MERCANTILE MARINE

Otago Witness, Issue 3612, 5 June 1923, Page 25

MERCANTILE MARINE

CANADIAN GOVERNMENT’S LOSSES. 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 books 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 announces that a new monthly steamship line from Finland to Australia via Java will be inaugurated. A fleet of motor ships will be utilised. 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. Tha Commonwealth was prepared to pay for it, although a large sum was involved. U.S. SHIPPING BOARD. OFFERS FOR VESSELS DISAPPOINTING. WASHINGTON, May 28. The United States Shipping Board announces that the offers received for ve sels 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 lia\e completely ignored the* Atlantic service. it now seems certain that direct Government operations of the Board lines will come.

OFFER FOR ENTIRE FLEET. WASHINGTON, May 29. An unnamed syndicate has offered one billion dollars for the entire active United Stales merchant marine, with a bond of 1,000,000 dollars as a guarantee of sincerity.