MARINE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1945-46

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1946 Session I, H-15

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1946 NEW ZEALAND

MARINE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1945-46

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency

Marine Department, Your Excellency,— . Wellington, 22nd July, 1946. I do myself the honour to transmit for Your Excellency's information the report of the Marine Department for the financial year ended the 31st March last. I have, &c., Jas. O'Brien, Minister of Marine. His Excellency the Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand.

REPORT

The Secretary, Marine Department, to the Hon. the Minister of Marine. Sir, — Marine Department, Wellington, 10th July, 1946. I have the honour to submit the annual report on the activities of the Marine Department for the year ended 31st March, 1946. I take this opportunity of placing on record the war activities of this Department, which could not be published for security reasons during the war years. They in themselves depict a war effort on behalf of all concerned which calls for special mention. SHIPBUILDING AND SHIP REPAIRS IN NEW ZEALAND, 1939-46 It would be wrong to say that ship-construction in New Zealand commenced during the last war period. It would be more correct to say that shipbuilding was rejuvenated with a vengeance. Ship-construction is not by any means a venture tied to the present century, as in the early days of New Zealand, wherever there was a kauri forest, there was a small shipbuilding effort on wooden vessels. Most of our earlier traders on the coast were built in New Zealand, and later, when good heart kauri became more scarce, very creditable units were constructed both in composite design (steel frame and wooden planking) and in all steel. The best examples of our composite built vessels are the ferry boats of the Ferry Co. at Auckland. In 1937 one of the present vehicular ferry boats was constructed with Diesel engines. Farther south the s.s. " Earnslaw," for Lake Wakatipu, was built by Messrs. John McGregor and Co. at Dunedin. The tug " Dunedin " was built by Messrs Stevenson and Cook at Port Chalmers in 1914, and the present motor-ship, " Hokitika," was built two years later by Messrs. John McGregor and Co. Many other examples could be quoted, but the above are given merely as an indication that small craft have been built in New Zealand right throughout the last century.

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In the early days of the war shipbuilding in its infancy was under the direction of the Hon. Minister of Marine, but it was soon apparent, as the industry was dependent on the supply of materials such as steel, that the Hon. Minister of Supply and Munitions was the appropriate authority, and this war industry was placed under that Minister, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan. Mr. Sullivan, with executives of the engineering industry, proceeded to Australia, procuring plans of suitable vessels and a supply of steel frames. The Minister was responsible for the whole of the programme thereafter and worked in close consultation with War Cabinet to ensure expedition of the work. In this connection, also, the Department received the fullest co-operation from Navy Office through Captain Bodell and Commander Earnshaw, through the Supply Department with Mr. G. H. Jackson as Director of Production, and through the Munitions Controllers, Squadron Leader Carter and Mr. W. Gr. Colquhoun. For the purpose of this report the shipbuilding programme will be divided into two distinct parts, the programme for New Zealand and that for the Americans. New Zealand Programme Soon after the commencement of the war in 1939 it was apparent that, despite the taking-up by Navy of most of the small cargo-vessels suitable for transforming into minesweepers, there was still a dearth of sufficient minesweeping craft to fully equip New Zealand for the war emergency. Later events proved the wisdom of our policy at this time. The major factor, however, was that minesweepers were required immediately, and ways and means had to be found for providing these at the shortest possible notice. Government set up a small Shipbuilding Committee with Mr. G. E. Breeze as Chairman, and associated with him were Mr. F. P. Walsh, President, Seamen's Union ; Mr. G. H. Jackson, later Director of Production ; Mr. G. A. Pascoe, Factory Controller ; a Navy representative; Squadron Leader Carter, Munitions Controller; and Mr. W. C. Smith as administrative officer. It was thought that vessels of the minesweeper-trawler class could be constructed of composite design, but the bottleneck occurred in connection with engines, which, although they could be, and were eventually, built in New Zealand, could not be constructed in a short space of time. Inspection was then made of five old condemned vessels, which were lying in the " Rotten Row " of Auckland, the property of the Northern Steam Ship Co., Ltd. It was ascertained that the engines of these vessels still had life in them, and after mature consideration it was agreed that composite hulls could be built and minesweepers engined with the engines from the condemned steamers. It was assumed that the old engines might have a five-year life, which, to all intents and purposes at that time, covered what was thought would be the duration of the war. Let me mention here that those three composite minesweepers were employed right up to the end of the war on their respective stations and still have sufficient life in them to permit, if need be, of their transformation as-trawlers. For incorporation in the minesweepers certain minor alterations had to be made in the engines and boilers. By this time plans and specifications of " Castle " type trawlers had been received from Admiralty. In at least one case the boilers had to be placed back to front to permit of their inclusion, and the general arrangement of the vessels, having regard to the difficulties of installing old engines in new hulls, was a feat of engineering of which the Survey Branch of the Marine Department will continue to be proud. Eventually these three minesweepers, the " Rimu," the " Hinau," and the " Manuka," were successfully constructed and launched. The major firms occupied on this work were Shipbuilders Ltd., Seagar Bros., Mason Bros. Engineering Co., Ltd., and Senior Foundry, Ltd. They were constructed on hastily improvised slipways at Auckland on foreshore sections kindly made available by the Devonport Steam Ferry Co., Ltd., and the Northern Steam Ship Co., Ltd.

