INCREASE IN SHIPS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144358, 24 March 1914, Page 4

INCREASE IN SHIPS.

With reference to tho influence of last year’s shipbuilding operations on the tonnage afloat. Lloyd's state that 78S per cent, of the total merchant shipping output of England during the year (1,932.153 tons) was for registration in the United Kingdom. In other words, there were drafted into the British mercantile fleet new vessels aggregating just over one million and a half tons. On the other hand, there wore removed front the fleet during the same period, cithcd through misadventure or breaking up, a total tonnage of only 241,000 tons, while tho sales to other countries reached a record total of 780,(400 tons. The net result of various transactions is that in the bal-ance-sheet of British shipping there was an increase of 637.000 tons in the steam tonnage, and a decrease of 55.000 tons in the sailing tonnage. The British mercantile fleet has thus a tonnage 582,000 tons greater than that of a year ago, whereas tho average net increase per annum during tho past quinquennial period was only 218.000 tons. It will bo understood, of course, that contemporaneously with this increase there has also heen a very considerable addition to the merchant shipping fleets of other nations. The total output of merchant ships for the world was 1750 vessels, of 3,332,882 tons, of which 3,488.578 tons were steamers. It remains to be seen whether tho carrying trade of the world will continue to expand sufficiently to keep in employment all of these vessels. On this result depends the prospect of the continuance of activity in tho shipbuilding industries throughout the world.