WOODEN SHIPS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 79, 27 December 1917, Page 8

WOODEN SHIPS

COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT'S PURCHASE. The contract which the Prime Minister entered into on behalf of the Commonwealth Government for the purchase in America of fourteen wooden ships, of a carrying capacity of between 2000 and 3000 tons dead weight, is still the subject of much criticism in shipping and trade circles in Australia (says the Melbourne "Age"). It is felt that the Prime Minister has not pursued the best possible policy by adding these wooden ships to Australia's mercantile marine. Several explanations have been made by Mr. Hughes, but they have failed to satisfy either the business man or tho shipping community. It is believed that motordriven steel vessel of 7000 tons could have been contracted for in America and delivered with as much dispatch as wooden ships. The ' inner history of the acute controversy in America between the lumber industry and the iron and steel industry, which so nearly led to a grave national crisis when President Wilson began his war programme, bears out tne fact that the testimony of experts in tho United States is overwhelmingly against wooden ships. The opinion has been expressed that had tho Prime Minister taken reasonable precautions when the shipping problem became serious, it would have been possible to arrange for the construction of 7000-ton vessels in Australia. Indeed, even now it is stated not to be too late to make such an arrangement with Australian iron masters as would enabled them to import a plant to produce steel ulates for shipbuilding purposes. Shipping men, who are opposed to Mr. Hughes's latest deal, regard the construction of wooden ships as a reversion to the old type of vessel which, at the end of the war, will bo practically useless except, perhaps, for third-class collier purposes. In America there is a decided conflict of opinion concerning tho respective advantages of wooden and steel vessels. Arising out of this conflict there has been a compromise between the two interests, and wooden and steel vessels are to be built in about equal numbers. The late chairman of the' United State Shipping Board (Mr. Denman), who with other members of the board were closely allied with tho lumber' interests, forced tho wooden ship proposition on to General Goethals's manager of the Emergency Fleet Corporation. The disagreement between these-two gentlemen culminated in tho resignation of General Goethals, and the compulsory retirement by President Wilson of Air. Denman. Tho general is a solid advocate of the steel ship. American critics of the wooden ships declare that they will be of little use after the war. With proper methods of standardisation, they say, steel vessels may be turned out faster than wooden ones; that they will last much longer, and be of much more value when the war is over. Although many contracts for wooden ships were let during General Goethals's period of control, he stated plainly that his main reliance for getting ships was on the construction of the fabricated steel vessels of standard pattern. Two Government plants arc being built in the United States to produce 400 ships of an aggregate tonnage capacity qf 2,500,000 within the next 18 or 20 months. In General Goethals's opinion it will take eight months to complete a wooden vessel. Those opposed to him, however, state, I the period as 60 days. It is a fact beyond contradiction that the great weight of opinion among shipping engineers in America is pitted against wooden ships. According to an Anierir can shipping journal, Mr. Bernard N. Baker was at the time of tho dispute the onlv practical man on the Shipping Board. Mr. Baker's opinion is that the wooden ship programme of tho United States is impracticable; that it is slower than the steel programme; that it is impossible to obtain seasoned timber, and that the steel or composite vessels can be turned out faster than wooden ships.