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436 and that out of the 16 undertakings owned by the firm only two had made any profit on their work in 1923. In a ‘recent report, the company gives the prices and costs of nine vessels built at Wallsend shipyard which show a total loss of £8630 on the contract. Several examples have been quoted lately of contracts being placed abroad because of the lower foreign prices. A Newcastle shipowning firm announced that it had lately placed orders in Hol- land for three ships. The lowest Dutch price was £38,500 and the lowest British price £50,000. The British could not guarantee delivery owing to the boiler- makers’ strike... Among the reasons as- signed for the foreign success are cheap- er materials, lower wages, no trade union restrictions and less taxation. oa IR ALFRED YARROW, a well known British shipbuilder who has lately been visiting Australia, said on his return “shipbuilding orders show that a trade improvement is in sight but of course it must be slow. There is no doubt that the construction of the diesel engine at this juncture is a great asset to the shipbuilder. The diesel is more economical to run than steam, and it is fortunate. that the change from steam to diesel should be possible at a time when things are so slack.” ae & HE Northumberland Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., of Howden-on-Tyne, has recently completed a steamer, to the order of the Pontypridd Steamship Co. of Cardiff, which has some special fea- tures. She is one of two specially de- signed steamers of the shelter deck type carrying about 8200 tons deadweight. The length is 400 feet, the breadth 53 feet and depth to shelter deck 35 feet 5 inches. The design and specification of the vessel embody the latest appliances for loading and discharging cargoes. A large number of winches and a specially arranged system of derricks and derrick gear are provided. Telemotor steering gear has been fitted with midship control. In addition, a bronze propeller is used. oe HIPBUILDING industry benefits con- siderably from government guarantees under the trades facilities acts which the treasury has stated its willingness to give to the end of June up to a total of £47,629,645. Seventeen of the new guarantees are with respect to the con- struction of new vessels, particularly on the Clyde. The largest of these sums is £1,600,000 to the Anchor Line Ltd. for constructing three vessels at Govan and £850,000 to the Pacific Steam Navi- gation Co. for purchasing plant and ma- terials and constructing vessels at Bel- fast. Sunderland and Wallsend-on-Tyne are also included in the list. MARINE REVIEW Scandinavians Build Up Merchant Fleets The Danish merchant marine at the end of June, 1924, was about the same size as on the corresponding date last year, 1,025,000 tons, says a report to the department of commerce from Com- mercial Attache Sorensen at Copen- hagen. During the year 1923, ships ag- gregating 26,000 tons were built in Den- mark, 5000 tons were built abroad, and 25,000 tons were bought abroad. Dur- ign the same period, four ships, totaling 9,700 tons, were built in Denmark for foreign acount. Sales to foreign coun- tries amounted to 74,000 tons, of which 50,000 tons represented steamers of an average age of 25 years. Four steam- ers and six sailing craft, totaling 7400 tons, were lost as the result of wrecks. During the first six months of the current year, tonnage increased 51,000 tons, of which 39,000 tons represented new building and 22,000 tons older ships purchased abroad. The gross decrease was 34,000 tons, of which 30,000 tons were sold abroad. At the end of the first half of 1924, the Danish merchant ma- rine consisted of 626 steam and motor- ships, with a tonnage of 979,000 and 147 sailing vessels of 45,000 tons. At the close of the period, 60,000 tons were under construction in Danish yards, of which 13 were motorships of 43,000 tons. Quality of Norway’s Fleet Improved The Norwegian merchant fleet is now practically the same size as before the war, but undoubtedly is of better ma- terial. Old steamers which were lost during the conflict and the sailing fleet, of which only about 100,000 tons re- mains have been replaced with up-to- date steam and motor craft. At the end of 1914, Norway had a fleet of steam and motorships aggregating 530,000 tons not more than 5 years old; at the pres- ent time this class totals» 900,000. tons. Norway’s share of the world’s tonnage, which, before the war, amounted to 4.3 per cent, has now dropped to 3.8 per cent. Swedish Tonnage Increases During 1923, the Swedish merchant fleet increased by 84,000 tons, of which 22,000 tons were built in Sweden, 7000 tons built abroad, and 57,000 tons rep- resented purchases abroad. During the year ships aggregating 14,000 tons were sold to foreign countries, and about 13,- 000 tons of shipping were lost. In the first half of 1924, ships total- ing 18,000 tons were built in Sweden and 26,000 tons were bought abroad, A total of 26,000 tons of shipping passed out of Swedish hands, of which 22,000 tons were sold to foreign countries. At the end of the same period, the Swedish November, 1924 merchant fleet consisted of 1191 steam and motorships with a tonnage of 1,- 175,000, and 236 sailing vessels of 63,- 000 tons. At the end of July, this year, 52,000 tons of shipping were under con- struction in Swedish yards, of which 12 were motorships totaling 45,000 tons. Naval Architects Plan Interesting Program The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers will hold its thirty-sec- ond general meeting in New York on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 13 and 14. The meetings will be at the Engineering Societies building, 29 West Thirty-ninth street. Professional sessions will start at 10 o’clock each morning. The coun- cil of the society will meet at 3 o’clock on the afternoon of Nov. 12. The annual banquet of the society will be held on Friday evening Nov. 14 at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. A _ recep- tion will be held immediately preceding the banquet. The following papers have been pre- pared for presentation at the meeting: Thursday, Nov. 13 1. “Aeronautics in Naval Architec- ture,” by Commander Jerome C. Hun- saker, °C. C., U.S. N., ‘tember. 2.* “Hydraulic Seagoing Hopper Dred- ges,” By ‘Capt. W. D. Styer, U.S. A., visitor, 3. “Self-Unloading Bulk Cargo Ves- sels of the Great Lakes,” by Henry Penton, member, and Prof. Herbert C. Sadler, council member. 4. “Comparison of Model Propellor Experiments in Three Nations,” by Rear- Admiral David W.. Taytor;- C.-C. Uy S. N., Ret., honorary vice president. 5. “The Extent of Cavitation in U. S. Scouts and Destroyers,” by Capt. Ernest EK. Bogert, C. C, U.S. Ni, visitor: 6. “The Wake and Thrust Deduction of Self-Propelled Single Screw Models,” by Prof. Edward M. Bragg, member. Friday, Nov. 14 7. “The Design and Construction of Refrigerated Ships,’ by Llewllyn Wil- liams, member. 8. “Application of Fuel Conservation and Engineering Performance Standards. of Shipping Board Vessels,’ by Carl J. Jefferson, member, 9. “Scrapping Warships,” by Com- mander Henry E. Rossell, C. C, U. S. N., member. 10. “Trials and Operation of Motor- ship Cupore,” by Arthur B. Homer, mem- ber. 11. “Problems in Connection with Con- version of the Hog Island Steamer SEEK- ONK to a Motorship,” by James C. Shaw, member, 12. “A Diesel Electric Tugboat,” by Frank L. Du Bosque, vice president.