LONDON TO AUSTRALIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19010, 5 November 1923, Page 8

LONDON TO AUSTRALIA

RAPID OCEAN TRAVEL. NINETEEN DAYS’ JOURNEY. LONDON, October 17. A naval architect, Mr lies, discussing the possibility of a service of 20-knot steamers to Australia, enabling mails to be landed at Fremantle, by way of Toulon, about 19 days alter despatch from London, advocates the use of oil-burning vessels, 700 ft long, drawing 20ft of water, with 27,000 horsepower engines, and carrying 400 saloon and 3000 steerage passengers, and 1000 tons ct cargo. Although a weekly service would be de sirable, a beginning could be made with a fortnightly one. Such a service would be based on Fremantle and Sydney, eliminating Melbourne. It would necessitate the use of four or five vessels, with a sixth in re serve, carrying in the average three-fourths of their complement, of passengers, for whom the rates would be £IOO saloon and £22 10s steerage, and nine-tenths of their full cargo, for which 75 per cent, above the present rate could bo charged on account of the advantage of quicker transit. Each ship would require a subsidy ol £75,000 a year, and from the total would bo subtracted the present subsidy and the expenditure on assisted passages. Economy could be effected by shortening the stayin ports, by loading fuel at Fremantle, as well as at Port Baid and Colombo, and taking in water at two or three intermediate ports. Such an arrangement would enable smaller vessels to be used.