WHO WILL BE NEW AUSTRALIANS?

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5324, 10 February 1947, Page 5

WHO WILL BE NEW AUSTRALIANS?

(Press Assn. — ,

CHARTERING OF SHIPS

AQUITANIA "WILL BRING 24, 000. PEOPLE

Rec. 9.30 p.m.)

LONDON, Feb. 9. The Australian Government's target figure of 70,000 migrants a year coulcl not be reached without coijsiderable buildings of new ships, in addition to those required for normal >■ passenger traffic, said the chairman of the Orient Steam Navigation Company, Mr. I. C. Geddes, in addressing shareholders. These extra ships, he added, would have to live ori their earnings secured from one-way traffic and prcvide for amortisation*and servicing. "The same need exists wherever the ownership of a vessel lies," Mr. Geddes proceeded. "So the question is bound to arise, 'Wh-at degree of continuity may be expected in thin traffic?' To plunge into a programme of construction and then not us'e the ships would hang a millstone round the -neck of Ausfcralian trade." In referring* to the rise in building ancl running costs, also the provision of more spacious quarters for crews, Mr. Geddes said that in the Orcades, whieh was now being* built, space, whieh be~fore' the war would have accommodated -200 tourist passengers was now required for the crew. The company did not begrudge this contribution to the welf'are of its crews, but it meapt that a ship must secure new revenue amounting to more than £110 annually for each member of the crew, or more than £65,000 for a ship.

Minister' s Enterprise A broad solution was the earrying of more, people in each ship at'higher speed, meaning bigger and faster ships in quicker turn nounds. The enterprise shown by the Minister of Immigration, Mr. A. A. Calwell, in chartering the Cunard liner Aquitania against competition from Canada and South Africa is receiving most favourahle comment here. "

By one stroke,( Mr. Calwell has more than doubled the number of berths available for migrants to Australia, states the special correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association in Sydney. He is still malcing* efforts to charter other ships from Britain and the United States., The Aquitania, whieh will be returned to her owners by the British Ministry of Transport in April, is expected to take nc-t more ti an a month for technical refitting. She will he little different from when she cafried thousands of New Zealand soldiers to the Middle East during the war, but the Australian authorities are requesting that her aecommodation be set at 3000, compared with over 4000 troops carried from Now Zealand, so that passengers will have eonsidcrably more l'oom.

Influx of Foreigners? If present plans for eight trips extended over two years are adhered to, she will shift 24,000 people to Australia before she coneludes her charter. 'This and the available y early passage space for 9250 persons is still far short of the Minister's .target. He. has hopes of securing the use of at least one of Britain's idle _ aircraft-carriers, • whieh could accominodate 1000 people. But the obtaining of ships is only hajf the battle. Although anxious to help Australia, Britain is nof at the moment in a position to encourage British people* to emigrate. A further influx of foreigners apd possibly of enemy aliens is hinted at in the Press. i Jewish Refugees Sail From Marseilles LONDON, "Feb. 9. Nearly 1000 Jewish refugees from Poland, Hungary, and Austria have sailed from Marseilles to settle in Australia. About 200 of them embarked at Amsterdam, while the rest joined the ship, a Duteh liner, at Marseilles.