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While these vessels were in progress an urgent appeal was received from NewZealand Navy and Admiralty for consideration of the construction of all-steel vessels, nine for New Zealand Navy and five for Admiralty (the latter five were eventually cancelled). Steel plates and frames were naturally at that period at a premium, but through the kind offices of the Broken Hill Pty., Ltd., Australia—whose country also had an enormous shipbuilding programme —sufficient steel was made available. We considered the construction of boilers in New Zealand, but this could not be brought about for the reason that the machine tools were not available in New Zealand to roll the plate of the required size and thickness. Boilers were eventually ordered from England, and in this connection, to expedite construction, the remainder of. the boilers, after the first two or three, were delivered from United Kingdom in a prefabricated condition, the balance of the work being performed here by New Zealand Railway Workshops at Woburn and by Messrs. Stevenson and Cook Engineering Co., Ltd., at Port Chalmers. Engine-construction also gave much food for thought, and it was considered that as Messrs. A. and G. Price at Thames had faithfully constructed many locomotive engines for New Zealand Railways—some of these still going strong —they could successfully attempt the construction of marine engines. Engine forgings were ordered from Australia, and the actual construction of the engines was satisfactorily carried out by Messrs. A. and G. Price at Thames, John McGregor and Co. at Dunedin, and by New Zealand Railway Workshops at Woburn. None of the engines so successfully constructed has given the slightest trace of trouble and are a lasting testimonial to the builders. Some of them will be propelling fishing-trawlers for many a year to come. At the same time as these new steel trawlers were under construction it was decided to build a further composite vessel at Auckland —the " Tawhai " —for special minesweeper work not connected with the usual trawling. This vessel was completed to steam-trial stage when the war finished, and has been sold to the UNRRA authorities for conversion in Auckland to a fishing unit for trawling purposes in Far Eastern waters. The principal dimensions of the minesweepers are — Length between perpendiculars .. .. 125 ft. Length overall . . .. .. .. 135 ft. Breadth .. .. .. .. 23 ft. 6 in. Depth moulded .. .. .. .. 13 ft. 6 in. Loaded displacement .. .. .. 612 tons. Engines .. .. .. .. 480 h.p. at 103 r.p.m. Speed .. .. .. .. 10 knots. One of the main features with a minesweeper is the provision of a powerful winch, being much bigger than those usually fitted on a trawler. These winches were built in New Zealand. They can handle 1,000 fathoms of 2J in. wire rope, exerting a pull of 2| tons at 300 ft. per minute. Naturally the order for nine or fourteen further steel minesweepers necessitated the construction of these units at points other than Auckland, where vessels were constructed by the firms previously concerned with the composite minesweepers. One vessel was constructed at Wellington by the Wellington Patent Slip Co., and seven at Port Chalmers by Stevenson and Cook Engineering Co., Ltd., who took over the area known as " Boiler Point " and within a few months had a thriving shipbuilding industry working at full pressure. The ease with which this somewhat waste land was levelled and brought to fruition as a shipbuilding-yard was one of the wonders of New Zealand's war effort and was due solely to the vision of Mr. James Fletcher (now Sir James Fletcher), whose firm at that time took over the establishment of Stevenson and Cook, Ltd. The programme for the construction of steel minesweepers was no sooner under way than the Marine Department was faced with another difficulty, in that Admiralty had requested consideration by New Zealand Government of the construction of twelve " Fairmile " patrol vessels for anti-submarine warfare.

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These vessels are 112 ft. long, with 17 ft. 10 in. beam and 4 ft. 10 in. draught. .They have a speed of 18jr knots, their loaded displacement being 80 tons. Arrangements were immediately made with the wooden-shipbuilding firms in Auckland, and by a combination of the smaller companies construction was commenced with twelve vessels as under, the foundation members being laid in January, 1942, and the twelve keels actually completed and in work by September, 1943 : Associated Boat Builders, Ltd. .. .. . . Four boats. Shipbuilders Ltd. .. .. .. .. Three boats. Chas. Bailey and Son, Ltd. .. .. .. Three boats. P. Yos, Ltd. .. .. .. .. .. Two boats. All the components necessary for the assembly of the hulls were imported from the Fairmile Co., England, excepting such members as keels, stems —in fact, all foundation members —and the whole of the deck planking. Kauri for these members was likely to become a bottleneck, but the Director, State Forest Service, did yeoman work in providing the timber required without any delay worth mentioning. About 14,000 ft of timber was required per ship. The propelling engines comprised two sets of Hall-Scott twelve-cylinder petrol units developing a maximum of 630 b.h.p. at 2,100 r.p.m., and with such big units fuel-tanks of bullet-proof construction were required on each .vessel for 2,320 gallons. This was work on which the shipwrighting tradesmen of Auckland were in their element, and although this construction was novel the vessels were completed in an average of 35,000 man-hours, compared with 40,700 man-hours per unit as the average time communicated to us by the Fairmile Co. At this time, also, the New Zealand Navy called for the construction of two nonpropelled steel oil-barges of similar design to a barge at that time being built for the Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand, Ltd. These barges are 180 ft. long by 36 ft. wide and 15 ft. 3 in. in moulded depth. They carry 1,400 tons of oil. Steel and the necessary auxiliary units were procured from Australia and the United Kingdom respectively, and one vessel was actually completed for Navy by the Wellington Patent Slip Co. The other barge was cancelled in the early stages of prefabrication, but has since been built by the Patent Slip Co. for the Union Steam Ship Co., and is now in use at Auckland. In addition to the above construction, approximately twenty-seven vessels of small dimensions were constructed through the Public Works Department to act as refuelling barges, crash launches, flare-path dinghies, &c., for air bases in New Zealand and in the nearby Pacific islands. Thus the construction for New Zealand requirements can be summarized as follows, with costs in round figures : For New Zealand Navy — £ Minesweepers, composite (4 at £60,000) .. .. 240,000 Minesweepers, steel (9 at £60,000).. .. .. 540,000 " Fairmile " anti-submarine vessels (12 at £35,000) . * 420,000 Steel oil-barge (1 at £50,000) .. .. .. 50,000 Small Vessels for R.N.Z.A.F., &c.— Refuelling barges, crash launches, flare-path dinghies, &c. (27) .. .. .. .. .. 20,000 £1,270,000 American Programme It was towards the end of 1942 that overtures were made by the American authorities as regards the likelihood of the construction of small craft for them for use in the Pacific area. At that stage, puckered up as we were with our own Navy construction programme, the answer to the question was definitely " No," but thanks

