MERCHANT SHIPS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 109, 11 May 1939, Page 11

MERCHANT SHIPS.

Subsidy Plan Stimulates British Building. 200 TH VESSEL ORDERED. -British Official Wireless. RUGBY, May 10. A remarkable increase in the volume of orders for new merchant ships has taken place since March 28, when the Government subsidy was announced. The 200 th merchant vessel projected under this scheme was provisionally ordered yesterday. Practically every shipyard in Britain that is available for the building of seagoing ships is assured of steady work for the next 18 months or two years. The Board of Trade has decided that no more applications can be entertained in the immediate future. SEAT HELD. CONSERVATIVES IN HAT.T.AM. (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 10. The Hallam (Sheffield) by-eleetion resulted as follows: — Mr. R. Jennings (Con.) 16,033 Mr. C. S. Darvill (Lab.) 9,939 At the general election Sir L. W. Smith was returned by a majority of 10,952, the voting being: Conservative 21,298, Labour 10,346. Of 67 by-elections since the general election the Government parties have lost ten to Labour and three to Independents. APPROVED BY REICH. SCANDINAVIAN NEUTRALITY. Independent Cable Service. (Received 10.30 a.m.) BERLIN, May 10. Authoritative quarters declare that the Scandinavian Powers' decision to decline a non-aggression pact with Germany and adhere to neutrality is a direct answer to President Roosevelt. Official quarters assert that Scandinavian neutrality has tie full approval of the Reich.