EMPIRE SHIPPING SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17889, 17 September 1921, Page 7

EMPIRE SHIPPING SCHEME.

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FLEET OF 50,000 TONNERS.

NEW "ZEALAND' IN 19 x DAYS. By T»lem.ph—Press -Association— Copyright. • ' -~ (Received 10.30 p.m.) , ' A. and N.Z. % LONDON, Sept. 1$; | : Tfie Moving Post publishes details -of a, j scheme ..submitted by Mr. Tamer, of the! firm of Turner, Davidson and Company, i Limited, ship insurance brokers, to the Imperial Shipping Committee for an; accelerated steamship service under State 1 control to Jink up . the Dominions and Britain. The scheme-proposed the establishment of & fleet of nine of the largest and fastest steamers afloat, consisting of 50,000 tenners, equipped with high-power turbine engines burning oil, and developing a speed of 26 knots for the Transatlantio service and 25 knots , elsewhere. The vessels would have accommodation for 600 first-class passengers and 3000 thirdclass passengers. ; "■, ■"'■'. The ships would reduce the mail service to Australia via Vancouver to 21 days, to New.Zealand to 19 days, to South Africa to 10 days, and to Canada to four days. The cost of the fleet would .be £27,000,000, which Britain, would raise, the Dominions paying 3J percent, in interest and sinking fund, and Britain 2£ per cent. It is estimated that the annual contribution that would be required from the four Dominions would be £630,000, and from Britain £450,000. The Imperial Shipping Committee is reluctant to examine details of the scheme unless it received a request from one or more Governments to do so.

Steamers of the size and class referred to in the cablegram have already been built. Germany had three in the transatlantic passenger service at the outbreak of the war, the Bism&rk, 56,000 tons, now owned by the Oceanic Company and renamed the Majestic j the Imperator, 51,969 tons, now owned by the Cunard Company and renamed the Berengaria; and the 54,282, still held by the United States Shipping Board and renamed the Leviathan. The Canard steamer Aquitania has a tonnage-of 45,647, and the. White Star liner Britannic, which was used as a hospital ship in the war and was torpedoed, had a tonnage of 47,500. Despite their enormous size these Vessels are capable of fast steaming. The Vaterland' on her trial trip made an average speed of 25.8 knots. The passenger accommodation of such steamers is greatly increased by the sub-" stitution of oil fuel for coaL The Majestic is capable of accommodating 4170 passengers, and a crew of 1100. One of the fastest British steamers built was the Lusitania, which was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland in 1915. She held the record for crossing the Atlantic, taking 4 days 11 hoars 42 minutes for the passage east, and 4 days 15 hours 50 minutes for the -passage west. Her record for a day's run was 618 nautical miles,, at an average speed of 26.70 knots. The Lusitania Was a vessel of 30,396 tons. She was 790 ft. long, 88ft. in beam, and had a draught, fully loaded, of 37.6 ft. With very little alteration the Auckland wharves could accommodate very large steamers. At present a vessel of 1100 ft. could berth at the Queen's Wharf on the east side, where the present depth is 35ft., and could bo increased by dredging to over 40ft.