Management

Another Ship Under BP Management

MAYBE there is no romance left in the shipping game; and, according to Mr. James Burns, at the last annual meeting of the Big Firm, little profit. But Burns Philp are still in the transport business, even if it is only as agents for the Commonwealth Shipping Board.

Latest ship to come under their con trol, as operating agents for the CSB, is the brand-new, Australian-built “River Hunter” which sailed on her maiden voy age from Sydney on June 27.

The Government still “directs” the movements of these ships, but BP’s man and manage them. For this they receive a fee of £l,OOO per annum, above expenses, “River Hunter” is about the same size as a Liberty ship—s,ooo tons gross; 2843 nett and with a cargo capacity of 8,000.

Pacific Island residents need not expect to see her, however: she will be used in the Australian coastal trade. Her first job was in Newcastle, where she picked up about 8,000 tons of coal for South Aus tralia. There, at Whyalla, she will take on iron ore for Newcastle.

Burns Philp officers and crew, who man her, and who have been nurtured in the island trade, are reported to be unenthusi astic about the dirty job ahead. “River Hunter” emerged from her trials as a thing of pristine beauty; she is not likely to long remain that way in the coal-iron ore trade.

She is an oil-burner, cruises at 12 knots, but carries no passengers. These “River” class ships were designed to help Britain in the Battle of the Atlantic, but when America started to mass-produce Liberty ships, Australia’s efforts were unnecessary and all her dockyard facilities were divert ed to naval repairs. “River Hunter,”

therefore, took four years to build; the same job could possibly be done in two in peace time.

Rumour has it that if the Australian Government does not go on with a ship ping line of its own, “River Hunter” may eventually be handed over to Burns Philp to replace one of their ships sunk during the war.

Lieut. J. McGregor Dowsett arrived in Melbourne in June on his way to Geelong, after over five years’ war service.