WORLD SHIPPING

Otago Witness, Issue 3595, 6 February 1923, Page 29

WORLD SHIPPING

MOTOR VESSELS AND OIL. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, October 27. The total tonnage of merchant vessels afloat at the end of June, 1922, boldin'* the classification of Lloyd’s Register, o*-c-eeds 27,000,000 tons, and is the highest figure ever recorded,” states -the annual report of Lloyd's Register of Shipping for 1821-22. To these figures should be added 15 vessels of 1,524,013 tons, which appear i the register book with the notation, Class contemplated,” which brings the aggregate of shipping under Lloyd’s Register classification to 10.325 vessels of more than 28,750.000 tons gross. Of the first total 5878 vessels, with a tonnage of 13,724.562 are British, while 4151 vessels if 13,506.567 belong to other countries. It is added that the number of plans for new vessels passed by the society during the year inevitably reflects the prevailing conditions. The figures comprise only 133 vessels of 230,920 tons, and are the lowest recorded for more than 35 years. Included among the vessels built during the year which have received the society’s classification are 32 exceedinglO.OOO tons each, as compared with only 10 falling within this category during the previous 12 months. Steam turbines were installed in 98 vessels of 870,037 tons. These include a large number of ships of over 10,000 tons each, and all those of over 15.000 tons classed by the society during the past year. Vessels o-f all types of construction intended for bulk oil carrying, and built to class, in the last 12 months amounted to 114 of 602,399 tons gross. The progressive demand for oil-carrying vessels is shown by the fact that the registered tonnage of those vessels had increased from 1.478.988 tons in July, 1914, to 5.052.699 in July, 1922. Vessels to the number of 209. representing 1.395.929 gross tons, or 55 per cent, of the total tonnage of new vessels classed during the year under review, were fitted for burning oil fuel. Whereas, in July, 1914, vessels of 1.310.209. the figures for July. 1922, were 14.464.162 tons. Among the vessels converted during the war were tho Aquitania. Berengaria, and Mauretania, and several other largo passenger vessels. The continued development of the use of the internal combustion engine is commented upon. In July, 1914, there were 297 motor vessels of 234.287 tons, while in July last there were 1620 vessels, with a tonnage of 1.542.160. Of these 1620 vessels 341 are of 1000 tons and upwards, including 66 above 6000 tons.