WORK FOR SHIPS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1922, Page 5

WORK FOR SHIPS.

THE RECOVERY GRADUAL.

FEWER TRAVELLERS.

EMIGRATION QUESTION.

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Dec. 13, 8.5 p.m. London, Dee. 12. At the annual meeting of the Orient Steamship Company. Sir Kenneth Anderson, presiding, said the net result, which was in the neighborhood of tne pre-war standard, was not due to an increase in voyage earnings, but to a very considerable and most welcome drop in the cost of running. The passenger earnings had been lees both outwards and homewards, the latter markedly so.

As regards third-class traffic, the volume in 1923 would depend primarily on the extent to which the Imperial and Commonwealth Governments were able to get the emigration scheme into active being. The case for it was irresistible, and it would be a strangely perverse misfortune if the proposals should fail in successful achievement. A policy of emigration by fits and starts was desperately expensive and wholly ineffective.

“If ships are to serve the trade cheaply they must have an economic load assured them, not for one or two years, but for life.” he added. “Our average homewards freight earnings have been lower, due to the reduced rates, which we could ill afford. The average outward freights have been better, but that is due to the greater carrying power of the steamers employed this year as compared with last.*' Tn regard t-o fortnightly sailings, he repeated the doubt expressed last year whether the game was worth the candle. There hud been no expansion in passenger traffic, and the existing services proved more than adequate to deal with all traffic offering. A better policy was to meet a gradual increase in traffic by an increase in the size of steamers. He had not seen evidence that since the regularity in the intervals of the service had been restored trade had suffered any grave disability in the mail service.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.