BRITISH TRADE SHIPS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1923, Page 10

BRITISH TRADE SHIPS

COMMANDER R. DAY'S SCHEME.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, 11th August. More than a yeaT ago a good deal was heard of a proposal to send a ship,; spec- | ially built for the purpose, on a trade journey round the Empire. This particular scheme had been promoted ■by Commander Roderick Day, and had ihesupnort of the great snipping firm, Messrs. * Swan and Hunter, of which Earl Gray is chairman. The idea is now' to build a vessel costing about £450,000 specially suited for a floating .'exhibition, all the fittings, machin-ery-f-and in fact, the vessel itself—being exhibits o£ British manufacture. The original .scheme was taken up by ihe Federation of British'lndustries and pushed forward with a certain amount of vigour. Then nothing was heard of it for a "considerable length of time. Now;. howey,er,'it appears .that the National Union of Manufacturers is taking ;a' serious interest.in the. scheme. It behoves one to, speak guardedly, of. these trade- ship' proposals, but the trade organisation, which' has now given tnis schame its "'blessing'is a-very powerful group, and is in a position to give substantial support. ': : "•" ■ The, president of the union, Mr. John "Walker, views the project as one of great-; national, importance,- - and - the union!; have'pTa'ced office accommodation at the disposal of Commander Day for some time-, past. They have ■ alsc lent clerical assistance. Just at pres ent, the „pr.qmoters^are negotiating. witl: Messrs.'Swariand' Hunter regarding th< building of the ship, and if they car obtain reasonable terms and a guarantei that;; the keel 6hall be laid down withii a certain time, they are prepared t< SusK forward with the organisation. Ii - Ir(; Godfrey.XCheelsraan," general secre tary? of the 'National Union of __ Manu factiirers, '-'the.-promoters, .-undoubtedb havfe a business v man and "organiser o considerable- standing, and one wb in .'able '.to interest- the right people Tht^e.K still .hope Wen, "that' the Whit Ship -will-some day find;ite way into th harbours of Australia'ani'NewTZealand It", should be clearly, iund'erstoodr'.tlia this scheme is in no;iy"#y cpnhectecL' Jwit that-which was undertaken ~by;.Captai E. iE. Mills-Joyce "i,nd-- hisMajbr Joyce. " .Tlie..refitting., of th Orontes for their purpose .-was .going fb") ward at Hull very satisfactorily -unt quite recently, but some unforseen cii cunjstance caused a. temporary suspei sion.of the work.. -.-However, the pro, pects are agaiofqultb KopefuLi'