AUCKLAND'S BUSY PORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18342, 7 March 1923, Page 8

AUCKLAND'S BUSY PORT.

TEN LARGE VESSELS HERE. | —• '*$mttt RECORD LOADING TONNAGE, 1 LIFTING DOMINION PRODUCE A The waterfront at Auckland is very busy at present, as there are in a tt unsual number of vessels, some of a very* ;- large type. This morning, besides locaj' coasting vessels, there will be ten vessel '""■; - with a total gross tonnage of nearly ,','' 80,000 tons— at the wharves, a nQ § one, the Port Curtis, of 8286 tons, in th« '' 1 stream. At the Queen's Wharf there ij ; - ' I the Westmoreland, 9512 tons, the b- I Armagh, 12,269 tons, and the Royal Uafl '.:.''.■■"' i steamer Niagara, 13,415 tons. Berthed 'V I at the Central Wharf is the Waipori, 197$ : V I tons, the Kaiwarra, 3051 tons, the''Waj. .- | hora, 4638 tons, and the Marania, 6497 fl tons. The Piako, 8283 tons, and the '■'■'< '■■, Mahana, 11,796 tons, are at the King'g :: . Wharf. The Port Curtis will berth it*' the Queen's Wharf after the Niagara ; ; , sails at noon to-day. .',''; v . Six vessels, the Niagara, Armagh" v.; Westmoreland, Piako, Mahana, and Port . Curtis, are loading, and between them ' will take a large amount of New e £ fJS land produce to America, and England. It','Y is probably a record for so much loading - tonnage to be in a New Zealand port at'v ; : one time. ,j i Another noteworthy fact is that the ; i' : Niagara and Armagh are the two largest vessels owned in New Zealand, both be- ■>. longing to the Union Company. .The,■•>.'■ Niagara is, of course, a passenger liner; \r she is 524.7 ft. long, with a 66.3 ft. beam>4 and a 34.5 it. depth. The Armagh is a cargo steamer with a gross tonnage of J}; 1146 less than the Niagara. Her dime* : i sion& are: Length, 530.5 ft.; beam, 63ft. j'//depth, 39.9 ft. I INCREASES IN SHIPPING. ];j}i FIGURES FOR FEBRUARY. };V : There has been a marked increase in trade and shipping at the port of Auck.• "',.,' land during January and February, compared with that for the corresponding months of 1922, according to a. report>-J./ - submitted to the Auckland Harbour : v Board yesterday by the treasurer, Mr. '<■ ';,'■• H. B. Burnett. " -% \ The receipts for February amounted to;;;': £24,252, which was £4431 over those (■■■• j of February, 1922. The principal increases if ■: j were : Goods, wharfage (in port), £1186; pilotage, £580; port barges, £334; ship- ) ping wharfage, £660; crane dues, £743. iy'; For the two months the receipts were"': t £5134 in excess of the estimate. - V The receipts at Manukau for Februt'™ ~. amounted to £315, which was £107 less than those for February, 1922, and £12 ; . under the estimate. "*'-$-^'< An increase in the shipping entering and leaving the port of Auckland ■'■ last; - month, compared' with February, 1922, was shown on the harbour master's re- Yport. The arrivals included one ; Royal Mail. steamer, 10 overseas steamers, tUf|l| intercolonial or island steamers, one inter- '•' colonial sailer, 23 coastal steamers, !and;||l§| one trawler from England, together witft ; f||| 600 local coastal vessels, a grand total, including three warships, of 650 vessels, v-f; of 148,056 net tons. Compared, with the corresponding period of 3ast year, the .''*- large shipping shows : an increase of four vessels of 5306 net tons. /'. v v>V'v'...':' The departures consisted of one Royal ;.</:; Mail steamer, 15 overseas steamers, seven -ji intercolonial or island steamers, and 2£ | coastal steamers, together with 561 local f coastal vessels, making, with six warships, •', , ' a grand total of 615 vessels, of 190,928 '" , net tons. ...-;* • V f ', The arrivals at the port of Meijukau;'•; jfl consisted of 27 vessels .with an ageregat»"-;i(M of 8861 net tons, an ' increase 01* four f£ vessels of 1202 net tons, " compared with M February, 1922. The departures consisted , v-; of 26 vessels' of an aggregate of 8401 net . tons,' a decrease of one , vessel, bat an increase of 94: net tons.: . " ; '.: .^-Sijf ' -——==' \ '$»