The Log Book

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 311, 23 March 1928, Page 2

The Log Book

SOMERSET SAILED.-—The Federal Line steamer Somerset sailed from Auckland for Wellington at 5 o'clock last evening, to continue discharge of cargo from Liverpool She will complete unloading at Lyttelton, Dunedin and Bluff MAKURA LEAVES SYDNEY.—The Royal Mail liner Makura left Sydney at 5 o’clock last evening for 'Wellington. She is due on Monday, and will sail the following day for San Francisco, via Rarotonga and Papeete. TAHITI LEAVES FRISCO. The Union Company advises that the R.M.S. Tahiti left San Francisco on Wednesday for Papeete, Rarotonga, Wellington and Sydney. She is due at Wellington on April 9. CORNWALL SAILS SATURDAY.—The New Zealand Shipping Company advises that the Cornwall will now leave Wellington on Saturday evening for London, Avomnouth, Cardiff, Glasgow and Liverpool. MELBOURNE SERVICE. —The Union Company's intercolonial steamer Manuka left Melbourne yesterday for Bluff, Dunedin, Lyttelton and Wellington. She is due at Bluff on Sunday, and will sail from Wellington for Melbourne direct on March SL THE SOUTHERN CROSS.—After three or lour days in dock for eleani jr; and painting, the Melanesian Mission steamer, Southern Cross, undocked this morning and berthed at the Queen’s Wharf. She is scheduled to sail from Auckland for the Solomon Islands on May 1.

WAIPAHI FROM FIJI. —The Union Company’s Island fruit steamer Waipahi left Sydney last Monday for Fiji. She will load fruit at Suva, sailing for Auckland direct on March SO. The vessel also has cargo for Auckland from Newcastle. FOR OHINEMURI RACES.—The Northern Company announces that the steamer Rangitoto will be dispatched from Auckland for Thames at midnight to-night. She will sail from Thames on her return trip to this port after the Ohinemuri races on Saturday. KAMONA RADIOS.—The local office of the Union Company is in receipt of a radio report from its steamer Kamona stating that the vessel expects to arrive in the stream at Auckland at five o’clock this evening -from Westport. The vessel will berth at Prince’s Wharf. WAIKAWA FOR AUCKLAN D.—The Union Company’s trans-Paciflc cargo steamer Waikawa is expected to soil from Bluff on Wednesday next for Auckland direct. She will go fi*om here to Honolulu and Vancouver. WINGATUI TO LOAD SHEEP.—The Union Company’s steamer Wingatui is to be dispatched from Auckland at noon to-morrow for Tokomaru Bay and Gisborne to load sheep for Lyttelton. She is to load again at Lyttelton about March 20 for Auckland. TOFUA SAILS TO-MOR RO W.—At eleven o’clock to-morrow morning tlie Union Company’s island passenger steamer Tofua is to be dispatched from Auckland for Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. The vessel is taking on cargo at Queen’s Wharf. THE ARGYLLSHIRE.—The New Zealand Shipping Company reports that the Argyllshire left Bluff at 1.45 p.m. on Wednesday for Port Chalmers and Wellington to fill up. • The vessel is now due at Wellington on Monday, and will sail from there on March 31 for Hull and London, via Panama. COR I NTH 1C AT LYTTE LTON. The Shaw, Savill and Albion Company’s steamer Corinthic arrived at Lyttelton on Wednesday from Port Chalmers to complete discharge of her London cargo, and to commence loading. The vessel will leave Lyttelton next Wednesday for Wellington to fill up. OLIVA SAILS.—The Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company’s steamer Oliva completed her discharge of bulk oil from San Pedro at the Western Wharf this morning. Early this afternoon she was dispatched for San Francisco via Honolulu. TONGARIRO LEAVES PANAMA. Cabled news base been reeeived by the Federal Company that the Tongariro arrived at Panama on March IS from Liverpool, and sailed again on March 19 for New Zealand ports. The vessel is due at Auckland on April S, and at Wellington a week later. PAUA WITH CASE-OlL.—Laden with a cargo of case-oil from Wellington, the coastal tanker Paua is due to arrive at Auckland on Monday next. She has been allotted a berth at the Western Wharf, and on completing her discharge will later load bulk oil for Southern Ports. CANADIAN TRANSPORTER FROM HALIFAX.—The local office of the Canadian National Steamships advise that the Canadian Government steamer Canadian Transporter is scheduled to sail from Halifax to-morrow, with general cargo for discharge at Auckland and Southern ports. She is due to arrive at this port early in May.

MIDDLESEX SAILS TO-NIGHT.— The Federal steamer Middlesex is to be dispatched from Auckland at five o’clock this evening with a full cargo of New Zealand produce for London and West Coast ports of the United Kingdom, via New \ork and Halifax. The New Zealand Shipping Company has acted as the local agent. ITINERARY OF HERMINIUS.— A further alteration in the loading movements Hermimus is now announced by the Shaw Savill and Albion Company. 1 he vessel wifi proceed from Wanganui, *?. Chalmers and Wellington. Hermmms is due at Wellington on April 2 and will sail from there on April o for London, Avonmouth. Glasgow and Liverpool. CARGO FROM CANADA.— Cabled ad■vice has been received by the New d Tri Shippins • Cor npany that the Queen Eleanor arrived at St. John on Monday from Louisberg to continue ° ad S v T ?°* Ve Si? 1 nextToceecl to New York to fill up, and is to sail fi om that port on April 7 to discharge Duntdin klanCl, Wellln - ton > Lyttelton And CAMBRIDGE TO LEAVE NAPIER The Federal steamer Cambridge i 3 exsail f / om NaPier this evening for Auckland to complete loading for London, Avonmouth, Glasgow and Liverpool, via Panama Canal. The vessel is due here on Sunday and has allotted a berth at Price’s Wharf She iiesday* ° dispatched finally next Wed-

