SHIPS AND THE SEA.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 62, 10 September 1904, Page 12

SHIPS AND THE SEA.

An oxamMi*rion of tho roconMy issued' Annual Stalpinent of Trades aiid Navigation for 1903, according to an English Shipping papor, givca no support to j»hoso who profess to find a decadence in Brrtidi shipping. Taking first tho foreign trocfe, it is found that tho national flag is represented by a tonnago of 34,300,000, against, 32,300,000 tonsfor the previous year. , Against this increase, that of Iho foreign element, which, at 18,100,000 tons, displays an improvement of 800,000 tons, certainly does not afford ground for any misgiving. Whilst Dins is tho position as regards entrances, tho clearances display 1 a more marked advance in tbo British figures, whilst tho foreign bcttermojit is ratltor less than is found in tho inward business. Dkiding tho total clearances of, in round figures, 53,000,000 tons into steam and sail, it is found that tho fomior totalled 60,000,000 tons, of Which no loss than 04,800,000 was British ; but ont of a sail tonnage of 2,775,000, our proportion was only 635,000 tons; moreover, tho avorftgo sizo of the foreign sailor was somewhat lnxger than that ot tho Britisher. Turning to tho mon employed, tho total is 257,837, an advance of 4500 upon tho previous year's total. Tho statistics showing tho trades of tho various British ports do not support tho contention that tlio Thamoß is falling behind in tho *>aco for traffic. In 1902 her cloarancos wore 7,385,000 tons j last year thoy wore 8,104,890 tons, tho only port exceeding her boing Cardiff, whoso figures aro rospectivoly 7,868|566 tons and 8,190,249 tons. In entrances, however, London comes easily first with 10,958,739 tons, tho second placo being tnkon by Liverpool with 7,817,000 tons, and Cardiff third with 4,988,907 tons. Sinco tho wreck of Whs P. and O. steamer Australia at Port Phillip Heads"" whilo in charge of a pilot (says an Australian paper) the Marino Departments of tho Commonwealth havo realised tho nocossity for a periodical test of tho officers under their control in form and vision. It is now sought to oxtond the systoni to navigation officers ill tho interstate shipping trndo. " In a letter to tho South Australinn Marino Board, road at a rocont meeting, tho Marino Underwriters' Association notified its approval of a proposal that navigation officers of local steamship companies should bo periodically oxnminod in tho some manner as pilots by Government authorities. Tho President^ informod tho Wardens that a reply had been forwarded to tho Association, suggesting that ,tho adoption of such nn examination should omanato from tho Board of Trade, whoso regulations by Queen's Order-in-Council applied to all British possessions whoro recognised certificates of compotoncy wero issued. That tho quotation is being considered by other bodies was ovidont from a letter rccoived from tho Commissionors of tho Fvomantle Harbour Trust, who asked whether tho Board intended to tako any steps in tho matter. Tho harbourmaster (Captain Ingl is), in reporting on tho subject, stated that thero was no powor to onforco a poriodical examination of masters and mntes, though it could bo dono where* candidates presented themselves for oxemption from pilotage On tho goncral question tho Wardens of tho South Australian Marine Board coneidored, in view of tho promised Commonwealth Navigation Bill, that it wonld bo a waste of time to do anything now. Tho Presidont remarked that tho subject could bo dealt with by tho Navigation Bill Commission. Respecting oxempt mastors, howovor, thoro wna a unanimous expression of opinion that candidates for examination should bo subjected to tho form and colour vision test, and a bylaw to make this ono of tho requirements of tho examination will bo 'prepared for adoption. Owing to tho scarcity of steam tonnago in Australia, it is understood that about 1500 tons of oats are about to bo brought over to Now Zealand from Australia for shipment Homo. Tho current froight from Now Zealand to London for grain is nt present 15s a ton — a figure which has not boon touched for a vory long timo. Tho Maori and the Kent, which loft lost month, accopted cargo at theso rates, and steamers now loading in tho colony and about to load aro doing likewise. This has mado it possible for .oats to be shipped over from Australia to Now Zaaland nnd trnnshippod to tho Homo traders. Tho first consignment, of 500 tons comes over from Melbourne by tho Waikaro, and is to bo transhipped either to tho Rakaia or tho Papanut. Tho fact that oats are about od a bushol cheaper in Australia than in Now Zealand must also 1 * bo an important factor in this latest onterpriso of a Molbourno firm of shippers. According to tho now edition of Lloyd 'B Rogistcr, tho gross tonnage of tho world's stoamors is 28,632,634 tons, against 27,183,365 at mis timo last year, snowing an incrca&o of 1,459,319 tons. In tho sailing ships' tonnage, on the other hand, a considorablo fatling-off is. ! recorded. Twelve months ago thoro woro 12,882 sailing ships in tho world, with a net register of 6,459,766 tons. Thoro are now 10,823, with a not total of 6,156,505 tons. This docreaso is pretty well distributed among all the countries holding a considerable) amount of shipping. If Germany foels, as she undoubtedly does fool, a certain sympathy for Russia in the present war, and prays ardently for hor victory Over Japan, it is not at all to bo wondored at, seeing how much sho (Gormany) stands to lose (remarks Syren and Shipping). An official estimate, which hns just beon propared (or presentation to tho Roichstag as soon as it moots again, placos the amount of tho losses which Gorman commcrco nns already sustained through the war at 40U,000,000 marks,— say £20,000,000 sterling. It is furthor stated that, should Manchuria bo recovered by Japan and handed over to China, tho Gorman losses aro likely to total another 600,000,000 marks, most of which represents capital sunk in commercial ana othor onterprisea to assist tho development of tho country since Russia took it ovor. Nobody, perhaps, has hithorto appreciated the oxtont of Gorman activity in Manchuria, China, and Korea in recent years, tho Gorman banking houses having covored these countries with a network of what thoy call trading bank agencies— • open to do any sort of businoss, from tho financing of a speculative shipping agent to buying timber, dealing in land, metals, or antiquarian relics. AH this business having practically boon destroyed by tho war, the consequent loss of capital will prosontly cause a good deal of financial distress in Gormany, and it is, apparently, in anticipation of Mm that tho official ostimato rofcrrod to abovo has been propared. It scorns Hkoly that, if it bo ovor published in all its details, it will occasion something in tho naturo of a sensation.