PORT PRACTICALLY AT A STANDSTILL

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 51, 1 March 1921, Page 8

PORT PRACTICALLY AT A STANDSTILL

Forty-six vessels, representing 143,031 ■tons, ar* at present in Wellington harbour, and,, with the exception of the ferry steamers and tho liner Hororata, all axe' idle. The number includes fourteen oversea steamers. During the 1913 trouble there were only some six or seven liners in port, and the total tonnage was in the vicinity of 70,000 tons, although actual figures in connection with the .1913 strike are not available. The oversea steamers in port in November, 1913, were the •• Corinthic, Rimutaka, Dorset, Northern, and Hercules.

There has been only one addition to Wellington's idle fleet since yesterday. The Manuka arrived iast evening from Sydney, and berthed this morning at the Queen's Wharf to disembark her passengers. She also brought 93.7 tons of general cargo for Wellington and 572 tons for Lyttelton, but the whole of this will remain' undischarged,, and will be returned to Sydney. A small quantity of fruit on board will be discharged. The [Union Company announces that the Manuka will leave Wellington at 10 o'clock on Thursday morning on the return trip, taking passengers only. Oversea liners due at Wellington durdng tho next few days are :—

Admiral Codrington, due to-morrow from Sydney, with timber.

West Canargo, due to-morrow from Ban Francisco via northern New Zealand (ports, with part American cargo. Zealandic, due on Thursday from Wanganui, to load for Home. Moana, due on Saturday from Sydney. Moeraki, due on Sunday front Sydney.

Practically the whole of the coastal fleet is idle at Wellington, and the only vessels running regularly are the six ferry steamers: Wahine, Maori, Arabura, Htfapoorika, Kaitoa, and Nitera.