SHIPPING.

Evening Star, Issue 16661, 18 February 1918, Page 1

SHIPPING.

HIGH WATER. TO-MORROW-Taiaroa Head : 9.34 a.m., 10.5 p.m.. Port Chalmers: 10.14 a.m., 10.45 p.m. Dunedin : 10.4 a.m., 11.15 p.m. THE SUN. Sets to-day, 7.12 p.m.; rises to-morrow, 5.35 a.m. PHASES OF THE MOON. First quarter Feb. 18 12.27 p.m. Bull moon Feb. 26 9.5 a.m. Last quarter March 6 12.14 p.m. New moon March 13 7.22 a.m. Sets today, 10.38 p.m.; rises to-morrow, 2.51 p.m. WEATHER REPORTS. The Government fl'eteorologist (Rev. D. C. Bates) supplied the following weather reports at 9 a.m. to-day : Bar. Ther. Weath. Auckland—N.W., 1 ... 29.67 71 0 Napier—N.W., 1 ... 29.61 70 CP Wanganui—N.W.,l :.. 29.57 70 BC Wellington—Calm ... 29.65 66 OD Greymouth—S., br ... 29.64 63 BC Bealey—W:, 1 29.67 62 C Christchurch—S.W., 1 29.70 62 0 Timaru—S., f br ... 29.70 56 R Oamaru—S., fbr ... 29.67 62 0 Dunedin—S.W., st br 29.74 58 O Queenstown—N.W., f b 29.68 64 BC Nuggets—S.W., fb 29.55 50 D Bluff—S.W., fbr ... 29.71 56 CZ Clyde—Calm Roxburgh—S.E., 1 ... 29.40 65 O" Balclutha—Calm ... Port Chalmers— S.W., m g ... 29.80 59 P Naßeby—Calm 27.80 59 OD Tnvevcargill—S., 1 ... 29.73 59 O Pembroke—Calm ... 28.65 62 BC Wind.—L, light; br, breeze; fb, fresh breeze ; mg, moderate gale; g, -whole or heavy gale; w, gale of exceptional severity. Weather.—B, blue sky, be the atmosphere clear or heavy; C, clouds, passing clouds; D,. drizzling rain; F, foggy; G, gloomy, dark weather; H, hail; L, lightiiing; M, misty; O, overcast, the whole sky covered with thick clouds; P, passing showers; Q, squally; R, rain, continued rain; S ; snow; T, thunder; U, ugly, threatening appearance; Z, hazy. Forecast. The Government Meteorologist (Rev. D. C. Bates) supplied the following at noon to-day : —The indications are for southerly winds; the weather will probably prove squally, with heavy and cloudy to overcast; barometer unsteady, with, a rising tendency soon; sea rough; tides high. EXPECTED ARRIVALS. Breeze, from Wanganui, February 19.' Kotare, from Oamaru, February 19. Putiki, from Wellington, February 21. Poherua. from Westport, February' 22. John, from Wanganui direct, Feb. 22. Monowai, from Auckland, February 23. May Howard, from Auckland, Feb.* 23. , Storm, from Wanganui via ports, Feb 23. Corinna, from Wellington, February 24. Kittawa, from Westport, February 24. Kini, from Westport, February 24. Calm, from Wanganui via ports, Feb 25. Kaitn.ngata, from Auckland, Feb. 27. Himitangi, from Wellington, Mar. 5. Houto, sch., from Onehunga, Mar. 5. , PROJECTED DEPARTURES. Kini, for Westport, February 19. Breeze, for Wanganui via ports. Feb. 19. Kotare, for Bluff, Invercargill,' Feb.. 19. Putiki, for Wanganui via ports, Feb. 21. John, for Wanganui via ports, Feb. 22. Storm, for Wanganui via ports, Feb. 23. Poherua. for Oamaru, February 23. Monowai, for Auckland. February 25. Corinna, for New Plymouth, Fob. 25. Calm, for Wanganui,"via ports, Feb. 25. Kittawa, for "Westport, February 26. May Howard, for Invercargill, Feb. 28. Kaitangata, for Bluff, February 28. Himitangi, for Campbell Islands, Mar. 6. The Breeze has been delayed at Lyttelton by bad weather. The vessel is expected to leave the Canterbury