Ships and the Sea

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 124, 21 November 1925, Page 24

Ships and the Sea

Leading Motor-ship Owners. In view of the increasing employment of motor-ships and the influence which they are exerting in the world's shipping position, it is of interest to note the recent, tendency of some owners to build ,up I big fleets of ihis-type of vessel after having gained experience with its operation in comparison with steamers on similar Services. According to ''The Motor Ship," the largest motor ship fleet under one ownership is that of the Danish East Asiatic Co., with 111,003 tons gross, followed by the Swedish Broslrom Lines (92,000 'tons) and the Oslo Wilhelmsen Line (79,000 tons). Among British concerns the Glen Line leads the way with 63,000 tons, and it is significant that since each of these shipping firms took delivery of their first motor vessel they have not built a single steamer. Liner in Difficulties. Some alarm was created at Southampton when news was received that the Canadian Pacific liner Empress of France was in difficulties. The vessel was on a voyage from Montreal and Quebec to Southampton with 250 passengers on board. On receipt of a wireless message the tug Romsey put out to sea and picked up the liner about 20" miles south of St. Alban's Head. The Empress of France had her rudder jammed to starboard, arid this swung the vessel into a broadj side position so that the work of towage 'was rendered very difficult. The weather was also severe and the tow ropes had to be fixed in half a gale. However, the towage feat was safely accomplished, and the. liner was brought to port, the passengers being landed by tender. ' Ocean Traffic Planning. The Atlantic Ocean is so large that ie seems an. impossibility there should be any difficulty in arranging the traffic. Yet trie-man who plans the sailings for a big ocean steamship company has no easy task. The passenger traffic across the Atlantic is ■ not steady. It is entirely seasonal. And the class of passenger varies with each period of . the season. The fact that very few people travel in the winter is quite easily understood by' anybody who has been through a hurricane in the Forth Atlantic, but the fact that there is an absolutely slack period in the middle of the summer-is new to most. This is probably because the tourists wish lo ba back before the. severe weather set? i'in and makes the crossing rather trying. • ■ • The eastward rush of Americans, who a:e spending their summer holiday in Europe begins quite .early in the summer. These travellers are most exactin-; in their demands—but they are quite willing to pay to have them gratified. They have- their spe»hil tastes, and ■ these tastes are quite different from those of the.business man and tinholiday makers who are travelling westward "at that time. It means a quiet, turn-round of methods and stores at each end of the voyage, and it keeps the pursers and stewards' departments exceedingly busy. The rush of American holiday makers who are doing their tour more cheaply begins a little later, and they too have their tastes to be considered.. Then comes the ■ little lull, - after which ■ the traffic is more confusing and difficult to handle than ever. There are the late comers travelling east—all classes of people ; and in the westbound ships the types and nationalities of the travelers. sirs hopelessly mixed. After this, though, things .become fairly ' straightforward again, but all the rush is back to America. In the steerage things are always very. difficult to, arrange. Formerly the emigrant traffic was comfortably seasonable and the companies could make their arrangements months ahead, paying off such ships as were not wanted.

Then the United States authorities passed their famous Bill limiting immigration, relates an English weekly, and all these arranjements were thrown out, as only a certain number of settlers .were admitted from each country. Originally the greater, part of the year's quotafor each European country could enter within a few months of the opening in July, but now the immigrants have to be spread through the year. Then the very short life, of the United States passport visas, which are only available (or a matter of weeks, means that the companies have to .make the most minute calculations in order to bring their passengers, back—and still not interfere with their scheduled mail sailings. Altogether ocean traffic planning is no soft job ! A British Sailer. Fast as the sailing ship has been disappearing from the seven seas with the advent of the steamer, and, more recently, of the' motor-ship, the "red duatcr" of the British mercantile marine still floats on a few' sturdyfleets of sail which have withstood the advance of economic forces. One of the fleets which has remained true to its sheeted.craft is that of John Stewart and Company, of Glasgow, who still own throe well-known British sailers, oue of which,, the barque j Kilmallie, arrived in Sydney recently. Although a number of sailers have visited Sydney during the past twelve months, says the "Sydney Morning Herald," few have been British ships. Of the large mercantile fleet engaged in lifting last season's wheat from Sydney, only one was a sailing ship. 1 On. the trade route from the United | Kingdom to Australia the engagement of a sailing ship, is equally rare, and their cargoes are restricted practically to rock salt. • The ship Monkbarns, which is one of the three remaining ships of John Stewart and Co., came to Sydney two years ago with such a cargo, and the Kilmallie is probably. the, only other vessel which has traversed the same route since with similar carg->. The third ■ unit of the John Stewart fleet is the ship William Mitchell, which is at present bound from the Pacific Coast to Melbourne with lumber. The present voyage of the Kilmallie from Liverpool occupied 125 days. The crew had not heard of any wage reduction until they asked the reason for the idle steamer fleet which met their view in port recently. Their acceptance of the announcement was in contrast to that of steamship crews. "They arc butting their heads agaiust a stone wall in striking," said one of the Kilmallie's crew, who had been a member of the crew of tlie steamer Port Lytteiton, which v.as held up in Sydney last year. "We cannot object," said another. "We signed on to accept any increase or decrease, and we're bound to take it." But t'icy were 1 a different typo from the steamer crow. Sonic of them had not had tobacco for four months, since leaving England, and on the long voyage of 120 days had worked on decks that, were rarely dry. ,

Tlie master of the Kilmallio (Captain Cooper) lias -served on sailing ships from boyhood. The Kilinallic is 32 years old, but. for (he last four sears lias been In id up in England. On her last voyage she was dismasted in the Atlantic during a gale, and was to-wod into Lisbpn, wlicjro aba tcina.incd for iix nwatlu.