MARINE DEPARTMENT REFORM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3102, 27 August 1913, Page 62

MARINE DEPARTMENT REFORM.

NEW STEAMER NEEDED. WELLINGTON, August 20. Tho annual report of the Marine Department was presented to the House to-day. Returns appended to the report show that at tho close of tho year there wore 242 sailing ships 6f 34,308 registered tonnage, and 374 steamships of 121,772 tons register, as against 244 sailing ships of 25.651 tons register, and 361 steamships of 114.173 tons register on December 31, 1911. The number of seamen and boys employed on board at the end of 1912 was 4983, as compared with 5268 at the. end of the previous year. During the year the casualties on or near tho coasts of New Zealand numbered 103. representing 45,001 tons register, as compared with 105 of 46.815 tons in the previous year. The number of lives lost was 33, as compared with two in the previous year. Included in tho lives lost are 25 being the master, officers, and crew of tho dredge Manchester, which left Wellington for Sydney on April 6, 1912, and which has not since been heard of. Referring to the Hinemoa, the Secretary for Marine (Mr 0. Allport) states; —‘‘She is now 37 years, old, and has been nearly all the time in use. Although she has been kept in a good state of repair she cannot be expected to last much longer: in fact, it would not be advisable now to send her to the southern islands, where very bad weather is sometimes met with. It would, in my opinion, be advisable to take a vote during the coming session for part of the cost of a now steamer, so that tenders may be invited and a contract for building one entered into. A steamer should be specially built for lighthouse and buoy work, with separate quarters for light keepers, but not much othe- passenger accommodation, and she should have a good cargo-carrying capacity.”