CANBERRA AGAIN

Evening Post, Issue 28, 1 August 1936, Page 24

CANBERRA AGAIN

AUSTRALIAN SITUATION

Governments do strange things when they have to do with shipping. After the Australian Government decided to transfer the marine branch of the Department of Commerce to Canberra, it hit on the idea that the offices of the marine branch should also be moved to the capital. There is no question of economy, for "an office will have to be. maintained at Victoria. ■ Ten public servants have been transferred to Canberra and about eight entirely new appointments have been made to the Department to form the new Victorian branch. According to the Melbourne "Argus," eighteen persons will share

the duties now being performed efficiently and without undue effort.by ten persons.

The removal of officers whose duties ,are' intimately and inextricably linked with the sea to an inland city, 200 miles from the nearest important port, may appear curious. It is true that the principal means at present at the disposal of the officers of the Department for keeping abreast of progress in marine engineering and marine architecture is in the regular inspection of all new vessels entering the port of Melbourne. But if these ships will be unable to sail, up the Molonglo. River, at Canberra, to the new headquarters of the marine branch, the resources of the National Library are considerable. It is able to provide, in addition to a fine collection of woodcuts and etchings of all Australian ships of note from Cook's Endeavour to the clipper ships of much more recent times, a diversified range of nautical magazines, from the pages of which the Department will be able to follow the progress of shipbuilding.

Moreover, Canberra eventually will have two ornamental lakes of considerable size. When these are built the Navigation Department will be in' an ideal position to undertake the regulation of any aquatic traffic which may find its'way into their waters.

It is small wonder that ship owners with their offices in Melbourne have been dismayed by this transfer of the officials with whom they have to keep in touch in the conduct of their.day-by-' day business. .■■-."