port today for Dunedin. She should arrive here to-morrow, and is now fixed to sail tomorrow night for Timaru, Lyttelton, Wellington, and Wanganui. Telegraphic advice received from Greymouth states that the weather "is fine there to-day, with easterly winds. A moderate sea is running on the bar. The Kahika left Greymouth this afternoon for Westport to complete her loading of coal for Lyttelton. The Corinna, which was delayed at Timaru last week-end owing to bad weather, arrived at Lyttelton at 6.45 a.m. yesterday. She will leave the Canterbury port this evening for Wellington, Nelson, and New Plymouth. The To Anau arrived at Lyttelton at noon on Saturday with a load of sheep from Tokomaru Bay. She left the Canterbury port at 7 p.m. the same day for Wellington _to bunker. The vessel will leave Wellington to-day for Napier to load sheen again for Lyttelton. The collier Komata arrived at Wellington early this morning with a cargo of coal from Westport. The coastal steamer John was delayed at Oamaru on Friday last by bad weather. She was due at Lyttelton yesterday, and is to leave the Canterbury port to-day for Wellington and Wanganui. The Kini was delayed in the discharge of her coal cargo at Port Chalmers on Saturday by rain. She is now fixed to sail to-morrow for Westport. where she will load another cargo of coal for Port Chalmers. The Kokiri arrived at Wellington at 7 a.m. to-day from Westport. She is expected to sail to-morrow for Westport, where she will load coal again for Welling ton. The Kaituna arrived at Westport at 6 a.m. to-day from Wellington. She is now loading a cargo of coal'tor discharge at Napier, Gisborne, and Auckland. The Kamona arrived at Napier at 7 a.m. on Saturday from Westport and Wellington. She is fixed to leave the Hawke's Bay port on Wednesday with general cargo for Wellington. . A moderate sea is running on the Westport bar to-day. The Rosamond, which is at present discharging general cargo at Napier from South Island ports, is expected to leave the Hawke's Bay port to-night for Gisborne to complete her discharge. She will afterwards go to Wellington to load general cargo for Auckland. The Kowhai arrived at Wellington at 1.30 p.m. yesterday from Greymouth. After discharging her coal cargo, she will return to Greymouth to load again for Wellington. The Kittawa arrived at Wellington at 7 p.m. yesterday from Westport. She is expected to sail to-morrow for Westport, where she will load a cargo of coal for Dunedin. A slight mishap occurred to the Maori's engines on the trip from Lyttelton to Wellington on Saturday night. The veseel was considerably delayed, and did not reach Wellington until noon yesterday, about five hours late. After discharging a cargo of coal at Lyttelton this week from the West Coast, the Kahika will proceed to Greymouth, where she will load coal for Oamaru, ans Dunedin. The Monowai is fixed- to leave Auckland to-day for Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin. She is due here on Saturday next. The Poherua, which arrived at Greymouth on Saturday afternoon from Dunedin, is expected "to leave there to-day for Westport to complete her loading of coal for Port Chalmers apd Quu&ru.

