SHIPPING IN 1920.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIVIII, Issue 17684, 20 January 1921, Page 6

SHIPPING IN 1920.

♦ DOMINION'S LARGEST PORTS. WHERE AUCKLAND LEADS. An increase in the tonnage of shipping handled at the Port of Wellington during 1920 is shown by returns telegraphed by the Press Association. A total of 2711 vessels of 2,796,189 net tons, visited the port, compared -with 2796 vessels «f 2,459,243 net tons in 1919. The corresponding figures for the jf ort of Auckland were recently published. They showed a total of 5731 vessels, representing 1,927,851 net tons, compared with 5878 vessels of 1,528,739 tons in 1919. The volume of shipping at Wellington has increased by 12 per cent., while the Auckland returns show an increase of 25 per cent. A more interesting comparison of the shipping at the two ports will be possible when figures are available, showing the overseas and coastal shipping separately, but it is apparent from the records of previous years, that Auckland accommodates a greater volume of overseas chipping, both in number of vessels and tonnage, and a far greater number of coastal vessels than Wellington. In 1919, for instance, 246 vessels of 684,705 tons, were entered at Auckland, compared with 171 vessels of 518.995 tons at Wellington. .Coastwise traffic at Auckland amounted to 5827 vessels of 1,083,353 tons, compared with 2651 vessels of 1,692,338 tons, at Wellington. The greater tonnage of coastwise shipping at Wellington is Btrikmg; probably it is largely due to the daily incluson of the Welhngton-Lyfctelton ferry steamers. This explanation is confirmed by the fact that the returns for Lyttelton snow a similar disproportion—l4B6 vessels, with a tonnage of 1,260,036.