THE WORLD’S TONNAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 1921, Page 9

THE WORLD’S TONNAGE.

MAKING GOOD WAR LOSSES,

UNPRECEDENTED BUILDING,- I The operations of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping during the 12 months ended June 30, 1920, the first complete year since the cessation of war, have been of a very wide and far-reaching description. The society’s annual report states that, although 'the conditions nave been in various respects unsettled, the period under review has been one of continued endeavor in all maritime countries to make good loss of mercantile tonnage occasioned through the war, and the magnitude of the society’s share In this world-wide effort is shown by the unpreceden'tedly large tonnage of new vessels . classed by Lloyd’s Register during the year. During the'l2 months ended June 30, 1920, Lloyd’s Register has classed over 4,'250,000 tons of shipping (following on a total of 3,800,000 tons classed in 'ihe previous 12 months); moreover, there was at the end of June last 4,930,340 tons of merchant shipping being constructed under the survey of 'the society’s surveyors, with a view to The countries in which the great bulk of the new tonnage has been built are the Uni'ted Kingdom, the United States, and Japan. Other countries in which there has been considerable shipbuilding activity during the. year, and in which there is at present a large volume of tonnage being built under the inspection of the society's surveyors, are Holland, Canada, Italy (including the Trieste district), Sweden, Spain, and -Denmark.

RE-CONDITJONING WORK. The output of new tonnage, proceeds the report, has undoubtedly been limited by the*great amount of re-conditioning work undertaken by shipbuilders after the war, and the conversion of a very large number of vessels to burn oil fuel instead of coal. The number of vessels classed in Lloyd’s Register Book at the close of the year ended June 30, 1920, was 9587, with a total tonnage of more than 25 millions gross, over 96 per cent, of which consists of steql or iron steamers. The vessels of great size which were lost during the war have not yet Been replaced, owing to the more urgent demand for the replacement of general cargo vessels. The new ships classed during the year which were fitted for burning oil fuel numbered 426, of 1,995,788 tons gross, as against 211 vessels‘of 1,193,650 tons classed during the previous 12 months. A very large number of steamers which had previously burned coal have also come under the survey of the society’s surveyors, both in the United Kingdom and abroad, with a view to being converted to burn oil fuel. From the society’s records it appears that, of the world’s total tonnage of 100 tons and upwards recorded in. the current edition of Lloyd’s Register Book, the following approximate division as regards fuel may be made:—Vessels representing abput 76 per cent, use coal as fuel; 16.3 per cen't. are fitted to use oil as fuel for boilers: L 7 per cent, use oil in internal combustion engines; and 6 pec cen't. have sail power only. Similar particulars compiled from Lloyd’s Register Book for the previous year show that then, of the world’s total tonnage of vessels of 100 .tons and upwards, vessels representing about 82 per cent, used coal as fuel; 10.5 per cent, were fitted to use oil as fuel for boilers; 1.5 per cent, used oil in internal combustion engines; and 6 per cent, had sail power only.

USE OF OIL ENGINES. Since the armistice a. great development has taken place in the use of oil engines. During the year under review classes have been assigned to 28 new vessels of 79,805 tons, fitted with such engines as their main propelling power, 20 of these vessels having a collective tonnage of 76,993 tons.* There are at present in course of construction under the society’s survey upwards of 150 sets of Diesel engines, and about the samp number of sets of oil engines,of other than the Diesel type, approximately half of which are building in the United Kingdom In addition, oil engines are being used in large vessels as emergency se | ts. The success nf geared steam turbines may be gauged to some extent by the fact that of the total number of vessels classed during the past year no less than 245 of 1,286,046 tons were provided with this means of propulsion.

More than 300 German vessels delivered to England under the peace terms, including the Imperator, of 52,000 tons, and other large liners, have been surveyed by the society, in order to ascertain their condition and effect such repairs as were found necessary to enable the steamers to commence trading under the management of the various firms to whom for the time being they were allotted. Similar surveys have been held on other ex-German vessels which were interned ii) Brail, Chile, Portugal, and other parts of the world.