MAKING TROOPSHIPS GREY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1302, 24 September 1914, Page 4

MAKING TROOPSHIPS GREY.

A COSTLY PROCESS. SEVEN TONS OF PAINT FOR THE ATHENIC. A not inconsiderable item in fitting out the Home liners for service as troopships is the cost of painting the vessels “all grey” — the colour which at sea makes them as nearly invisible as possible to the look out from any other vessel. White glistens in the sun —it radiates light—and when seen from afar is often mistaken for a sail until the smudge of the steamer’s smoke declare it to be otherwise. Black, on the other hand, is said to be equally as visible. When the ocean waves are foamed tipped or the sea is

gleaming placidly in the sunshine a black object is easily picked up ever so tar away. Even a dark green bctlle floating hundreds of yards away often catches the accustomed eye of the look out. Grey is the colour which harmonises best with the ocean element in all its varying moods, and has been adopted (in war time) by the warships of all nations. At all times when the Lght L the feast uncertain raaa-o - war grey is a great aid to obscurity.

It is interesting to know approximately what the painting of the troopships of New Zealand cost the country (says the Dominion). Five of the eight troopers on the tide were painted (on commission) by Messrs Smith and Smith, of Wellington, Christchurch and Dm,..din. A rough idea can be formed of the total cost when it is stated that the firm’s debit on account of the Athenic was ,£IO2B of which amount over was expended on wages. No less a quantity than seven tons of paint was required to “grey” the big liner, and naturally there was a heavy expenditure in brushes, staging, cartage, buckets, and a dozen other accessories to such a big job. Smith and Smith also pointed the Star of India, Ruapehu, Orarr and Limerick, and (in part) the Arawa and Hawke's Bay. Messrs Tiugey and Co., of Wellington, painted the Waimana. Taking the Athenic as a criterion the painting of this fleet of troopship., must have cost between and jQ Sooo, which seems an enormous amount for such work. Still, it was work that evidently had to be done, and it was promptly done. A record was put up in the case of the Star of India. The order to paint the vessel was received at 4 o’clock on a Thursday afternoon, and by noon on Monday the entire ship had been painted from stem to slern, from mast head to water line. Thanks to good weather the men were able to work right through, and they were kept going on the Saturday afternoon and the Sunday. Tuwse engaged on Sunday were paid as high as 4s 4d per hour, and some of the painters engaged (the gang included many watersiders) lifted bigger wages than they had ever earned in their lives before. As it turns out there was no need for such hurry and expenditure, but that was not known at the time.