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to the vision of Mr. James Fletcher, who was then Commissioner for Defence Construction in New Zealand, thoughts were given as to what could be done outside the New Zealand programme by combining engineering and shipwrighting firms and hundreds •of other small engineering and woodworking workshops into syndicates for the construction of these small craft for America. New Zealand Government at once appointed Mr. James Fletcher as Controller of Shipbuilding with the organization of the Marine Department at his back, Mr. G. E. Breeze as Deputy Controller of Shipbuilding, and Mr. W. C. Smith as Chief Executive Officer of the Shipbuilding Division. Prefabrication was the theme for this project and almost the whole of the programme was completed in Auckland. American Army and Navy representatives in Colonels Warren and Dinkins (Army) and Commodore Jupp (Navy) were conjoined with the Controller of Shipbuilding, and at the culminating point as many as two hundred firms were at one and the same time employed in Auckland on the fabrication of parts for the American vessels, these being subsequently assembled at two new shipyards, one for steel ships at French Street and one for wooden ships at Fanshawe Street on the site on the foreshore previously occupied by the Kauri Timber Co. before the big fire. Shipyards a,nd buildings were constructed hastily, and suffice it to say that so great was the progress that eight 45 ft. wooden hulls could be run down the launching ways every five to six weeks, this in addition to work on powered lighters, steel tugs, &c., that were in the yards or at the other shipyard. Such a huge organization demanded the establishment of a subsidiary organization in Auckland. Executives of the shipbuilding firms were formed into an Allocation •Committee for the allocation of contracts and subcontracts, thus the builders themselves had a big part in the organization of the industry. Mention must be made of the work performed by Mr. R. C. Porter, who gratuitously gave his services in the same way as Mr. James Fletcher in organizing the industry in Auckland. Mr. N. Burnette, •of Fletcher Construction Co., was also made available full-time to the industry in a generous gesture by that firm. The American programme was divided into two parts, first the section required urgently for the American Army in the South-west Pacific, this portion being under the guidance of Colonel Max Warren, who subsequently proceeded to Australia, and later ■Colonel J. Dinkins. The second, or United States Navy portion of the programme, was sponsored in the early stages by Commodore Jupp, United States Navy, and later by Commander A. C. Bushey, jun., who did some sterling work in expediting the programme at a time when matters looked black in the Pacific. For the purpose of this report the American programme will be shown as one, and consisted of the following : £ Steel tug-boats, 75ft. (22 at £26,700) .. .. 587,400 Wooden tow-boats, 45 ft. (50 at £7,250) .. .. 362,500 Powered lighters, 114 ft. (15 at £71,400) .. .. 1,071,000 Barges, wood, prefabricated, 50 ft. (40 at £1,000) .. 40,000 Barges, wood, completed, 50 ft. (100 at £1,200) .. 120,000 Amphibian trailers, steel (100 at £270) .. .. 27,000 Wherries, wood, 12ft. and 14ft. (60 at £85).. .. 5,100 £2,213,000 The vessels completed for America can be briefly described as follows : The 45 ft. wooden tugs are of normal design, 45 ft. in length, with a 14 ft. beam and 7 ft. in depth. They are propelled by a Diesel engine of 120 b.h.p. In the main the planking and most of the wood was kauri, but frames are of beech, knees of pohutukawa, towing-posts and bitts are of hardwood, sheathing and false keel being of totara. The engines and the auxiliaries for these vessels were supplied by the American authorities.

