SHIPBUILDING REVIVAL

Taranaki Daily News, 26 January 1934, Page 8

SHIPBUILDING REVIVAL

MORE BUSINESS ON THE CLYDE. • LITTLE DISTRESS IN GLASGOW. More ships are being built on the Clyde than in any other part of the world, but the great majority of the yards there are by no means working up to capacity, according to Captain Hugh Monro, managing director of the Canterbury Steam Shipping Company, who has returned to Christchurch from Glasgow after supervising the construction of the new motor cargo ship Breeze. Captain Monro told a reporter of the Press that British shipbuilders were expecting a decided revival in business after a period of unexampled depression, but that few of them anticipated a return to pre-war prosperity. A good example of the difficulties experienced lately by Clyde shipbuilders arose from the case of a large Glasgow firm, with slipways for seven big ships, which had received practically no orders of any size for several years. While the captain was on the Clyde, a period of more than a year, this firm had only one job on hand—the manufacture of the three masts for the Breeze! Up to the date of the departure of the Breeze from Scotland, November 18, a smaller yard had not received an order for a ship for more than two years. ORDERS FOR NEW SHIPS. But conditions were beginning to improve, continued the captain. Many owners were selling their ships for scrap iron with the intention of building more modern and efficient cargo boats and liners. The modem type of vessel was far more economical than the old coal burners and many were beginning to take advantage of the opportunity of building when costs were not too high. More and more orders were coming to the Clyde, and at the end of 1933 competent judges were looking forward to a revival. When the captain left Scotland one beautiful ship only 12 years old was being scrapped, and was to be replaced by a large modem type of vessel.

Work was to be started again on the big Cunarder which had been left standing half completed in the docks, and this could be taken as a fair indication of a reviving demand for new boats. The Cunarder had kept a number of men constantly in employment even during the period of her lie-up—painting and other operations were necessary to protect her against the weather—but it was anticipated that she would employ at least 2000 men now that work was resumed. LITTLE EXTREME POVERTY. An apparent paradox of the shipbuilding slump lay in the fact that very little distress prevailed among the working classes during a time of suspended industry. The captain saw few signs of extreme poverty during his stay in Glasgow. The people in the streets all appeared to be well dressed, clean in person, and happy of face. Money seemed to be plentiful and theatres, picture shows, and shops were all well patronised. It was rare to see a child on the streets without boots and still more uncommon to see an emaciated child. On the other hand, Captain Monro had heard that thousands of young men, of from 25 to 30 years of age, had never done a day’s work in their lives. They had been unemployed since leaving school, generally at an early age, and they showed little inclination to look for work. Many of them kept themselves, their wives, and families by means of the dole. Some of the shipyards were finding it increasingly difficult to sign on apprentices. Young men did not want to tie themselves, up or to learn a useful trade. This tendency was causing some concern to shipbuilders on the Clyde, who foresaw a shortage of labour when the present working generation disappeared.

INTEREST IN THEIR WORK. Those men who were working regularly in the yards, however, were extremely honest, contented, and industrious. British builders were still putting the best of materials and the best of labour into their ships, and the men themselves took the greatest interest in their work. “I have never seen such good tradesmen in any part of the world as those engaged in shipbuilding on the Clyde,” said Captain Monro. “They work in all sorts of weather, and it takes a very severe shower of rain to make them turn a hair.”

The men at the yards of Messrs Scott and Sons (where the Breeze was built) had been enthusiastic throughout the whole period of its construction. This yard was one of the oldest on the Clyde, and was being carried on by the fourth generation of Scotts. Some of the employees had succeeded their fathers and grandfathers on the job and were desirous that their sons after them should sign on with Scott and Sons. The building of the Breeze had thus been more of a family affair than anything else, and the best of everything had been put into the little boat.