enquiries regarding space, and many manufacturers are to lie represented in the construction of the shin itself, for it will lie remembered that the idea is to make every detail of the vessel’s equipment, fioni the engines to the fittings and furniture, an exhibit of British workmanship at its best. The negotiations in connexion with the part exhibitors are to take in the ship’s fittings have taken considerably longer than it was anticipated, but the company now has every confidence, says Commander R. W. Day (who is one of the managing directors) that, with the additional staff which is now being taken oil to deal with the extensive enquiries, sufficient support will presently he obtained to warrant the laying down of the keel and proceeding definitely forward with the scheme. '■Shipbuilding costs and voyage costs

have recently been reduced, and the directors foresee a further fall during the period of the construction of the trade ship. Under these circumstances the directors have reduced the terms by one-third. The terms are noiv £IOOO for the passage of a trade representative, and £IOOO for a stall of fifty square feet. In the case of the American trade ship, 12,000 dollars are aslced for the passage of the attendant and the use of a stall 4ft by 6ft. Inking into account the number of days the respective vessels will he in port, a comparison shows that the (marges for the British scheme are one-quarter those of the American scheme. The British Industry will be eighteen months on her voyage, while the St Louis will be only a year, and in the case of,the former there will he 346 days on which the vessel will be open . to the public. j It is anticipated that the floating exhibition will sail from the Thames in August, 1923.