With the exception of the ferry steamers and the schooner Gisborne, Otago Harbor was practically clear of shipping during last week-end. It is some time since there was such a dearth of shipping at. this port. Several vessels are expected during the coming week. The Government steamer Hinemoa was expected to leave Wellington this morning for Cook Strait lighthouses with provisions, etc. She will be away about 10 days. The excise duties collected at the port of Wellington during the year 1917 amounted to £27,956, as against £23,780 for the year 1916. Captain James Irvine, of the New Zealand, Refrigerating Co.'s lighters at Wanganui, brought the Huia from that port to Wellington last Thursday in place of Captain S". Thorns, who is in Wanganui Hospital. For the purpose of expediting merchant shipbuilding and the production of standard ships (says a London paper), inland engineering centres are undertaking to manufacture portions of ships of maximum dimensions, which transportable by railways, thus avoiding the setting up of new machinery and the extension of national and private shipyards. A beginning has been made at Darlington. _ The secretary of the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union informed the Wellington Third Military Service Board lastTuesday that the watersiders worked from 7 o'clock in the morning bill 10 o'clock at night, and sometimes longer. He r.dded tha/t there was no industry in New Zealand or the Old Country where the conditions wove similar. A seaman named Norman M'Lean was called before the Third Wellington Military Service Board. last Tuesday, as he had not carried out the conditions on whi'-h his appeal was adjourned. Mr W. T. Young, who appeared for M'Lean, produced'data to show that he had been employed on a number of vessels. The police information before the board, however, showed that out of 172 days, M'Lean ■had only been at sea. for 72. Captain Baldwin said he had information that M'Lean was in Class B. and his appeal w;is allowed, RUMORED ADVANCE IN FARES. A Press Association cablegram from London states that several mailboat companies will shortly advance their passenger fares, including those to Australasia. The above message was submitted to local managers of oversea shipping companies in Dunedin to-day, who replied that they had received, no information whatever in regard to the rraposed increase of fares. HUDDART-PARKER. AND HOWARDSMITH LINES. It was ascertained from inquiries made locally on Saturday in regard to the reported negotiations between the HuddartParker Company and the Howard-Smith Company, of Melbourne, in connection .with the proposal to amalgamate the two companies, that, apart from the cable message from Melbourne, nothing was known of the matter which would justify any speculation on the probable outcome of the negotiations. It is interesting to record that in the balance-sheet published by the _ Howard-Smith Company on the assets side no mention is made "of ships, but instead of ships their assets are represented by shares in other companies to the extent of nearly £2.000.000 paid-up capital. The Hud dart-Parker tonnage besales recently effected totalled 54.000. and comprised about six passenger steamers, throe occan-coing tugs, mid six or seven =cargo boats. ' The Dunedin manager of the Huddart-Parker Company, when spoken to on the sbject. said the cable from Melbourne was'the first intimation he had received of any negotiations on the question of amalgamation between the two companies. , THE SCHOONER. HUANUI. It now transpires that at present the auxiliary schooner Huanui will remain the propertv of Messrs Jaeger and Harvey, of Auckland ._ although the sale of the vessel to a Tahitian firm was reported a few days ago. The Huanui, after being fitted with a new fore-mast, top-mast, and gaff, is expected to get away from Wellington to-day for Lvttelton with timber from Onehunga. The vessel will return subsequently to Onehunga, where she will again load timber for Lvttelton. NEW LIGHT FOR FRENCH PASS. Evidence that the Minister of Marine (Hon. T. M. Wilford) is taking keen interest in the representations made to him in Nelson regarding the urgencv of a lisht on the Chetwode Islands fsavs the Nelson 'Mail'), is furnished bv the following telegram sent to Mr Win. Rogers, manager of the Anchor Shipping Company, from Picton last Tuesday afternoon :—" Pateena stood in to Okuri Light (this side of French Pa's). Captain agrees with your suggestion, and believes that a similar light on Ninepins would meet the \vhole"diffi.culty." IN THE EARLY DAYS. It was stated a few days ago in the Wellington ' Evening Post,' in answer to a- correspondent, that no particulars cf the ship Atrato were available. Since then it has been found that a vessel bv the name of the Atrato arrived at Port Chalmers about June 14. 1874. carrying, it is stated, the greatest number of immigrants ever brought to New Zealand. The vessel was of 2,G00 tons—a large ship in those days—and was chartered by the Shaw, Savill Co., Ltd., she being previously _ employed as a tea-clipper. While passing through the Bay of Biscay tho Atrato met with a mishap, and had to put back to Plymouth, where she remained for a. month. One of the. Atrnto's passengers was Mr Henry Hall, now residing at 16 Hall street, * Newtown, Wellington. RECORD HIGH TIDE AT AUCKLAND. An exceptionally high tide was experienced in Auckland Harbor last Thursday morning at about 9.30, the water reaching practically to the top of the now launch steps at the reclamation (says tho ' Star') Some rather high tides have been noticed in Auckland during the last few weeks, but the one on Thursday morning was something in the way of a' record, no such tide having been experienced in Auckland Harbor for over 40 years. Passengers bv the numerous ferry boats and other vessels were confronted with rather a difficult task when the boats tied, up at the wharves and the gangway pointed up in the air at a rather nervous angle, but all the vessels landed their 'passengers without much trouble. / REDUCING SHIPS STORES. Owing to the necessity at the present time of economising in food supplies (says Fairplay'), the Ministry of. Food are issuing regulations which will tend to reduce ships' stores supplied to British, Allied, and neutral vessels in this country to an absolute minimum, while British owners are to be requested to take as much on board at foreign ports as possible; any surplus to be handed over to the authorities at cost price; -while, if such stores are required for another vessel _ of the same line at another port, facilities will be afforded by the Customs authorities to have them sent there, in I order to reduce the quantity to be purcha*«i aa 4km country, j

MEN AFLOAT AND ASHORE. Mr L. H. Jones has succeeded Mr C. il Brown as wireless operator of ths Mararoa. Mr M'Gregor has joined the Mararoa aa second engineer, in place of Mr Tennant, who is on holiday leave. Lieutenant A. F. Watchlh, R.N.R., formerly master of the Union .Company's tug lerawluti, who has been on service with the Navy for. three years, is ing to New Zealand on four months* leave. He served at the landing at Galiipoli, and was in the Mediterranean for a considerable time. Returning to England at the end of last year, he was appointed Assistant King's Harbormaster at Scarborough. SHIPPING- TELEGRAMS. GREYMOUTH, February 16.-3 p.m., Poherua, from Dunedin. LYTTELTON, February 17.-9.25 a.m. Mararoa, from Wellington.

(For continuation see Late Shipping.)