BRITISH TRADE SHIP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18850, 1 May 1923, Page 3

BRITISH TRADE SHIP.

RECONDITIONING AT HOLD. LORD. MAYOR’S LUNCHEON, (Fhom Otjb Own Coeeespondent.) LONDON, March 8. A week or two ago the ship once known as the Orontes, hut. in due time to be known as the s.s. British Trade, was taken from the Thames to the Hull dockyards for reconditioning. The vessel is now in dry dock, and Lloyds and the Board of Trade are carrying out a thorough survey. This will he completed in a week or two. Hundreds of men are on board getting. on with the alterations necessary to make the ship suitable for a floating exhibition, and Captain E. E. Mills Joyce is in Hull superintending the operations. This week a luncheon was arranged by the directors of the enterprise, and Admiral Murray Sueter, C. 8., H.P., and! Major J. Jjiyce went to the port to assist in entertaining the Lord Mayor of Hull and a number of other influential business men.

In proposing the health of Admiral Sueter and his co-directors, the Lord Mlayor said fas was sure that the citizens of Hull were all hoping that something tangible would result from the venture in the way of trade and advertisement to the city. They were glad that the work of reconditioning the ship had been entrusted: to a Hull firm. As to the business side of the enterprise, it -was a very great undertaking, but a very necessary one. ’ Hull possessed industries that deserved to be known in every quarter of the globe, and this was an. opportunity' for those industries, and those of Yorkshire generally, to make themselves known in the four corners of the world. He hoped that the enterprise would enlarge, and in some cases recover the trade of the world for the benefit of the British Empire. COLLAPSE OF OVERSEAS DEPARTMENT’S SCHEME.-. In the course of his reply, Admiral Suetor said they hoped the enterprise would help tho export trade of the country, and that ‘ thereby it would also help the unemployed. ’When tho ship was completed the directors ■wanted to give a day when the Lord Mayor ■would take charge of the ship, raid, by making a small charge for inspection, derive a considerable amount,, for their, local unemployment schemes. Mr W. H. Slack, J.P., asked what was tho cause of the collapse of a somewhat similar scheme put forward by the Overseas Department of the Board of Trade a year or two ago. ■ Captain Joyce explained that tho time was not opportune for the previous venture alluded to because of the coat of bringing into actual commercial use a vessel , which would coat something like a million pounds* to build. _______