BRITAIN’S BOOM

Grey River Argus, 8 September 1945, Page 5

BRITAIN’S BOOM

IN SHIPBUILDING 288 Vessels on 4 0rder (Rec. 11.5.) LONDON, Sept. 7. Some 288 new commercial vessels are at present being built, or are on order, at British yards for famous hues, including the Canadian Pacific, New Zealand, Federal, and Orient Pacific Steam Navigation Coys. These companies have ordered at least one, and in many cases several new liners of ten thousand tons and over, says the “Daily Mail.” Every shipyard in Britain and Northern Ireland is to-day working on a programme which will keep the industry fully occupied for at least five years. Prospective orders are likely to bring work for a further five years. New orders, ,not only British, are pouring in daily. There is no hope of fulfilling many of them for years. The British shipbuilding industry is getting off to a flying start, because, during the war, it was necessary to reserve almost every skilled shipwright for building war vessels, and they now are all available for a turnover to peace production. Of the 288 vessels ordered, 210 are for British shipping firms. Eight are for foreign account. The remainder are for tiie Ministry of War Transport. The ships range from thirty thousand ton trans-Atlantic liners for the CunardWhite Star Company to new crossrailway, also whalers, and whaling Channel steamers for the southern factory ships, to freighters for the China coastal trade, for which there is a large demand. The Ellerman group have thirty-eight new ships building or on order in nine different yards. The P. & O. Coy. have several al new fast passenger-cargo liners on order. The Furness Withy Coy. are to have what is practically a new fleet for a fast service between the Pacific coast and Britain. The Royal Mail and Elder Dempster Coy. are awaiting new ships of ten thousand tons, arid over. The “Daily Mail” adds that demand for new, larger and faster oiltankers appears to be insatiable. France, Belgium, Holland and Norway are all clamouring for British-built ships, partly because, with the exception of Sweden, almost every European shipbuilding yard was destroyed during the war, and it will take years to bring them back to former production capacity. The Admiralty strictly rations orders for foreign ships from Britain. A small proportion is permitted under license, because their sales can in future be one of our biggest exports. Nevertheless the utmost priority at present is being given to the construction of British ships with which British companies can quickly regain their old pre-eminence in carrying on world trade. There are no socalled jet-propelled ships being built in British yards, nor any likelihood of them. Almost all new construction is on proven pre-war lines. The only notable increase is speed in the case of some new Diesel electric tankers.