PROGRESS OF WELLINGTON.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 100, 25 October 1904, Page 6

PROGRESS OF WELLINGTON.

SHIPPING INCREASES. Tho progressive increase in the number and tonnage of steamers trading to the port of Wellington and the consequent demand for more wharfage is well illustrated in a number of reports before the Harbour Board yesterday. , Some of the figure- are quoted in the report of the discussion elsewhere on whether wharves or dock should have priority of attention. Other returns are given below. They show the increases both for the year just concluded, and for successive years since the early nineties. In a summary of the port's shipping for tho year ended 30th September, 1904, the Secretary of the Harbour Board shows that inwards shipping totalled 368,254 tons, an increase of 51,655 tons, or 16i per cent., over the inwards shipping for 1902-3 ; the increase shown by 1902-3 over the preceding year's figures was 24,233 tons, or 84 per cent. The inwards shipping comprises :— Foreign, 136,747 tons, an increase of 29,582 tons, or 27i per cent., over 1902-3 ; colonial and coastal, 138,656 tons, an increase of 15,855 tons, or 12 per cent, over 19023; transhipments, 92,851 tons, an increase of 6218 tons, or. 7£ per cent, over 1902-3. Outwards shipping for 1903-4 totalled 119,428 tons, ar increase of 2305 tons, or 2 per cent, over the outwards shipping for 1902-3 ; the increase showD by 19023 over the preceding year's figuies was 6450 tons, or 5.8 per cent. The outwards shipping comprises:— Foreign, 39,831 tons, against 42,267 tons lor 1902-3 ; colonial and coastal, 79,597 tons, against 74,856 tons for 1902-3. The tonnage of vessels arriving shows the following figures :— 1903-4, 2959 vessels, 2,220,314 tons; 1902-3, 2876 vessels, 2,122,229 tons, an increase of 83 vessels (2.9 per cent), and 98,085 tons (4 62 per cent). Steamers increased by 102 (3 7 per cent), and 98,009 tons (4.7 per cent). Sailers show in number a decrease of 19 (14.1 per cent), but a small increase of 76 in tonnage (0.16 per cent). The actual figures for 1903-4 for sail and steam respectively are:— 2B44 steamers, of 2,173,318 tons, and 115 sailers, of 46,996 tons. . The following table shows the number and tonnage of vessels arriving during each year from 1893 to 1904 :— Number Tonnage Year. Vessels. Vessels. 1893 ... 2172' 925,398 1894 ... 2303 1,005,096 1895 ... 2245 1,054,835 1896 ... 2176 1,031,810 1897 ... 2222 1,112,331 1898 ... 2340 1,305,049 1899 ... 2456 1,383,672 1900 ... 2566 1,522,037 1901 ... 2561 1,757,081 1902 ... 2563 1,838,572 1903 ... 2876 2,122,229 1904 ... 2959 2,220,314 In 1893 the average tonnage of vessels was 426, and the largest tonnage of any single vessel was 3926. In 1904, the average tonnage is 750, and the largest 7833. Ocean-goers have so grown in size that one vessel now takes up 550 ft of berthage. The Harbourmaster remarks :—"lt: — "It is now fourteen years since I entered the Board's service as pilot. Taking the year 1890, and looking at the net tonnage of foreign shipping handled by the pilots, we find it was 531,529 tons, and it stands for this year (1904) 1,660,159 net tonnage foreign shipping, giving an increase of 1,128,630 in fourteen years. The intercolonial and coastal traffic has also increased enormously. One fact I have to call your attention to is the increase in the size of the vessels. Soms yea-rs ago wo could berth, say, the Tarawera. or Rotomahana, which were then intercolonial boats, in No. 6 or 4, Queen's Wharf, and a small steamer could be berthed ahead or astern of them. Now the intercoloniail vessels occupy all the berth, and the coastal steamers have increased in size ; or, in other words, the intercolonial steamers of 1890 are now the coastal steamers of 1904. The steamers trading to the West Coast ports, especially the cargo steamers, have increased in size from 270 ft in length to 320 ft, from 650 tons burden to 3000 tons and over." , Concerning pilotage work at Wellington during the year ending 30lh September, 1904, the Harbourmaster, in his annual report, states : " Twenty-one vessels with a net tonnage of 29,832 tons were piloted into the port. Fourteen vessels with a net tonnage of 84,395 tons were piloted outwards. Four hundred and sixty-five vessels with a net tonnage of 1,545,932 tons were removed ; the total number of vessels handled by the pilots being 500, with a net tonnage of 1,660,159 tons, of which 383 were steamers with a net ton%age of 1,558,328 tons, and 117 were sailing vessels with a net tonnage of 101,831 tons, being an increase over «the previous year of thirty-three vessels with a net tonnage of 132,080 tons. Twenty vessels with a net tonnage of 80,247 tons were* removed from the Queen's Wharf- to the Glasgow Wharf for loading purposes, free of charge. Thirteen vessels with a net tonnage of 80,995 tons were piloted from the anchorage to the sea, free of charge. " ,

Further evidence was taken to-day is the case Job Harrison v. Job Charles Mabey, a claim of £53 Os 6d for extra work done on a building erected by plaintiff for defendant at Taita and a counterclaim of £17 9s for sundries supplied and £35 I2s 9d for defective work performed. Mr. Herdman appeared for plaintiff and Mr. Weston for defendant. Dr. A. M' Arthur, S.M., who heard the case, reserved judgment until this day week. The Wellington Junior Flying Club flew a race from Hawera on Saturday, an airline distance of 163 miles. The race was flown for a trophy presented by Mr. J. Abrahall, of Petone. The result was as follows: — R. Draper's Weetmere (960 yards per minute), 1 ; A. Andrew's Blue Boy 11. (957 yards), 2 ; J. Berry's Sundown (950 yards), 3 ; W. Saps-ford's Pansy (948 yards), 4 ; B. Andrew's Pelorus Jack (945 yards), 5; H. Bell's Shamrock (941 yards), 6. Thirty biitfs competed. The weekly session of the Northern Star Lodge, 1.0. G.T., was held at Petone last evening, Bro. C. R. Ralph presiding. There was a fair attendance of members and visitors. The election of officers resulted as follows: -- ■ C.T., Bro. Cox; V.T., Sister Edlin ; S.J.T. Sister A. Ralph; Secretary, Bro. Flowers (reelected); Treasurer, Bro. Edlin; F.S., Bro. Butler; Chaplain, Sister Bartlett ) M., Bio. C. Ralph; G., Bro. Bartlett; Sentinel, Bro. Wallis, A.S., Sister Pickering ; P.C.T., Bro. C. R. Ralph. Fraternal greetings were received from several lodges. As will be seen by our report of the Harbour Board's discussion on dredge and dock matters, it was decided to persevere with the enquiries as to whether the Board can hire a dredge to assist tno Whakarire in the congestion of work in front of her. The Engineer's previous enquiries' in Australia did not hold out any prospect of a dredge equal to the Whakarire being available, but it is hoped that possibly a dredge may be hired which, while not dredging to the depth the Whakarire can reach, will be able to do a part of the work which stnl calls for attention. Hence the decision *•', make further enauiries-