RECORD TRADE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 26, 31 January 1912, Page 2

RECORD TRADE.

• AUSTRALIA'S LATEST FIGURES. [SHOM OT7B OWN COESESPONDINT.] SYDNEY, 27th January. Nothing better illustrates the enormous strides made of recent years by the Commonwealth than the fine fleet of vessels now trading to this country. The growth of trade has been phenomenal, and, as the Sydney Morning Herald says in a special article referring to the many new vessels recently built, or now in course of construction, for the Australian trade, the near future is likely to witness an even more astonishing development. The growth of trade since Federation is seen from tb« fact that between 1900 and 1910 tiie tonnage of the inward shipping in- ' creased 57 per cent, and of the outward 68 per cent., Now South Wale* being rusponsible for over one-third of the total and Victoria for one-fourth. From 1904 the trade advanced by considerable annual increases, until in 1910 it reached tho record of £55,274.444, or £34 Is 6d per head of population. Not only are the companies, foreign as well as British, already trading to these waters build* ing new and larger steamers for the passenger and cargo trade, but other (companies are entering the lists. Among these , is an Austrian line. Then there is.a movement afoot for a direct service with Bristol; and another important development is the intention of the Orient Company to inaugurate a line of cargo carriers. It is understood that to start this latter service vessels will be chartered, though the company contemplates proceeding with the construction of its own vessels. There is a possibility of the Japanese line extending its service to New Zealand in the near future. Among other possibilities is the entering of the big Cunarders into the Australian service. The recent announcement that the White Star line is building an 18,000-ton vessel for the Australian trade is also significant, as showing the importance of the trade. Fifty years ago the average capacity of each vessel entering Port Jackson was 300 tons; now the average is considerably over 2000 tons, and vessels of over 12,000 tons are by no means infrequent. Steamers of much larger -*onnap;o than this, however, are projected. "It may not be yet," says the Herald, "but- if our progress continues at the samo astonishing rate as during the last decade, we shall have mammoth lin»rs running here ten years hence. These are the days of large vessels, and fast ones. Undoubtedly a great future lies before us. We are Justified in our faith in our country, and we have in the building programmes of the snipping companies trading with Australia a proof of the faith that is in them. Soon, moreover, the Panama Canal will be open, and that will assuredly further increase our trade."-