RON A AT SYDNEY. —An arrival at Sydney this morning was the Colonial Sugar Re fining Company’s steamer Kona from Suva via Auckland. The vessel sailed from Auckland on Saturday afternofn last. HINEMOA LEAVES NlUE.—According to advice received by Spedding Limited, the New Zealand Government steamer Hinemoa sailed from Niue Island on Thursday last for Auckland. She is due here next Tuesday afternoon, and on Wednesday is to be dispatched again for Norfolk Island. AORANGI 9 A.M. SUNDAY—The Union Company’s Royal Mail liner Aorangi is reported to have sailed from Suva at noon yesterday in continuation of her voyage from Vancouver and Victoria to Auckland and Sydney. The vessel, with passengers, mails and cargo, is expected to arrive at Auckland at nine o’clock on Sunday morning, and after pratique has been gi'anted, will berth at Prince's Wharf to land her passengers. The Aorangi is announced to continue her voyage to Sydney at three o'clock on Monday afternoon. # VICKERS AND THE FUSION. —At the extraordinary meeting of the shareholders of Vickers. Ltd., called to ratify the provisional agreement made on behalf of the Company for the formation of "Vic-kers-Armstrong, Limited,” Sir 11. A. Lawrence, who presided, said that, so far as Vickers were concerned, the fixed assets to be acquired by the new company for £5,500,000 stood in the balance-sheet at 31st December last at the written down value of £2,993,353. The new Company would also acquire the valuable patents and goodwill attached to the business to be transferred, although these did not figure in the Vickers balance sheet. On the basis of their balance-sheet at 31st December last, out of a total of £2l-813.-223 assets. Vickers were retaining assets valued at £16,516,093, of which £1,711,599 was under the head of debtors, and there were £12,421.356 of investments and £1,795.84S of cash and Government securities. He added that the board had examined the scheme with great care. They believed that very considerable economies could be effected as a result of the fusion, and they unanimously recommended it to the shareholders for ratification. BRITAIN’S SHIPBUILDING OUTLOOK. —According to a writer in “The Shipyard,” the works magazine of Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Ltd., and Barclay, Curie and Company, Ltd., there has been a gratifying improvement in shipbuilding in 1927, affording work to a much larger proportion of the men and appreciably decreasing the number of unemployed. It is very satisfactory, he goes on to say, that British shipowners are almost without exception placing their contracts at home though they could place them at somewhat lower prices abroad. In my opinion, the better deliveries which we can give owing to our still large margin of empty berths, has something to do with this. “The Shipyard’s” contributor is not wrong, however, in claiming credit for the fact that while we pay higher wages than are paid in other countries —America excepted—and work shorter hours, we can still find employment for a large proportion of our available workers. We are still, he points out, building about half the tonnage that is being built in the world. We are not, of course, building as much tonnage as in 1914. Other countries, including Germany, Sweden, Denmark and particularly Italy, are increasing their percentages more than we are. While our share of the world’s steel shipbuilding is now about 50 per cent., it used to be, we are reminded, very much more than that. We have lost ground and we are losing ground. We used to build for all the World; now other countries are building for themselves. We get very few foreign contracts—practically none except from Norway. Still, handicapped as we are by high labour costs, higher prices of iron and steel, vexatious trade union demarcation and other restrictions, and oppressive rates and taxes, we are, the writer thinks, holding our own wonderfully well. Can wc, he asks, maintain the present volume of output and employment and increase it? He does not attempt to answer the question further than to say that most shipbuilders and .some trade union leaders believe it will depend upon whether we increase our costs or decrease them —whether we work hard or not—whether there is peace and co-operation between capital and labour, with no strikes or lockouts. Whether the things that are suggested by this writer would enable us to maintain and increase our present activity may be moot, but they arc, obviously, all well worth trying. WITHIN WIRELESS RANGE— The following vessels are expected to be within range of the undermentioned wireless stations to-night:— Auckland.—Fort Bowen. Fort Albany, Middlesex, Remuera, Aorangi, Pakelia, Oliva, Marama. Chatham Islands.—Mataroa, Kia Ora. Matatua. Wellington.—Maori, Wahine, Ngaio, Arahura, Taniahine, Mahana, Waitemata, Yoseric, Port Hunter, West Nivaria, King Edwin, Herminius, Niagara, Somerset, Maunganui, Ikala, Cambridge. Rotorua, Kartigi. Awarua.—Sir J. C. Ross, N. T. Nilson Alonso, C. A. Larsen, Makura. Tahiti, Anglo Columbian. Waikouaiti, Manuka, Kaikorai, Canadian Highlander, Westmoreland. PORT OF ONEHUNGA—DEPARTURES YESTERDAY OREPUKI (2 p.m.), 575 tons. Feersou, for T\elson. THOMAS rUKEELL (0.15 p.m.), for NGAPDHI (4.30 p.m.), 703 tons, Keatley, for New Plymouth. The Northern Company’s steamer Hauturui is scheduled to sail from Onehuntra for Hokianga at 3 o’clock this afternoon. IS . ex P ected to return to Onehunga at 6 o clock on Sunday morning next.