THE BUSIEST PORT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 71, 26 March 1910, Page 9

THE BUSIEST PORT.

WELLINGTON OK AUCKLAND? INTERESTING FIGURES. The report of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce settles which is the busiest and most important port of tho Dominion. It ift quite true that the greater number of bottoms ure Auckland, and this is manifest when it >s considered that the east coast of Auckland i* studded with woikable little ports from the Bay of Plenty to the North Cape ; there it-, too, the big timber scow trade, and a considerable mosquito fleet which navigates rmooth water limits. However, it U iityHvn in tho report that Wellington easily leads: — Vessels. Tone. Wellington ... 3,474 2,908,956 Auckland ... 7,074 1,594,425 Lyttelton ... 1,667 2,079,539 Dunedin ... 710 1,041,430 The totals represent the combined figures of the official records of entries "inwards" and entries "coastwise." The report states that the separate particulars in these two classes give misleading results for purposes of comparison, because- ocean-going vessels arriving in New Zealand are entered under the heading of "inwards" at the first port of «sll, and "coastwise" at all subsequent ports. WELLINGTON HARBOUR. The volume of the import trade of the port of Wellington, according to the report, experienced a measure of shrinkago during the past year, in common with many other ports both within and outside New Zealand. "The causes of this set-bad: are well known, and there is every reason to anticipate that in the near future this branch of trade will regain its normal dimensions. A measure of compensation has been found in a solid increase in the volume of exports. "The Harbour Board has continued to pay attention to the works enumerated in last year's report of the chamber, but has not found it necessary to raise any portion of the one-million loan for whicn it obtained Parliamentary authority in" 1908. "In the construction of the graving dock serious hindrances have been encountered, and after the expenditure of t» very large mm of nionny the work is now at n standstill pending the result of experiments that are being carried out. I'he position of the Harbour Board in thi.i matter is one of grave difficulty und anxiety."