PROGRAMME FOR NEW SHIPS

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28237, 27 March 1957, Page 17

PROGRAMME FOR NEW SHIPS

P. And 0. And Orient Line

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 26. Among new ships which have been ordered by the P. and O. Company and the Orient Line are two 27-knot passenger vessels for the Australian service, states the annual report of the P. and O. Group for the year ended September 30, 1956, which will be presented in London on April 17. A copy of the report was received in Wellington today. Both the ships are expected to be delivered about 1960. Other vessels ordered include a 45,000-ton passenger liner, of unorthodox design, for the P. and O. Company, and a liner of 40,000 tons—which will be named Oriana —for the Orient Line. New tankers wiH come into service during 1958, 1959, 1960 and 1962, and will comprise ships of 18,000 to 19,000 tons, 36,000 to 37,000 tons and 47,000 to 49,000 tons. The report states that one or two tankers of larger sizes are being considered, but their construction will depend on the availability of steel to the shipbuilders. In an appendix to the report, several aspects of the Group’s New Zealand trade—largely carried by the New Zealand Shipping Company, Ltd.—are discussed. The appendix notes that an increasing proportion of New Zealand meat exports is likely to move in the future to markets other than the United Kingdom. Port facilities and ancillary services, it states, are a limitng factor in the Dominion’s trade and seem likely to continue so. While

some schemes of port development have begun and others are contemplated, it is clear that a vigorous policy of development co-ordinated on a national scale is vitally necessary to the country’s future prosperity, says the appendix.

Stock Sales

"The Press" Special Service TEMUKA TIMARU, March 26. The demand from butchers was very dull for the 90 head of fat cattle penned at Temuka stock sale today. Six hundred fat lambs and two runs of fat sheep met a very keen demand, values for fat wethers and fat ewes hardening fully 8s a head. The yarding of store sheep made up the largest penning this season and, although sales opened very quietly, values eventually held firm to late rates. Prices were:— Fat Cattle.—Fat steers, good £26 to £3l 2s 6d, medium £23 to £25 17s 6d , light, £l7 2s 6d to £22 17s 6d; fat heifers, good £23 to £25 2s 6d, medium £2O to £22 17s 6d, light £l6 2s 6d to £l9 17s 6d; fat cows, good £l5 to £l9 2s 6d, medium £ll to £l4 17s 6d, light £7 12s 6d to £lO 17s 6d. Fat Sheep.—Fat wethers, good 97s to £5 6s Id, medium 90s to 955, light 82s to 89s; fat ewes, extra good 60s to 66s Id, good 54s to 595, medium 45s to 535, light 32s Id to 435; fat lambs, good 65s to 70s Id, medium 60s Id to 64s Id. Store Sheep.—Two-tooth ewes, 58s to £5 7s; full-mouth ewes, 40s to 675; failing-mouth ewes, 33s to 495: rape ewes, 25s to 365; four, six, and eight-tooth ewes, to 765; two-tooth wethers, 64s to 675; ewe lambs, 46s to 735; wether lambs, 48s to 565.

London Metals Market (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 25. London metals market quotations

today were: — Sellers , Buyers A ton £ s. d. £ s. d. Copper— Spot .. -237 0 0 237 10 0 Forward .. 237 15 0 238 0 0 TinSpot .. 791 0 0 793 0 0 Forward .. 778 0 0 779 0 0 Lead— Spot .. 113 0 0 113 10 0 Forward .. 112 5 0 112 10 0 Zinc— Spot .. 96 5 0 ■06 io o Forward .. 94 10 0 94 15 0 Silver: 6s 7gd per oz spot, 6s 7jd forward. Gold: £12 10s lid per oz. Tungsten* ore (wolfram): 160s to 165s per unit.