BY TELEGRAPH. LONDON, 25th November.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 128, 26 November 1904, Page 4

BY TELEGRAPH. LONDON, 25th November.

Sailed — Star of Scotland, for Auckland. NEWOASTLE,»26th November. Sailed— Margarita and Defiance, for Auckland. SYJINBY, 26th November. . Arrived — Westralia (j e3terday), from Auck'and. AUCKLAND, 25th November. Arrived— lris (12.35 p.m.), from Suva. Sailed— Ventura (3.30 p.m.), for Pago Pago and San Francisco (with outward San Franlisco mail). 26th November. "Arrived — Ta.viuni, from Rarotonga. NEW PLYMOUTH, 25th November. Sailed— Rarawa (10 p.m.), for Oneliunga. ' OASTLEPOINT, 25th November. Arrived— Kahu (2.15 p.m.), from Wellington ■ria coast. PIOTON, 25th November. Arrived— Pateena (5.15 p.m.), from Wellington Sailed— Pateena (11 p.m.), for Nelßon. NELSON, 26th November. Arrived, at outer anchorage— Lutterworth, barque (4.10 p.m. yesterday), from London. Arrived — Tasman (7.20 a.m.), from Wellington; Pateena (8.55 a.m.), from Picton. Sailed — Pateena, (10.45 a.m.), for Picton and Wellington. TIMARU, 25th November. Sailed— Oswestry Grahge (5.10 p.m.), for Sydney, South Africa, and West of England. ' PATEA, 26th November. Arrived— Kapiti (midnight last night), Aorere (10.30 a.m.), and Mana (10.45 a.m.), from Wellington. NAPIER, 26th November. Arrived — Totoa (4.30 a.m.), from Wellington. SaiJed— 4iate Tatham, barqueutine (10.30 a.m.), for Sydney. TEKOPURU, 26th November. Arrived— Petone (10 a.m.), from Wellington. BLENHEIM, 26th November Arrived— Nambuoca (9 a.m.), from Wellington. Arrived — Opawa (11.30 ajn.), from Wellington GREYMOBTH, 26th November. ' Arrived— Himitangi (3 a.mj, from Wellington. LYTTELTON, 26th November. Arrived— Zealandia (6.15 a.m.), Mararoa (7.50 kirn.), and Turakina (8;30 a.m.), from Wellington. NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING COMPANY. The Chairman of the New Zealand Shipping Company, speaking at the annual meeting of the company, held at Christetrurch this week, considered the result of the past year's operations mußt be regarded as satisfactory, although not equal to tibat of the previous year, * result chiefly due to the decrease in earning Homewards, owing to the large shortage of frozen moat shipments. . . . Referring to the current year's business, he regretted to lay the results had not, so far, been as satisfactory as the directors would wish, and the past four or five months had been the worst The company had experienced, as regards the Homeward loading, for a number of years. ' There had been a large shortage in both frozen meat njjd general cargo, and even at 16s per ton freight for oats it was not possible to obtain sufficient to fill all the space available, and several of the steamers left with Kitle more than half cargoes, while the Whakatane and Rakaia were chartered to load in Melbourne with grain, on the basis of about 25s per ton for oats. . . . The steam service that had been established between the West Coast ports of the United Kingdom and New Zealand hod had the effect of diverting large quantities of cargo from the liners trading to London both Homewards and outwards, and the company's earnings had been affected in consequence. The supply of tonnage in New Zealand was now in rzcess of the requirements, and fihat vas emphasised by the fact that each of the direct liners had been compelled to seek employment for some of their steamers elsewhere. No doubt the general increaie in trade woutd meet, that excess of tonnage in the future to some extent, but shareholders oould hardly look forward to a. continuance of the prosperity that they had experienced in past years. It would therefore interest tihareholders to learn that during the past year the company's steamers had run 611,375 miles without any serious accident, which, he thought, spoke volumes for the care and efficiency of the commanders in the company's employ. Mr. G. O. Stead, in seconding the motion for the adoption of the report, said that he thought, in view of the great depression that existed amongst all the English steamship companies, the shareholders oould well congratulate themselves that the company had been able to #ay its usual dividend during the pait year. The depression, which affected the majority of the English shipping companies, was due, us most shareholders were aware, to the falling off in the volume of business done sinoe the termination of the South African War, and also to the fact of the increased competition that the English shipowners nave had to meet from foreign companies, awl the result was that hundreds of steamers were laid up in English ports waiting for some improvement in trade. The oomr vy had suffered, not -from tho causes VrevAirfng in England, bat to a great extent

