PORT OF WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 204, 26 May 1938, Page 12

PORT OF WELLINGTON

Increased Business For Six Months

SHIPPING AND CARGO Au increase in shipping arrivals and in the tonnage of cargo handled at the port of Wellington is shown in the harbour board's summary of statistics for the six months ended March 31, 1938, compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.

“Tlie returns for this six months are satisfactory, and. if the trade'keeps up to the volume of last winter, new records should lie shown in both trade and shipping at the end of September.” it was stated in a report submitted to the board last night. The gross tonnage of all classes of cargo handled in the six months was 1,208,290, compared with 1,132,208 the previous year, an increase of 76.082, or G. 7 per cent. These figures are for both inward and outward cargo, on a manifest tonnage basis. x The chief increases were in imports of general cargo (29,920. tons, or 9.6 per cent.), general cargo transhipments (11.937 tons, or IS.S per cent., accounted for by a further improvement in coastal trade), and general cargo exports (22,202 tons, or 14.2 per cent.). Butter, ex-shore and rail and transhipped. remained tlie same as last year: cheese showed a small deerease; frozen meat increased by 5000 tons, or 26.6 per cent.; timber and coal showed a slight decrease; oils in bulk remained about the same. The wool returns showed a decrease of 11.038 bales in the number transhipped and 23,432 bales ex-shore and rail, the total wool trade having dropped 34,470 bales, or 19.6 per cent. The net tonnage of shipping arrivals increased from 2,153,114 to 2,217,46(1 or by 3 per cent. April Statistics. The shipping and cargo statistics for the month of April, compared with April last year, showed an increase in shipping arrivals, and the tonnage of cargo handled remained about the same. The shipping arrivals were 400.583 net tons, against 371.613 tons, an increase of 28,970 tons. The cargo tonnage was 175.820, an increase of 61. Increases were shown in imports of general cargo from British and foreign ports (5071 tons) and coal (7713 tons). The principal decreases were in general cargo transhipments (2737 tons), general cargo exports to coastal and Australian ports (4065 tons), butter, cheese, and frozen meat shipments (2803 tons), and in wool and hemp shipments (15.213 bales).