QUICKER SHIPPING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 251, 22 October 1926, Page 7

QUICKER SHIPPING.

ENGLAND TO AUSTRALIA. PROJECTED FAST SERVICE. NEW STEAMSHIP COMPANY. (By Cable.—Press Association.—CopxrigTit.) LONDON, October 21. A scheme for a fast steamer service between England and Australia has been outlined to the British Press by Sir James D. Connolly, formerly Agent-Gen-eral for West Australia. Associated in the matter are Sir John Biles, Professor of Naval Architecture, Sir Eustace Teenson D'Eyncourt, formerly Director of Naval Construction under the Admiralty, and Sir Charles Parsons, chairman of the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine. Co., Ltd. The statement says: "The Commonwealth Government has expressed approval of the principle of the scheme, subject to its practicability and cooperation by the British Government and the Dominion Governments concerned. Mail steamers on the Australian and Indian routes are no faster to-day than they were 25 years ago. The promoters therefore, propose to form a company with a capital of £11.000,000 to build and operate a fleet of seven 24,000-ton liners. A fortnightly service is proposed, palling at Bombay and Colombo both ways. The ships would maintain an average speed of 22 knots compared with 15 knots, thp speed of the present mail steamers. The transit time of English mails picked up at • a Mediterranean port and landed at Fremantle 'would be reduced by seven days, Bombay by five days, Colombo and New Zealand four days each. All the ships would be manned by white labour. PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION. "Each of the new ships would accommodate 500 first class, and 1300 second and third class passengers. They would have double the refrigerated space of the present mail steamers. The reduced time of the voyage would enable Australia for the first time to land chilled meat instead of frozen meat to Britain, as well as to increase fresh fruit shipments.

"The establishment of the new line will be conditional upon the Commonwealth and British Governments giving the new company a mail subsidy approximately at the present rates, and also guaranteeing to give the company the transport of assisted migrants over and above those who are carried by the Commonwealth Line's Bay steamers, both contracts to be for a fixed number of years. ,.

It is understood that the scheme is likely to be considered by a committee of the Imperial Conference.