from the filling off in the quantity of fiozen meat uMiiisihle for shipment from New Zealand. Fo:tunateiy, that falling off had to some extent b*en mado up by the increased volume i>f daily produce shipped from New Zealand to England, and to a certain extent by the increased quantity of imports from England to New Zealand. THE WEST COAST TRADE. Details in connection with the Wellington-Nelson-West Coast trade of the Union Steamship Company, which is to be improved for the summer season by the inclusion of another boat in the run, have been arranged. Commencing from the 12th December the Mapourika will sail from Wellington on Mondajs for Nelson and the West Coast ; the Haupiri, sailing on Wednesdays, v/ill call at Picton and Nelson en route to the Coast, and the Wainui will sail on Saturdays for Nelson direct, thence to the Coast. KUMARA, FOR LONDON. The Shnw-Savlll liner Gumara, which sailed for London this morning, took the following principal items of cargo from New Zealand ports : — From Wellington— B4l7 carcases mutton, 4935 bales wool, 35 bales sheepskins, 30 carcases lamb. From Auckland — 881 bales hemp, 755 cases gum, 191 casks tallow, 188 cordite reels, 148 cordite barrels, 95 bales wool, 22 carcases lamb. From Gisborne — 7145 carcases mutton, 719 bales wool, 142- quarters beef, 94 casks tallow and pelts, 97 carcases lamb, 31 oases kidneys. From Napier— 3slo bales wool, 2952 carcases mutton, 232 quarters beef, 29 cases kidneys, 62 packages sheepskins. From Lyttelton — 6219 ca-rcases mutton, 2686 bales wool, 243 carcases lamb, 102 bales sheepskins, 50 orates kidneys. From Timaru — 383 bales wool. From Dunedin— 229B crates rabbits, 124 bales rabbit skins, 461 sacks cocksfoot 307 bales wool, 209 bales hemp, 119 bales sheepskins, 90 carcases mutton, 66 carcases lamb. From 81uff— 10,395 sacks oate, 644 bales flax fibre, 30 bales wool, 25 casks tallow, 21 bales sheepskins. On account of the 16th December being a holiday tho Warrimoo will leave Wellington a. day ahead of time-table date, sailing for the South on Wednesday, the 14th, instead of Thursday, the 15th, so as to enable her to pass through LytteHon before the holiday. The Monowai, which is to sail for Sydney on the 16th December, is also a day ahead of time-table, and will sail on the Friday instead of Saturday. The Talune, due from Dunedin and Lyttelton to-morrow, has 200 tons of cargo to land here. T)ie Pateena, from Nelson and Picton, is to leave Picton for Wellington at 5.30 this evening. The Union Company received advice this morning that the Mapourika got out of Westport at midnight last night, and is to leave Nelaon for Wellington to-night. She is due here to-morrow morning. The Wroikare, whioh arrived from Melbourne via Hobart and the South this morning, brought transhipments ex Grantala and Macedonia. Mr. Norton, chief officer of the steamer Kittaava, has come ashore for a month's holiday leave, and his place is being temporarily filled by Mr. Carey, late of the Pengum. The Union Company's steamer Koonya has been delayed in the South, and will not come on to Wellington this week. She will sail from Timaru direct for Westport. Captain Wills, who has been acting in commind of the steamer Baden Powell sinoe she commenced running on the New Zealand coast, is to rejoin the Wakatu this trip. The Marine Department ha 3 been advised that the Hinemoa left Farewell Spit this morning to work Kahurangi Point.