MERCANTILE MARINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18875, 30 May 1923, Page 7

MERCANTILE MARINE

CHANGES ANNOUNCED. CANADIAN GOVERNMENT’S LOSSES. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, May 29. It is announced that, owing to the losses by the Canadian Government Shipping Line 27 out of the 64 vessels on the boots will be sold. They comprise the smaller units of the fleet—not the 5000ton to 7000-ton 'vessels engaged in the Australasian trade. The Mourilyan, which has been sold to the Northern. Steamship Company of New 'Zealand, has been lying idle in Sydney Harbour for two years. The Consul-General for Finland an nounces that a new monthly steamship lino from Finland to Australia via Java will be inaugurated. A fleet of motor ships will be utilised. EASTERN MARKETS. COMMONWEALTH PREPARED TO PAY. MELBOURNE, May 29. A deputation asked Mr Chapman to subsidise shipping services to Chinese and Indian ports and Singapore. Mr Chapman stated that Mr Bruce was favourable to Australia securing Eastern markets. The Commonwealth was prepared to pay for it, although, a large sum was involved. U.S. SHIPPING BOARD. OFFERS FOR VESSELS DISAPPOINTING. WASHINGTON, May 28. (Received May 29, at 8.35 p.m.) The United States Shipping Board announces that the offers received for vessels of the 18 foreign services which the board conducts have been extremely disappointing. Only four out of 20 offers have given any hope of possible sales, and these pertain to the Oriental and South American routes. The buyers have completely ignored the Atlantic service. It now seems certain that direct Government operations of the Board lines will come.—A. and N.Z. Cable. Following a conferenece between President Harding and the Shipping Board, it was announced that the Government would remain in the shipping business until it could sell its lines without unjustifiable loss. The statement declared that with the failure of the Subsidy Act, the Shipping Board was confronted with a vast possession of ships and heavy losses. Under the existing plan of allocated operation under managing agents the board would proceed to consolidate foreign trade lines and then offer for sale these ships on suitable guarantees of maintained sen-ice. If such sales could not be made without an unjustifiable sacrifice of ships then the Government would proceed to direct Government operation, which would be aggressively pursued.