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The 75 ft. sea-going tugs are of all-welded variety, 75 ft. 9 in. in length, 18 ft, moulded breadth, 9 ft. 11 in. depth, and engined with a single Diesel unit of 300 h.p. They are of the " hard chine " design, which, of course, lends itself to an all-welded construction. In the construction of these vessels a difficulty was experienced in obtaining a sufficient number of welders, but even this difficulty was overcome by the institution of a training school. After three or four weeks' tuition under an expert welder, trainees were then passed out for welding on the vessels, their work being carefully supervised by a thoroughly competent welder. The prefabrication of these vessels was a masterpiece, in that the hull was divided into three parts —the bow portion, the middle, and the stern. It was interesting during construction to see the bow portion being transported by road from the Railway Workshops at Otahuhu round about daylight so that interference with traffic would be at a minimum. These units were sea-going and, indeed, had some interesting trips across the Tasman under heavy weather, but have been most favourably commented on by all parties concerned. The 114 ft. powered lighters are a misnomer as far as New Zealand is concerned, in that they are virtually small cargo-vessels of 200 tons to 250 tons carrying-capacity. They are 114 ft. 6 in. in length, with a breadth of 24 ft. and moulded depth of lift. They are twin-engined, each unit of 208 b.h.p. Diesel. There is accommodation on board for nine officers and men, and the hull has four watertight bulkheads. Ten or so of these vessels were completed and sailed to the Pacific, being also very favourably commented on by every person concerned. When the war ceased, the balance of the American programme was cancelled, but four of these units were so near completion that it was decided to complete them for service on the New Zealand coast, where they should prove hardy little transports for coastal traffic. In addition to the American shipbuilding programme at Auckland, the Government shipyard at Port Chalmers, under the control of Stevenson and Cook Engineering Co., Ltd., also constructed two powered lighters, one of which proceeded to the Pacific and the other is now lying in an almost completed state afloat in the port. The other items in the American programme, although small in monetary value,, have their particular significance. The 140 wooden barges were constructed by a syndicate of coachbuilding firms in Christchurch and by Messrs. Love Construction Co. at Dunedin. When this order was received from the Americans it was imperative that firms outside the usual run of boatbuilding should participate in their construction. To the coachbuilders of Christchurch and to the building tradesmen of Dunedin a tribute should be paid for their expedition of work and efficiency. The wooden wherries are what are known to us as dinghies and were constructed in Auckland as a side-line by the boatbuilding firms. The American authorities also required 100 amphibian steel trailers. These are non-propelled and were constructed by the coachbuilding firms in Auckland and Christchurch. These also were required at very short notice and the operatives did a very good job of work. It would be fitting at this stage to pay a tribute to the operatives all over New Zealand who participated in any way in either the New Zealand Navy or American programmes of shipbuilding. Those who were skilled readily imparted their knowledge to the unskilled. What might be termed " diluted " labour was used extensively ; for instance, in Auckland hundreds of housebuilding carpenters were transferred to shipwrighting —an entirely different trade —and within a few months had become expert in their new industry. When the war finished, these men went back to their former occupations possessed with a thought that they had performed a splendid war work on ship-construction. Mention should also be made of the splendid work performed by the executive officers of the various engineering and shipwrighting firms. They are too numerous to mention individually, but all performed splendidly under difficult circumstances.

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Vessels for Western Pacific Administration Towards the end of the shipbuilding programme the High Commissioner for the* Western Pacific placed an order for five special-purpose wooden vessels for servicing the Pacific islands. They were 60 ft. long with a gross tonnage of 58 tons and propelled by a Gardner four-cylinder Diesel engine of 102 b.h.p. They were well equipped and had a speed loaded of 8 knots. Vessels for Eastern Group Supply Council Towards the end of the programme also and at the completion of the fifty 45 ft. wooden tugs for the Americans, the British Ministry of War Transport placed an order for twenty-four similar tugs for use in Eastern Group countries. At the present time twelve of these are almost completed, and the balance of twelve was cancelled by the Authorities. These vessels were identically similar to the American vessels and were propelled by " Atlas " Diesel engines of 120 b.h.p. Ship Repairs One must not imagine that the full labour quota —approximately 4,000 men — was always available for ship-construction. The ship-construction industry provided ■a nucleus of labour for ship repairs in New Zealand, on which our war effort was no less outstanding than on that of shipbuilding. A large influx of American vessels, plus some units of the British Pacific Fleet, made it necessary to allocate all usage of slips and -docks through a Central Docking and Repairs Committee at Wellington, consisting of representatives of the shipping companies together with Navy and Marine Departments, also the New Zealand representative of the British Ministry of War Transport, Sir Alex. Roberts. This Committee was instituted to ensure that dockings were scheduled in such a way as to give a minimum of delay in all cases and to facilitate the quick turn round of vessels carrying food to the United Kingdom and to the troops, both British and American, in the Pacific. A Ship Repairs Costing Service was instituted under the Marine Department, this providing full supervision of the work to ensure that only the most necessary work was given effect to owing to shortage of materials and to check up •on actual cost of repairs to each vessel. The total ship-repairs programme undertaken by the Ship Repairs Costing Service is indicated in the following expenditure on shipxepair work as from Ist January, 1944, to 15th August, 1945 : For New Zealand requirements — £ s. d. £ s. d. Navy .. .. .. 218,343 10 9 Other vessels .. .. 249,208 15 6 467,552 6 3 For U.S.A. requirements— U.S.J.P.B. .. .. 677,313 16 9 War Shipping Administration 12,055 4 5 689,369 1 2 £1,156,921 7 5 The colossal ship-repair work carried out during the war years was a splendid effort and was assisted by the co-operation of Commander A. C. Bushey, United States Navy, the U.S.J.P.B. in Wellington, and the representative of the War Shipping Administration. The New Zealand work was very ably organized as for Navy work by Captain Bodell (New Zealand Navy) and by the Survey Staff of the Marine Department under Mr. G. E. Breeze, Chief Surveyor of Ships. Many of our ship-repair jobs during the war have been praised by the various shipping authorities. Notable amongst these were the " Fordsdale," which required five refrigerated holds completely dismantled, retimbered, and reinsulated, also the

