Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-04-28
BRITISH TONNAGE
SCARCITY CAUSES
GRAVE CONDITION
Shipbui|derS Unable TO Guar
antee Delivery Of Boats
and Prices for Secondhand
Steamers Are High,

London, April / The great scare
nv OF British tonnage Is reflected in
the abnormalN high prices paid for
second hand steamers Today no firm
of shipbuilders can guarantee deliv-
cry Of any boat. and. in consequence.
shipowners DESTROYS of increasing
their fleets. or replacing vessels sunk
by war risk, and ordinary marine
risks. are compelled to purchase Soc
ond hand boats at record prices.
Quite recently, the Cunard steam
ship company bought three second
hand steamers having failed TO find
builders able TO quote for new tom
mage. and for these three boats, il Is
stated the Cunard company paid a
higher rate per ton than they would
have paid for new vessels before the
war. Naturally, with such a ready
market for tonnage, owners are weed
ing ont their fleets and in several IN
stances recently boats which have
proved too costly to work on profit
able basis have been sold for prices
F, far I'M excess Of their original cost.
One firm possessing three such
steamers sold the boats 10 French
| buyers, under license OF the British
government. for $4,000 pounds and
4
graduated the share holders upon the
successful sale. THE boats have
never paid for themselves he de-
clared. "and we have no objection to
receiving 10 pounds per ton for
them" A good many English owners
are not slow to take advantage of the
needs Of the French.
Famine In France.
In France, as in England there Is
| famine In tonnage. Under certain
conditions, French owners are now
permitted to purchase steamers from
| English owners.
At one sale held recently, a Ger
man steamer which had been captur-
ed by d British warship and condemn
ed In the prize court was offered. Ii
was admitted by the auctloneer that
certain overhauling would have Ia be
done before she would be allowed 70
proceed 20 sea. The boat WAS orig
inally purchased IN the prize court
for under 5000 pounds and for near
! ly fourteen months had been running
under charter Of the British admir-
atty, proving a romunerative craft 10
her owners The government PROB
ably In view Of the repairs needed
had no further use for the vessel nor
apparently had the owners.
The sale was duly advertised ana
# was whispered that French buyers
were likely to bid. The first offer
was one of 5000 pounds for the
steamer and the bidding rose rapidly
in thousands, when 1t was discovered
that French buyers were actually III
the market. At 10000 pounds the
boat was knocked down to the
Frenchmen
Big Jump In Price.
Prices averaging Is 10 20 pounds
per ton have been the rule of the
sales which have been negotiated pri-
vately this year. although 70 pounds
and 10 shillings per ton was paid Tor
the steamer Telo, built in 1907, ana
with dead weight capacity OF l,DoV
tons The purchase price for TINS
boat was 48,5O0 pounds yet only a
few months previously she was solu
for $4,000 pounds
The steamer Anglo Californian OF
10000 tons dead weight capacity and
which was built at Sunderland IN
1912 nj n cost Of 100000 pounds has
recently changed hands for $4,000
mounds. while another boat, the Ia
hoe. sold last year for a. 900 POUNDS,
which was then considered big price |
has now been resold for $4,000
pounds.
Costing 10000 pounds to build IN
1903, the Harlesden. steamer OF
1850 tons has just been bought Tor |
1870 600 pounds Sold in 1914 for ~ /
600 pounds the Olavarria has again |
changed hands, as much as 49,bVo |
pounds being paid for her last month, |
She Is boat Of $3.50 tons deah
weight built at Sunderland In 1889
Several steamers owned by Japan
ese have also come into me Ensllsn
market and have received big figures.
The Taikoku Maru, "A boat OF fS0o
tons. built at Glasgow in 1884, mas
been purchased for $4,000 POUNDS
while two years age she was sold ny
her original owners for the sum OF !.
OF 00O mounds. The Satauki Maru, /
however was not so fortunate, ana |
she holds the record for being the
boat 10 realize the lowest price this
year. only Ito pounds per ton being
paid for her. She is an old boat, hav-
ing been built In 1887 at Sunderland,
and is of 1850 tons dead weight ca
pacity. The sum paid for her last
month was $4,000 pounds.
Large Profits Made.
Boats which have been engaged III
the home and coasting trades have
realized particularly high prices re-
Gently, the vidgls. l,2OO ton steam,
or built In 1883, has just been sofa
for 1850 pounds. This boat mas