FEDERAL MERCANTILE FLEET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17730, 15 September 1919, Page 10

FEDERAL MERCANTILE FLEET

TOTAL OF SEVENTY-SIX VESSELS. (Feom Oub Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY", September 4. The vessels cf tho commonwealth mercantile fleet in under construo; tion, or authorised, now numbor 76, less whatever _ number of wooden steamers and motor shins have been sold. The total is made up thus:— Austral Lino in commission ... ... 12 Ex-enemy ships being run by commonwealth 17 Sailing ships in commission ... „ 2 StcaaMK building in Australia ... _ 26 Steamers building in England 5 Wooden steamers in commission or building in America 14. The commonwealth construction programme is interesting. The work is now proceeding vigorously .it fivo different yards:—Walsh Island (Newcastle), Cockatoo Island (Sydney), Williamstown (Melbourne), Maryborough (Queensland), and Adelaide. The shipa being built include: — Six of 5600 tons, three of tbom already launched; 16 of 6000 tons. Thoso ordered irj i'uclj '.'our of 12,800 tons —two from Cockatoo Island and two from Walsh Island. The five ships being built in England are* to be of 12,800 tons. Of the Austral Line of IS steamers bought by Mr Hughes in 1916 two were KU"k by tho enemy, and two have been sold, while on© been since added. These ships in the last thro? years have paid their capital cost twice over. The total tonnago of the 17 ex-enemy vessels bring run by the commonwealth is over 80.000, so their value will be- about £5.003,CC0. They are all useful fillips of 50C0 and 6CCO tons, aivd it is the general expectation that they will become the property of tho commonwealth. The wooden 6hips wero ordered in America by the commonwealth during tho war, and when peaco came the contract was too far advanced for cancellation. Eight of tho ships are completed, and six are building. Efforts are being made to sell the lot of them, and six are said to bo going to Norway. They are about 2000 tons each, and are not a success, although tb?y served their piurooso satisfactorily.