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U.S.S. " John Deere," which was made the subject of tremendous repairs at Port Chalmers. The Netherlands East Indies vessel, " Khoen Hoea," also underwent extensive repairs in Lyttelton ; and the repairs carried out on the " Trocas " at Auckland call for special mention. United States Appreciation Rear-Admiral E. W. Mills, United States Navy, Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Ships, Washington, wrote in a letter that the Bureau noted with pleasure the many expressions of satisfaction received from the commanding officers of naval vessels undergoing repairs in New Zealand. The high quality of workmanship, the expeditious completion of important repairs, the excellent co-operation existing between United States naval activities, New Zealand governmental agencies, and civilian contractors were most useful contributions to ship-maintenance in the area. The Chief of the Bureau of Ships desired to express his appreciation for the uniformly excellent results achieved in ship-maintenance at Auckland and in the New Zealand area. This report touches the fringe only of our ship-repair and shipbuilding industry during the World War 11, but is an attempt to place on record an outstanding achievement. VESSELS CHARTERED AND PURCHASED FOR DEFENCE PURPOSES BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT At the outbreak of war it was found that the vessels then under the control of the Navy Department were insufficient for its wartime needs. Vessels of all types were required, ranging from small private launches to sea-going cargo-carriers, and the Marine Department was brought into the picture for the purpose of inspecting and valuing the various craft required by the Navy. The inspections and valuations were carried out from one end of New Zealand to the other and hundreds of craft were inspected and rejected, the cause of rejection ranging from unsuitability for the purpose in view to unseaworthiness and old age. On some few occasions the Navy Department inspected and requested the requisitioning of their own craft, but, apart from a few barges and other similar craft, all requisitioned vessels were passed for service by this Department. After the vessels had been inspected; various alterations were found necessary to fit them for the work, and such alterations were supervised by the Department's Surveyors of Ships, and in many cases the vessels were placed in commission after extensive repairs and renovations had been carried out. The value of the vessels requisitioned ranged from £2OO to, in some cases, more than £lOO,OOO. There were two forms of requisitioning, one being requisitioning for purchase, whilst the other was requisitioning for charter. Many cases of hardship were placed before the Department, and, wherever possible, alternative arrangements were made, with the result that as little dislocation of normal trade as possible was encountered. The uses to which the vessels were put were many and varied and their spheres of activity were widely spaced, some being used in New Zealand waters, some in the forward bases at the islands, and the dredge owned by the Lyttelton Harbour Board was requisitioned under charter for the purpose of work to be carried out in the Middle East. This vessel was ready for despatch when Japan commenced hostilities, and owing to the danger of a trip through hostile waters the charter was cancelled and the vessel did not leave New Zealand waters. It was also intended to send the crane-ship " Rapaki " overseas, but in view of developments this trip did not eventuate, although the vessel actually made a start on her long voyage. This vessel was eventually chartered for the American authorities and spent many useful months in the Pacific.

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Among the many uses previously mentioned, the vessels were used for lightering stores, boom defence, examination ships, harbour patrol, defence surveys of the Sounds, cargo-carrying, hospital ships, and many other types of work. In all, the Department was responsible for the purchase of 138 vessels, with a value amounting to £484,175. Chartered vessels numbered 53, with a total replacement value of £1,114,440. After the vessels had finished their period of usefulness to the Navy in terms of the charter parties, it was necessary to bring them back to the condition in which they were delivered, less, of course, an allowance for fair wear-and-tear, with the result that the Department's officers were kept busily engaged in inspecting and evaluating work done and to be done. Three very big jobs were carried out under the control of departmental officers as a result of charters, they being the " Breeze," on which repairs to the value of £31,854 were carried out, the " Gale" £28,371, and the " Futurist" £13,702. The Marine Department's lighthouse tender vessel " Matai " was also loaned to the Navy, with the result that alterations and repairs to the value of £16,549 were necessary on her return to the Department. Even the small launches used in harbour-patrol work required considerable sums of money to be spent on them before returning to their owners, and the efforts of the departmental officers resulted in sums considerably lower than those demanded by the owners being spent. Although all the work involved in the valuation and supervision of alterations was additional to peacetime requirements, no additional staff was available and the work was carried out promptly and efficiently by the Chief Surveyor and his staff. RECOVERY OF GOLD FROM " NIAGARA " On 19th June, 1940, the Royal Mail Steamer " Niagara " struck a German mine and in one hour forty minutes had gone to the bottom of the ocean thirty miles from Bream Head, at the entrance to Whangarei Harbour. Although during the war many vessels struck mines and sank and many others were sunk by other enemy action, the sinking of the " Niagara " is noteworthy by reason of the fact that she had on board at the time £2,495,700 worth of gold bullion, and this fact was responsible for an epic of the sea in that £2,397,000 worth of bullion was salvaged from a depth of 436 ft. below the surface, a depth at which successful salvage had never before been carried out. On 4th September, 1940, the Prime Minister of Australia requested the New Zealand Government to assist the accredited agents of the Commonwealth Bank in salvage operations which were to commence in the near future, and was assured by the Prime Minister of New Zealand that the desired co-operation would be given. Captain J. P. Williams, managing director of the United Salvage Proprietary, Sydney, was accredited to the New Zealand Government as the controlling officer of the salvage operations, and in this capacity Captain Williams investigated the possibility of chartering a salvage vessel. At this period lying in Auckland Harbour was the old s.s. " Claymore," which had been purchased by the Crown for the purpose of dismantling and retrieving such parts as would be useful in the construction of minesweepers. The " Claymore " had been on the coastal run in the North Island for some considerable time, and since she had been laid up for a lengthy period was in a very dilapidated condition. In fact, her condition was so bad that after salvage operations had been successfully concluded she had her hull entirely replated and was then used by the Navy in Auckland Harbour on boom-defence work. However, the condition of the ship did not deter Captain Williams, and with the co-operation of the Marine Department he chartered the vessel for the sum of £250 for six months and then commenced the job of making her fit for the arduous task in hand. As the salvage operations were to be carried out in areas known to be mined,

