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~ What the British Are Doing Short Surveys of Important Activities in Maritime NTEREST in British shipping cir- cles during May centered around the readjustment of seamen's wages. Fortunately reduced scales were nego- tiated with the unions representing all deck and engine room hands without much difficulty. The new scales, which -are now in effect, show an average re- duction of seamen's wages in these two departments of £2 10s ($10) _ per month. The original proposal of the shipping managers was for a reduction of £4 10s ($20) per month. This was countered by the representatives of the men with a suggested reduction of £1. 10s ($6) per month. At a meeting of the International Maritime board pre- sided over by F. C. Allen, vice chair- man of the Shipping federation, the compromise figure of £2 10s was agreed to. expected to have an important effect upon the ability of British shipping managers to compete for the world's trade in the immediate future. Only the stewards are holding out and threaten-. ing to make trouble. Efforts have been made on the part of the steward's union to prevent the sailing of several large liners, but up to date these ships have all got away on time, and appar- ently the stewards' strike is collapsing, although both the Aguiranra and _ the ADRIATIC were compelled to sail dur- -ing the middle of May with scratch crews in the steward's departments. * * * HE coal strike is having a serious effect on British shipping and at the present time it is estimated that over 5,000,000 gross tons of vessels are idle. xk oe HERE is good reason for believing that the ex-German liners KAIsERIN Auguste Victoria and PRINz FRIEDRICH WILHELM, which, as already announced, have been bought by the Canadian Pa- cific, are by no means the only large ves- sels allotted to Great Britain by the repa- ration commission which have been bought by British owners. Two other vessels--the SCHWARZENFELS and Names, of 12,300 tons and 8500 tons deadweight respectively--are understood to have been purchased recently. "The total of the vessels of this class which were available at the end of May was 71. In addition there have been sold This reduction in wages is' Centers of Island Empire 7 out of a batch of 11 ex-enemy prize vessels, and 3 out of a set of 4 "addi- tional vessels'. The total number of vessels sold through the medium of Lord Inchcape for many months past have averaged about one a day, a rate which, in all the circumstances, may be considered satisfactory. ee CLM HE Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom has inaugurated a . movement looking toward an_ interna- tional shipping conference to be held in London in October. It is interesting to note that this movement was starte | by the Caamber of Shipping just prior to the statement by James A. Farrell, president of the United States Steel Corp., at the National Foreign Trade conference in Cleveland, to the effect that such a meeting of shipping inter- ests. would be highly desirable. This conference, if it is held as is now be- ing planned, will 'be the first of its kind which has ever been summoned by shipowners. Among the many subjects which are likely to be discussed are charter contracts, maritime law, safety of life at sea, uniformity of shipping legislation, etc. ee HE unprecedented slump through which British shipping is passing may be gaged by the fact that in 36 of the principal ports of the United Kingdom over 1000 ships are laid up. These vessels represent a gross tonnage of over 1,700,000 tons. In January last, 600 vessels were laid up representing 940,500 net tons. The position has thus grown worse, due in a great measure to thé coal strike. Hundreds of the vast fleet of idle vessels would, except for the coal strike, have been employed in carry- ing whole or part coal cargoes and re- turning with raw materials for indus- trial purposes or with foodstuffs. On the Tyne, over 200 vessels are idle representing 200,000 net tons. At Hartlepool, the net tonnage laid up is approximately 30,000 tons and at Blyth 60,000 net tons. * * * LU new building is in prog- ress. Evidence of the depression in shipbuilding is afforded by the fact that only two vessels were launched 316 . and? to. 2 from the Wear shipyards in April, making a total output for the four months of the present year nine ves- sels with a gross tonnage of 38,782 as. compared with 22 vessels or a total gross tonnage of 102,251 during the corresponding four months of last year. The vessels launched last month were: GrorGE M. Empericos, 6200 tons. gross, built by Messrs. Short Bros., for a Greek firm, and the Staurtor, 8422 tons gross, built by Messrs. W. Gray & Co., for a Dutch company. WiCks is T THE Teeside yard of the Fur- ness Shipbuilding Co. being made to complete a vessel this month. But in the other yards, the lit- tle activity shown is mostly on repair work. The position is reflected by the year's record of. Messrs. Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. The firm's annual report shows a net profit on the year's trading of £397,139 ($1,575,000), The directors point out that "Although great difficulties have had to be met both with regard to materials and labor,. the tonnage launched during the year 1920 in the company's' yards on. the Tyne, Clyde, and Wear amounted to 170,064 gross register tons, and was one © of the largest tonnages launched by any company in the world. A further large tonnage. was launched from shipyards in which the company is interested. Prog- ress of work on the ships built and building during the year was very slow, compared with. what would have 'beer possible under prewar conditions, and the works did not reach their maximum output, though the number of men em- ployed was larger than in any previous year. This was due to strikes by mold- ers in the foundries and by joiners in the shipyards, to shortage of materials, reduction in the working hours, together with a very unsatisfac- tory falling off in the output of work during the hours worked." No new orders for ships have been received during the past six months, and none can be expected until the pres: ent excessive costs of building have beet greatly reduced. The company was suc- cessful in obtaining some contracts be- fore orders ceased to be given, and though it has been necessary, in con- sequence of the demand for cargo ships efforts are a