NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19125, 17 September 1925, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

UNITY OF THE EMPIRE. The British delegates of the Empire Press Union travelled across Canada, spent a fortnight in New Zealand, and have since made an extensive tour between Sydney and Melbourne. Some interesting observations on their impressions were made last week by Mr. R. J. H. Shaw, a member of the Times staff. He said the tour was not a holiday in any sense of the term. There was a real purpose behind it. To many of them it was a real voyage of discovery under the leadreship of their own Captain Cook in the person pf Lord Burnham. They were now beginning to. realise the importance and greatness of the Commonwealth of free British nations that had arisen from the ashes of the war. Of course, they knew that it was impossible to take people of the race which was, above all others, the most adaptable to its environment, scatter them all over the world and expect that in changed circumstances they would develop along exactly similar linrfS and under a single governmental system. Rome tried this, and where was Rome to-day? Spain tried this, and where was Spain ? But the, one thing that struck him most, of all on the tour, and more especially since his arrival in Australia, was that in all essential features the British race had remained true to type and character. That was why it had i>een so easy for them to understand and assimilate tfio Australian viewpoint. They were beginning to realise that, however important they were in their own way and place, questions of government, trade and system were not the really vital matters, but that the vital matter was that the Empire, in its general outlook and development, should remain one. That had been emphasised again and again by Australian' speakers at the different functions since their arrival, and in that viewpoint he entirely concurred. The map lesson of the tour was that there was no real reason ,to fear for the futune solidarity of the Empire. SHIPBUILDING TENDERS. Another striking illustration of the competition for shipbuilding contracts has been afforded by the tenders received by the Siamese Minister for Commerce for two motor : ships. Although the contract had not been awarded, information regarding the prices offered was published. Tenders were invited from a large number of shipbuilding firms in various countries for two vessels to carry 3200 tons of cargo, fitted with twin sets of six-cylinder Diesel engines of 800 i.h.p. The tenders were analysed in the Shipbuilding and Shipping Record, and the following table shows,, according to nationality, the number of firms competing and the range of prices for two. ships:— I; No. of Nationality. firms. £ ■British Isles . 12 208,000—261,500 French . G 172,826—294.000 Italian .. 6 124,350—205,000 German 7 176,400—236,000. Netherlands 4 201.300 —245,000 ; ,i Danish „ 3 183,400—225,000 Swedish .. 1 195,000 Japan 2 215,475—233,025 '■ Chinese coast yards .. 3 182.000—205,000 The journal remarks that some of the lowest prices actually represent alternative specifications, but otherwise, the cheapness' of some of the foreign quotations is clearly due to direct or indirect or municipal assistance enabling the firms to offer prices below cost. The journal proceeds:—"lf we take some of the best British shipyards and compare their .prices with those of foreign yards of equal equipment and financial standing, it will be found that there is not a very great difference, and in most cases the British yards have the advantage of rather quicker delivery.' To this extent a scrutiny of the prices is reassuring. It means that the sacrifices which the shipyard workers and shipbuilders have made, with greater concentration on the organisation" of the works, have enabled the firms to 'quote with greater hopes of. success. But it is impossible to shut one's eyes to the fact that whereas at one time the Siamese Government would have been content to have asked one or two select firms in Britain to give-them a price for vessels of this character, they have now gone to no fewer than nine countries, and that each of the other .eight countries is a strong competitor of the British shipyards."