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it was necessary for Captain Williams to take out insurance cover for normal ship work in addition to war-risk insurance, and the condition of the " Claymore " can be judged when it is known that the cover in each case amounted to no more than £2,000, although in the first instance it had been decided to insure her for £l,OOO. On 14th December, 1940, Captain Williams advised the Marine Department that the " Claymore " was on the job and sweeps were about to be put over. Prior to this, however, a good deal of work had been put in on the job of strengthening and furnishing the " Claymore." Furnishing such as bedding, cutlery, and other small items were hired by the Navy Department to " Claymore " at the request of the Marine Department. Arrangements had also been made for minesweepers to mark off part of the area to enable the " Claymore " to carry out her sweeping operations with some degree of safety from mines. In spite of these precautions, however, it was later found that the " Claymore " had on numerous occasions passed over enemy-sown mines many times, it being only her light draught which saved her from the same fate as that which met the " Niagara." ' On 12th February the Marine Department was advised that the wreck had been located and that it had a heavy list, being buried to within 10 ft. of the main deck in the mud. From then on Captain Williams advised the Department of his progress,, and in spite of very bad weather which limited the capabilities of the salvage party to one working-day per week, very satisfactory progress was made. On 11th August a letter was received by the Secretary of the Marine Department from a firm of solicitors in Auckland requesting details on behalf of the proposed salvage syndicate, the writer stating that he was informed that Captain Williams' project was doomed to failure. The Secretary of the Marine Department advised the inquirer that the party in possession of the " Niagara " were the accredited agents of the owners of the bullion and therefore the only ones allowed to operate. At last, on 25th October, Captain Williams wrote to the Department and advised it that he had delivered to the bank £150,000 worth of bullion, this bullion being salvaged by grabs, the largest of which measured 3 ft., through an opening 4 ft. by 8 ft. r it having been necessary to blow away three decks before this opening could be made. A rather disturbing cable arrived at this time stating that an Australian newspaper correspondent in London had telegraphed a comprehensive story to Australia covering the whole of the salvage operations. This story, although passed by the London censor, was stopped by the Australian authorities and all possible precautions were taken to prevent leakage of the story overseas or its publication in New Zealand. Shortly after this, fears: for the safety of the operations through the publication of the story in London were allayed by advice from the Admiralty that the story had not been published in any English papers and that a stop against publication had been issued by the Censorship authorities. On 27th October the Minister of Marine received a letter from a person in Australia who was interested in some way in a new diving-dress requesting advice as to whether or not the salvage party had reached the gold, but, of course, the information requested was not given. By 16th November approximately 60 per cent, of the total bullion had been delivered to the bank, and on 7th December, 1941, the last bar, twisted and torn by the grabs, was hauled on board the " Claymore," this last bar bringing the total recovered to £2,397,000. The salvage operations being over, Captain Williams wasted no time in returning the vessel to the Government after removing from it the heavy salvage gear imported from Australia. Among this gear was the specially designed diving-bell from which Diver J. Johnston and his brother directed operations. This bell was necessary, as it was impossible for a diver to descend to the depth at which the " Niagara " lay in the standard rubber diving-suit. Throughout the operations danger was encountered by the divers and

