Shipping line expects more U.S.-N.Z. trade

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32707, 9 September 1971, Page 14

Shipping line expects more U.S.-N.Z. trade

The American shipping company, Farrell Lines, expected that trade between the United States and Australia and New Zealand would increase, and was making a sloom investment on that expectation said Mr R. L. Kennerly, a Farrell Lines representative in New Zealand, in Christchurch yesterday.

Mr Kennerly said that the first of four container ships being built for Farrell Lines for trade between the east coast of the United States and Australia and New Zealand had already been launched. The vessel would be handed over to his company in March next year, and

was to make its first call to New Zealand, at Wellington, in May. Before. the end of next year, Farrell Lines- expected to have the four container ships ordered plying between the United States and Australia and New Zealand, Mr Kennerly said.

“Of course, we, are not the only shipping company expecting an increase in trade between New Zealand and North America,” he said. “Columbus (German) and Pace (British) have planned for eight container ships on the route, so that Australia and New Zealand will have 12 container ships, averaging between 25,000 and 30,000 tons, plying oil the North American route.”

Mr Kennerly said that Farrell Lines’ four container ships would each have nine holds. Three would be for refrigerated containers, fiv« for “dry" cargo containers, and one for “awkward, heavy lift” cargo, such as heavy machinery. The ships would have their own cranes to lift “heavy” cargo not suitable for containers. The number of refrigerated holds could be increased or reduced according to demand for cargo space.

Farrell Lines would not be calling at Lyttelton as far as the company could see at pre sent, Mr Kennerly said. He had been referred to the statement of Captain G. Legnos, container development manager for Farrell Lines, in July, 1969, that Farrell Lines would serve Lyttelton with container ships. . “Hindsight is much easier than foresight,” Mr Kennerly said. “At that stage, things were in a state of flux. The British Conference Lines had said it would not setve Lyttelton and that the container ports would be in the North Island. The New Zealand Government, as I recall, had not announced any final decision on where container terminals would be.” Mr Farrell said that all his company's container vessels were designed so that gantry Cranes to handle containers could be put. on them. “However, it' is not our in-

tention at present to have gantry cranes -aboard the ships but to use the container cranes at Auckland and Wellington. But who can say what the position will be in three years? It may be that a South Island port container terminal is necessary. At present, our company is . satisfied that the internal transport arrangements in connection with the Wellington and Auckland container terminals will be satisfactory and economical.” Mr Kennerly said that Farrell Lines, naturally, hoped that meat exports from New Zealand to the United States would not be restricted by quo.tas; that wool would regain its place in the world fibre market; and that New Zealand would give freer access to United States exports. “VERY SMALL” “The United States cannot buy on markets if we cannot sell on them,” he said. “At the moment, the outward cargo to New Zealand from the east coast of the United States is very small. The cargo to Australia is better, because of heavy machinery for her mineral development. “Farrell Lines, because of changing trade patterns Britain, for instance, going into the E.E.C. expects that trade both ways between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand will increase.”

The diagram above shows how the first Farrell Lines container ship Austral Envoy was launched in the United States on June 26. The various modules of the ship were joined together to form the completed hull. The hull was floated in a type of dry dock, and the dock (launching platform) moved away from shore to a deep channel. The platform was partly sunk and the hull towed to a dock site for fitting out.