§ MR. FORWOODI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if he can state the tonnage of the transport Bothnia, her speed, maximum number of adult, persons she accommodates, and the average cost per bead of their conveyance between the United Kingdom and India, including hire, coals, canal dues, and other charges payable by the Admiralty in respect thereof; also the average cost per head for similar voyages on Her Majesty's Indian troopships since they have been built, including crews' wages, victualling, coals, canal dues, repairs, maintenance, and other expenses incident to their employment, but excluding any allowance for interest on capital cost, depreciation, or risk of loss; also their average tonnage, speed, and maximum number of persons carried in each?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHThe Bothnia is a ship of 4,535 tons gross measurement: her maximum speed is 13i knots, and she carries on Indian service 1,127 adults. The average cost per head cannot be accurately stated until the accounts are closed, but approximately it will be £7 18s. 4d. The rate of hire was arranged at a time when rates were very low, and the case is so exceptional that no fair comparison of the cost of hired and Government troopships can be founded on it. The average cost of the Indian troopships since the commencement of the service has been £12 0s. 1d. per adult carried. But the employment of four ships making three voyages each, instead of, as formerly, five ships making fewer voyages, has reduced the cost of Indian troopships to £9 9s. 1d. per adult. The Indian troopships have,a maximum speed of 12 knots, but they are worked at a speed of 11 knots. Their gross tonnage averages 4,487 tons, and their maximum accommodation is 1,385 adults. 575 There are, of course, advantages in Government troopships which are a set-off against the difference of cost.