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by the ship from mines caught in the sweeps and drags, and throughout the period minesweepers of the Royal New Zealand Navy destroyed forty-one mines which would have menaced the safety of the ship and personnel. It was not until February of 1942 that any news of the story was published, and with the publication of the full story in the papers throughout New Zealand and, in fact, throughout the world ended one of the most secret operations carried out in New Zealand. LIGHTS AND BEACONS To the layman there will always be something romantic about a lighthouse. Something remote and mysterious which appeals to the casual passer-by seems to have been built into the towering structure from the top of which the welcoming light sends its encouraging gleams across the moody seas to the ultimate comfort and assistance of the ships' navigators. To the keepers and to the Department, lighthouses mean something entirely •different: to them there is no romance and still less mystery, especially in time of war. New Zealand, with its rocky, cliff-bound coasts, has many lighthouses, some with resident keepers who live within comparatively easy reach of coastal towns and cities, while on remote headlands and surf-bound islets there are others who live as a small community in a solitude broken in peacetime by the regular visits of the Government lighthouse vessel with its welcome cargo of amenities and comforts of all kinds. Unfortunately, when peace goes it takes with it most of those things which go a long way towards making life on a lighthouse reasonably happy. Gone are the regular visits with their exchange of gossip and gleanings of news from outside, gone also are the regular mails and stores, and in their place come uncertainty and additional hard work. In 1937 the first taste of what was to come soured on the palates of principal keepers of lighthouses in the territory controlled by the Marine Department when letters were received with orders relating to the extinguishing of the lights in an event of an -emergency. At .this time, also, Harbour Boards were requested to co-operate in the advising of keepers and in the extinguishing of automatic lights. In 1938 once again the whole emergency procedure was brought to life when keepers were given further instructions relating to the extinguishing of their lights and the institution of a continuous coast-watch. At this time, also, instructions were given that arrangements made with various vessels regarding radio D.F. signals were to be ■cancelled. Then at last the long-dreaded moment arrived, and in 1939 all Government services were on a war footing ; but the lights still shone. At this stage keepers were advised that they may be ordered to extinguish the lights and that a continuous watch was to be kept for signals from the naval officer in charge of their territory. At the outbreak of war some few lighthouses not connected with telephone were supplied with radio receivers, while on some stations naval and Army detachments were encamped for the purpose of coast-watching. On the 15th December, 1939, the lights of Suva Harbour were extinguished until further notice, and before long many of the lights on the New Zealand coast went out for varying periods, while most of those remaining were shown at about half power only. In reply to a telegram instructing him to extinguish the Matakawa automatic light, Mr. E. T. Hughes, of Hicks Bay, replied : " Require key of Matakawa Lighthouse urgently instructions for 23rd December will be carried out irrespective. E. T. Hughes." The Matakawa light was put out on the 23rd December as required.

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Another light which would have been of great assistance to an enemy raider in fixing his position was the North Cape light, and instructions were given to the FisheriesInspector of the Department at Russell that this light must be out on the night of the 23rd December. Although this officer is not in the lighthouse service, his report is an epitome of the spirit of loyalty and a story well worthy of inclusion in the annals of theDepartment. In December, 1940, the lights at Mokohinau, Cuvier Island, Gable Islet, Honeycomb,. Separation Point, Le Bons, St. Annes Point, Puysegur Point, and North Cape were closed down for the duration of the war or the period of the state of emergency,, and in so far as the Mokohinau station was concerned the keepers were withdrawn.. The light at the Chickens was extinguished and replaced by a light on Taranga (Hen) Islet, while the light on the top of the wireless mast at the Chathams was extinguished and later was exhibited only at the request of vessels known to be arriving. In reference to this light it is interesting to note that the " Port Waikato," which recently lay off" the Chathams with a broken shaft, was instrumental in having the light exhibited for a period of thirty-six hours prior to the expected arrival of vessels at the port because of her arrival in February, 1944, a day earlier than she was expected. It seems that the vessel was, as mentioned, a day early and was attempting to make harbour without the aid of the light when just before she made the break she found herself uncomfortably close to the reef. After this representations were made to the Department and to the Navy, with the result that the period of lighting was extended to thirty-six hours prior to the expected arrival. A test of the blackout of coastal lights was carried out in February, 1941, and it wasfound that with few exceptions the lights could be extinguished within fifteen minutesThose which took longer were, when such action did not endanger shipping, extinguished for the period of the emergency. In addition to their many normal lighthouse duties, the keepers were required tocarry out coast-watching and radio watching duties, thus adding to the severe strain towhich the reduction in power of their lights had already placed upon them. Meteorological reports and data had to be prepared and transmitted to the appropriate authorities and details of any suspicious vessels noted and forwarded to the Navy. All" these duties meant that the watchkeeper had to be continually on the alert and ready at any time to note any peculiar circumstances which may or may not have been of importance ; in addition, the stores position in some of the more remote stationsat times caused great anxiety owing to the non-availability of the " Matai" and the lighthouses' dependence on small craft for the conveyance of necessities. When the " Matai " was withdrawn from the lighthouse service the Department was faced with the job of servicing the lights by other means, with the result that island lights were supplied by small coastal launches, while the land stations were supplied by road: Many of the land stations were, by the very nature of their location, cut off from road transport and supplies had to come in on the backs of packhorses, and at times for the last portion of the journey heavy loads were manhandled over rough terrain by the keepers. It can be understood that as many of the automatic lights were extinguished by inexperienced persons it was possible that valuable- equipment may have been inadvertently harmed and, in any case, without regular maintenance deterioration would rapidly take place, so in the early part of 1942 the Department arranged for inspection and overhaul by Public Works mechanicians. The value placed on the lights by seafarers was demonstrated in March, 1944, when the organization representing fishermen plying out of Bluff wrote asking if the light at Pegasus Harbour, Stewart Island, could be re-established, as it was of great assistance to the fisherman in finding their bearings ; as a result of these representations the light at Pearl Island was re-established. From then on, as the menace of surface and submarine raiders became more remote, more and more lights and radio beacons were re-established until in August, 1945, practically all were back on their full pre-war power.

