SHIPPING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 20, 6 January 1912, Page 7

SHIPPING.

The now steamer Zealandic, which arrived at Auckland last week from Liverpool on ner maiden voyage to t*ic Dominion, was specially (milt for tue White Star Line, and was launched at Belfast on June 29th of tJiis year. She has a very large cargo capacity in six holds—two for general cargo, and four holds insulated for carrying frozen cargo. Besides having accommodation for a number of nrst-class passengers, accommodation nas been specially arranged for over J.IUO third-class passengers in enclosed rooms, with space on sneltcr deck arranged for smokeroom and diningroom. Liners of 1000 ft in length arc apparently coming nearer every day. j nere is, it is true, no oihcial confirmation of the statement that .Messrs liarland and Wolf!' are laying uowir still another “biggest ship in the world,” this time Uouft. long between perpendiculars. Lut there is more than one circumstance which gives ground for acc-.««,tmg the report, roe one thing, when the uLnmc was despatched on her maiden voyage, it was promised that tne Titanic snould oe followed uy a third mg snip, for another, the .Belfast JJaruour Hoara nus ueeii discussing tne question or wiaeuiug and lengthening its new graving dock, wlucn is already large enough to accommodate vessels 01 tne size of tne Olympic and Titanic. As no other dock in tne country can at present take these vessels, the disposition 01 tne Helfast Jriaruour Hoar a to lorge still further ahead is'interpreted as significant. The new Traiulgar nock at oouchampton' will, m Course, presently be aule to accommodate tne Olympic aim the Titanic, nut it will not serve lor a much 1 Digger snip. On tne ocher hand, .Liverpool, wnich is very anxious to keep me wunaid line in tne -Mersey, win presently have a graving dock which' will practically accommodate a vessel iUJu it long. It may,be that iieliast is ho inure than desirous of Keeping anead of Liverpool, hut it may at least point to me fact that a gentry at hJueen’s island is being extended to a length or ludOxt. Anyhow, the Harbour Hoard nave, rightly or wrongly, got it into their heads that bigger snips are aoout due. It transpires mat it will be quite easy to widen the entrance of their graving dock from 90ft. to 101 ft., and to lengthen it ,-by another 100 ft. or 200 ft., .practically without putting it out of commission. Clearly, Belfast is ready to continue. to set the pace, and by its example to offer much-needed encouragement to other harbour authorities to make ready for the 1000 ft. ship. Enormous number of guinea pigs are used at the Pastous Institute for experimental purposes. At the institute farm at Larches, where the animals are raised from 20,000 to 22,000 guinea-pigs are born every year. And even with this enormous supply to draw from the Institute has to go into the guinea-pig market and buy all it can get hold of. It is now said to be becoming very difficult to obtain guinea-pigs from tne dealers for the little creatures are costly to raise, and there is not sufficient prolit in it, Their price lias readied and even passed Is Td a piece. The price of mice and rats ,lias increased in like manner. The Pasteur Instiute expends annually £IO,OOO for the purchase and support of the animals used in its work.