MARITIME MATTERS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1682, 25 May 1904, Page 23

MARITIME MATTERS

(By "Mainsail.”)

According to the figures compiled by the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen, 52 steamers, of 97,961 tons gross, and 22 sailing ships, of 4274 tons net, or a total of 74 vessels, of 102,235 tons, were added to the register of the United Kingdom in February, against 62 vessels, of 85,837 tons, in January, and 54 vessels, of 67,280 tons, in February last year. Shipbuilders and others having new-ly-constructed steamers on hand for sale are finding the greatest difficulty in inducing owners to purchase them on the ordinary, that is, cash, basis (says a London exchange), and this is giving rise to some remarkable developments in the accommodation system, which some builders have gone in for of late years. The steel steamship Willowdene, 4176 tons gross, 2726 tons net, about 6850 tons deadweight, built by Messrs R. Graggs and Sons, Middlesborough, in 1901, and owned by the Dene Steam Shipping Company, Limited (Messrs J. T. Lunn and Go.), has, it is rumoured, been sold to the Japanese for about £44,000. This vessel cost £57.919 in 1901.

There are more large sailing-ships on the 'Clyde at present than there have been for a long time, a London shipping journal remarks- Hie recent arrivals at Glasgow from New Caledonia, the West Coast, New Zealand, etc,, and at Greenock from Java, show that, for the present at least, wind-jammers are still & force to be reckoned with in the freighting world. The Japanese law of March, 1899, reserving the coasting trade between ports of Japan to - vessels under the Japanese flag, also empowered the Minister of Commerce to permit exceptions from this rule. The Minister has now exercised the power vested in him by granting permission to vessels under foreign flags to cajl at unopened p.orts and to carry on the coasting trade for the account of Japanese subjects, and if the vessels are chartered by Japanese. The directors of the Cunard Steamship Company issue a very good report for the past year, showing an increase of £111,642 in income, and an addition to expenditure of £90,509. With £4807 brought forward, the profits were £271,966, and, after reserving £164,747 for depreciation, and transferring £30.302 to the company’s insurance fund, there remains £69,578, from which the directors recommend a dividend of 4 per cent., or the same as for the three previous years, and carry forward £5578. The balance at the " credit of the insurance fund has been increased from £357,000. to £380,000.

Having considered the report of the committee of experts as to the suitability of turbine engines the directors have decided to adopt this system for the two new fast steamers to be built under the agreement with the Government. The directors, in the course of their report to the shareholders, presented at a meeting held last month, stated; —“To strengthen the New York service of the company two large twin-screw passenger and cargo steamers, the Caronia and Carmania, have been ordered from John Brown and Co., Limited, of Clydebank. The engines of the Carmania will be on the turbine principle. In order to obtain the most reliable opinion on the suitability of turbine engines for the two new fast steamers to he built under the agreement with his Majesty’s Government, an influential committee of experts was appointed in September last to make a full and exhaustive inquiry into this subject, and to report upon it. The report has now been received; and, after full consideration, it has been decided to adopt the turbine -system for the ships referred to.” The Caronia and Carmania will be vessels of about 21,000 tons gross register, and their engines will be capable of developing about 21,000-horse power.