HEAVIEST YEAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 4, 6 January 1938, Page 10

HEAVIEST YEAR.

AUCKLAND SHIPPING.

GREATEST TONNAGE SO FAR.

nearly six million tons.

A greater shipping tonnage worked the port of Auckland during the year 1037 than at any time in history. Figures supplied by the Auckland Harbour Board this morning show that, there has been a, steady advance in tonnage. both gross and net, during recent years, last year's aggregate being more than 20 per cent above the total returned five years ago. As a natural corollary, departures have had a similar tendencv.

The figures embrace all types of shipping, inwards and outwards, whether overseas, intercolonial, small or large coasters. In 1937 (the returns being taken for the calendar year from January 1 to December 31) 6582 vessels entered the port to an aggregate gros« tonnage of 5.707.422 and a net tonnage of 3,483,436. While the departures were lees in number. the gross tonnage was greater, being 5,709,462. The net. tonnage , for departures, however, was only 3,466.251.

January was the month for shipping in point of numbers, 627 craft making port to a gross tonnage of 443.056, but December showed the highest gross tonnage. In that month 584 arrival* registered 577,152 tons gross. That fact is accounted for .by the several short summers cruisers which were here, each vessel being considerably larger than the average merchant ship regularly working the port.

Details of the remaining months, with the numbers of arrivals given first, gross tonnages next, and net tonnages in parentheses, are: February, 591—418,188 (250,539); March, 577—541,897 (329,522); April, 520—528,008 (345,791); May, 494— 473,577 (287,605); June, 508—378,803 (233,839); July, 514—402,595 (242,500); August, 493—443,182 (260,725); September, 552—458,486 (280,371) ; October, 602 —511,653 (310,165); November, 520— 530,825 (322,017). Increase Sustained. Yearly total* over the past five years, giving the numbers of ships, with the corresponding gross tonnage*, in parentheses, are: 1933, 5347 (4,654,277); 1934 3889 (4,894,771); 1935, 6506 (5,025,597); 1936, 6651 (5,431,450); 1937, 6582 (5,707,422).

!*st year the press of shipping was marked on several occasions when insufficient berthage accommodation compelled vessels to anchor in the stream. In the coming year it is probable the experience will be repeated as there is every indication of the present steady flow of large ships not only continuing, but increasing. The Harbour Board already has in hand a progressive expansion scheme commensurate with the greater requirements of the port. To the west cf Prince's wharf construction is well advanced on the jetty for small trading craft and on its completion the drain on Central wharf will be alleviated. In addition, the board's dredger Hapal is employed in providing deeper water at Central wharf, and orders have been placed Hot further cargo handling equipment which will give the harbour an extra overseas berth there.

The erection of v the special export wharf to the east of Kinjps Wharf will have, the effect of reducing the demands now being made of other, wharves and should facilitate the more rapid dispatch of discbarge ships. Busy Year Ahead. With four short summer cruise ships yet to call this season and a further draft towards the end of the year, three world cruise ships, the probability of a heavy export and import season ahead and the contingency of visits from foreign: naval vessels, the gross tonnage in Auckland for this year should comfortably surpass the record of 1937. One ship alone, the Empress of Britain, will break all records in regard to merchant ship dimensions, while her gross tonnage is almost double that of the largest visitor to the port so far. She is about four times as great as the average modern freight ship, and more than twice the tonnage of the largest passenger liner making regular calls at Auckland.

The arrival of such a ship gives the port tonnage returns a fillip. Had the 51,616-ton Bremen's world cruise not been cancelled, she would have annexed the records to he set by the Empress of Britain. Between the two ships, their gross tonnage would have been equal almost to a quarter of the total tonnage of all shipping in a month. °