GREAT ACTIVITY

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 23, 28 January 1936, Page 11

GREAT ACTIVITY

BRITISH SHIPYARDS^

MANY NEW CONTRACTS

The British shipbuilding Industry Is experiencing the greatest activity for five years, states the "Daily Telegraph."

Reports from all the principal centres speak of growing production, and large orders in hand. Idle yards are being reopened, and work is being found for many unemployed.

New i contracts are flowing dn, and there are strong hopes that the New Year will see a fresh increase in the activity.

On the North-east coast the shipbuilding outlook is the brightest for several years. Tonnage launched this year on the Tyne, Tees, and Wear shows considerable improvement over 1934, and work now in hand already indicates still heavier production ne^t year.

Pressure of work has necessitated the reopening of an idle yard by/ William Gray and Co. at West Hartlepool, and Bartram and Sons, of Sunderland, are to reopen their South Docks yard to cope with their share of a record batcn of five orders received on the Wear within nine days.

The Tyne will start the New Year, with 25 vessels on the stocks or on order, the Tees with 28, and the Wear with 21.

Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson and R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Co. each have excellent order books.

Of the three shipbuilding firms on the Tees, William Gray and Co. have six vessels on the ways or to lay down in 1936.

The Furness Shipbuilding Co. have ten orders on hand, seven of which are for the Soviet Government, while Smith's Dock Co. are to build twelve trawlers for the Hull and Grimsby fishing industry. Reports from the three firms show that tonnage launched during the first quai'ter of this year will exceed .that produced during the whole of 1934. Merseyside has shared in the return of shipbuilding prosperity, and future prospects are regarded as favourable. Orders estimated at a gross value of £5,000,000 are in hand at the Birkenhead shipyards of Cammell, Laird, and Co. Apart from a large amount of Admiralty work, the total merchant tonnage at present under construction is in the neighbourhood of 50,000.

Work for the British Admiralty includes the £2,500,000 aircraft-carrier, Ark Royal, the keel of which was laid down in September. This is the biggest order given out by the Navy since the war, and will provide work for two years. This year has seen a 20 per cent, increase in the wages bill over last year's figure, and present orders, when work is in full swing, will give employment to an additional 2000 men. It is estimated that between 6000 and 7000 men will be employed at Birkenhead during 1936. Prospects for 1936 are probably brighter than at any time since the boom year in 1930. , ■ Work in the Vickers shipyards at Barrow is brisker than it has been for many years, and prospects for the New Year are described as "definitely good. The yards are now employing 11,000 men, and this number is expected to be increased. On the naval side the largest vessel being built is an 8000-ton cruiser for the Argentine, which will take nearly two years to complete. The contract for this ship was secured in the teeth of intense international competition a month ago. . Four submarines are also taking shape in the yards. Two of these are for the British Navy and two for Es-

tonia. , , The yards are already assured 01 practically full employment for the next eighteen months. The revival in the shipbuilding industry is clearly in evidence in Harland and Wolffs yard at Belfast. Over 130,000 tons of shipping are now under construction in the yards, of which 80,000 tons are for the Union [Castle Line. For the first time since 1930 the year s output from the yards will pass the six-figure mark, over 100,000 tons having been launched. The firm is now employing 14,000 men, also the largest total since 1930.