Lloyd’s Register In Bicentenary Year

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29239, 24 June 1960, Page 20

Lloyd’s Register In Bicentenary Year

Even in his most ambitious moments Edward Lloyd could not have imagined that his coffee house would be the birth of two great shipping institutions, known and respected throughout the world.

“Lloyd’s Register of Shipping 1760-1960” by George Blake is the story of the older of the two organisations and was specially compiled to mark the bicentenary.

In 1760 a group of Llyod’s customers in London decided to start a reference book for their own use.

The book was to contain details about all ships trading to and from ports in Britain, and the committee appointed inspectors at the principle ports to survey ships and report their characteristics to London.

Many of the coffee house clientele were interested in underwriting, then more of a gamble than a business venture, and the new register was designed to provide all they needed to know about a shift including, a system of coding-to show the condition of the hull and equipment. The prime conditions subsequently became known to everyone & V AI at Lloyds.” Today, the surveyors of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping are to be found in all the major ports of the world, as well as in the shipyards and engineering centres; the staff of its land division is engaged in nuclear power projects, oilfields and many other undertakings where technical experience and advice are required. Mr Blake’s book, the account of the activities of Lloyd’s Register over 200 years, traces the international, development of the society in pace with the growth of merchant navies of the world. In its early years the small society was concerned only with its underwriting interest in local trade, and it was not until shipowners began building ships to the coveted “Al” standard, that Lloyd’s Register was re-formed as a technical body and rules for the guidance of shipbuilders were established. International Standing Throughout his book Mr Blake calls attention to the international standing and outlook of Lloyd’s Register. Its care is simply for those, without politics, without nationalism, described in the Psalm—- “ They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters”—words which are inscribed on the walls of the committee room in London. The book contains photographs of historical relics, a number of drawings in line and wash by David Knight, and a colour plate of the Arms granted to Lloyd’s Register of Shipping in 1958. Lloyd’s Register is controlled by a committee of management elected by the shipping industry. There are no owners or shareholders; income, which derives from survey fees, is devoted to the operation of the society. The register employs more than 1000 exclusive surveyors at ports and engineering centres all over the world.

A new edition of the Register is published each year. It is a comprehensive list of the world’s merchant ships—36,ooo names are now listed—and 42 per cent, of the effective world tonnage is classed with the society.

Several years before World War 11, Lloyd’s Register ventured into a new sphere of activity—undertaking the survey of various kinds of non-marine equipment, mainly in the oil and chemical refining and processing industries and in power generation. This work increased rapidly and in 1950 the society entered the nuclear energy field, eventually taking on the survey of reactor pressure vessels and association equipment for nuclear power stations. N.Z. Associations In 10 countries, including New Zealand, the society has national committees. Chairman of the Dominion committee is Mr H. H. Dobie, managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand. The society’s direct connexion with New Zealand dates from 1875 when the first surveyor was appointed at Auckland. There are now six surveyors at offices at Wellington, Auckland, Lyttelton, and Dunedin. - Latest figures show 9Q.24 per bent, of the New Zealand merchant tonnage is. classed., with the society, which also assign, freeboard on behalf of the Government I The society’s land division has done a considerable amount of work for New Zealand. Typical contracts are the inspection of electrical equipment built in Italy for the New Zealand Government and the inspec-

tion of three 24,000 bJi.p. turbines being made in Sweden and Britain for the Government.

In yet another sphere the society was entrusted with the supervision of the welding for the new hangar building at Rongotai airfield.

Although many persons invariably connect Lloyd’s Register of Shipping with Lloyd's, the great insurance institution, they are mistaken. There is no connexion except that both institutions originated from Edward Lloyd's coffee house in the City of London; and the insurance institution has representatives on the general committee of the register.