SHORTAGE OF SHIPPING

Southland Times, Issue 17660, 18 February 1916, Page 2

SHORTAGE OF SHIPPING

VESSELS FOR WAR WORKAX INCREASING DEMAND. The depletion of British mercantile tonnage available for commercial purposes continues, and is likely to become more marked, for several reasons, wrote the naval correspondent of the London Times on December 20. Indications pointing in this direction have increased during the past week, and aJso those showing the desire of neutrals to turn our scarcity of shipping to their advantage. The subject is one of great moment to this nation, not only because the maintenance of an effective and sufficient navy depends upon a flourishing commerce, but also because a scarcity of merchant shipping may lead to a deficiency of food and other necessaries of life, in these islands. Some time ago a complaint was made that shipowners were charging excessive freights, thus bringing about an advance in the prices of many necessary commodities. The general advance in prices, however, is really caused by the scarcity of shipping. There are many factors making for the gradual depletion of British tonnage available for commercial purposes, those most pressing being the number of enemy vessels laid up in foreign ports; losses, and insufficient facilities for replacement; and the demands of the navy for auxiliary warships and transport. The German and AustroHungarian fleets have been driven out of the carrying trade. Russian ships are mainly shut up in the llaltic and Black Sea. Those of neutral nations find more than enough to do to cope with their otvn enhanced opportunities of trade, at freights exceeding those of our own shipowners. The destruction wrought by submarine and mine on British, Allied, and neutral ships, although not largo proportionately to the numbers using the seas, lias a greater effect on those engaged in the commercial work, because they are the chief sufferers. Nevertheless for many months after the outbreak of war, the. tonnage employed in this manner continued at its normal volume, showing that the losses due to the activity of both oversea ami undersea raiders did not affect it to any appreciable degree. if these losses from the action of the enemy were being made good by shipbuilders they would not embarrass tlie trade tC any groat extent. Our resources in this direction, bowetei, are being utilised for anothci purpose. The principal cause of the scarcity is the large number of merchant vessels requisitioned by the British and Allied Governments for the purpose of the war Without the co-operation of the mercantile marine, the navy could not cope with its work and the many extraneous duties which novel methods of warfare have imposed upon it. Immediately hostilities began many vessels were 'taken un to be. transformed into artned cruisers, fleet auxiliaries, colliers, hospital and supply ships and the like. Transports also were required for the Expeditionary Force and for bringing the contingents from India and the dominions. The patrol service and needs in connection with the submarine and mine menace made a further drain, and although those calls were mainly for small craft, many of the latter would in the ordinary way have been in the carrying trade. It was, however when our overseas engagements increased, and we not only largely augmented our force in Franco, but undertook campaigns of growing magnitude at a distance, that the requirements of the Admiralty made demand upon the mercantile marine which have seriously .reduced the tonaiige available for commercial purposes.