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Until all the minefields in the Hauraki Gulf are cleared up it is possible that the lights and radio beacons on Mokohinau and Cuvier Island will remain extinguished, otherwise vessels would be guided into danger by the light instead of into safe channels. With the closing of the approaches to Auckland via the Mokohinau and Cuvier channels, alternate routes were lighted so that vessels would be clear of the minefields. VESSELS CHARTERED Of the 191 ships purchased or chartered, fifty-five were trading ships, thirty-seven of which were in use by the New Zealand Services and eighteen by the American authorities. One hundred and forty-eight of these vessels were actually manned by New Zealanders. STEAMSHIPS " BALTANNIC " AND " BALTRAFFIC " In the early stages of the war it was realized that it was vital to get our produce to the United Kingdom in the quickest possible manner, and to assist in this direction the Ministry of War Transport, England, loaned these ships to New Zealand. These two ships have refrigerated accommodation space, and were used extensively from early 1941 to convey refrigerated cargo from the minor ports to the major ports, principally Wellington and Auckland. By this means the larger overseas ships were able to make a quicker turn round, in that they omitted calling at the minor ports and concentrated their loading at the major ports. The whole expense of bringing these ships to New Zealand, running-expenses while in this Dominion, and cost of returning them to the United Kingdom is borne by the Ministry of War Transport. NEW ZEALAND SHIPS LOST BY ENEMY ACTION During the war period five ships the crews of which were on New Zealand articles of agreement were lost as the result of enemy action, but fortunately the loss of life was small—namely, nine. Of these nine, four lost their lives when their ships were torpedoed and the other five died while prisoners of war in Japanese hands. " Holm wood " A steel ship of 546 gross tons, built at Goole, England, in the year 1911, came out to New Zealand early in 1923 for the Westland Shipping Co. and was engaged for some years in conveying coal and timber from west coast ports. Later she made periodical voyages to the Chatham Islands. This ship was acquired by Holm and Co., Ltd., in August, 1940, and it was while she was on her second voyage to the Chatham Islands for her new owners that the ship was captured and sunk by a German raider on the 24th November, 1940. The crew and passengers totalling twenty-nine were taken aboard the raider and were eventually landed at the small island of Emirau, in the Bismarck Group, after the members of the crew had signed an undertaking not to serve on defensively armed ships and the male passengers had agreed not to bear arms nor undertake military action against Germany or her allies during hostilities. The crew and passengers were eventually rescued from the island by an Australian ship, which landed them at Sydney on the 6th January, 1941. The crew and passengers were conveyed from Sydney on the American ship " Mariposa," and landed at Auckland on the 13th January, 1941. The " Holmwood " was the first New Zealand ship captured and destroyed by the enemy, but fortunately no lives were lost. " Komata " A modern steel cargo-ship of 3,900 gross tons, built at Glasgow in the year 1938 to the order of the Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand, Ltd., was the second New Zealand ship lost as the result of enemy action, off Nauru Island. At 9 a.m. on the Bth December, 1940, a ship was sighted which appeared to be a Japanese ship of about

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8,000 tons accompanied by a smaller ship which had a Japanese flag painted on her side and which looked like an innocent merchant ship. The larger ship bore straight on to the " Komata," sending out a signal " Stop and do not use your wireless," but the master of the " Komata " ordered the wireless operator to send out a signal. However, before this could be accomplished the raider sent a shell crashing through the bows of the " Komata," and the next shell shattered the wireless masts and equipment. Another shell crashed on the bridge, killing the first mate and severely wounding the second mate, who later died of wounds on the raider. The crew were taken aboard the raider, eventually landed at Emirau Island, and released on the same conditions as the crew of the " Holmwood " stated above. The survivors were eventually conveyed to Sydney and brought to New Zealand by the " Maunganui," which arrived at Wellington on 18th January, 1941. " Hauraki " This was the third New Zealand ship lost as the result of enemy, action. The " Hauraki" was a steel motor-ship of 7,113 gross tons built at Dumbarton in the year 1922 to the order of the Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand, Ltd., and arrived in New Zealand on her maiden voyage in June, 1922. At the time of launching, this ship was one of the largest motor-ships afloat, her engines developing 3,500 b.h.p., and she created a great deal of interest among the shipping world on arrival. During the whole of her career the ship was engaged mainly in trading between New Zealand, Australia, and NOTth American west coast ports. On the 23rd July, 1940, the ship was taken over by the Ministry of War Transport, and while so employed by that Department she was captured by two armed Japanese raiders while en route from Freemantle to Colombo in the Indian Ocean on the evening of the 12th July, 1942. The Japanese placed a prize crew on board and ordered the ship to proceed to Penang. Before the enemy boarded the ship much of the secret documents, mail, &c., was dumped overboard, but later it was discovered that a certain amount of secret Navy mail (nine bags) located in a locker at the after end of No. 2 hold had not been disposed of. By feigning sickness the second officer, Mr. A. F. Mclntyre, was allowed a good deal of latitude, thus lulling the Japanese suspicions, and finally in the early hours of one morning he was able to get into the locker and perform the hazardous task of disposing of this secret Navy mail, notwithstanding the Japanese warning that any one found near the hatches would be shot or beheaded. Mr. Mclntyre was ably assisted by the chief engineer, Mr. W. C. Falconer, who received the mail at the hatch and assisted in dumping it or hiding it until an opportunity occurred to dispose of it. The chief engineer also pumped a quantity of oil overboard each night in the hope that it would leave a trail whereby they could be traced by a rescuing ship. He also disposed of all plans, specifications, and as many spare parts as possible. When the ship arrived at Singapore the master, chief officer, chief engineer, and senior radio officer were taken off the "Hauraki" and sent to Yokohama by transport. The majority of the crew were also taken off and interned in Changi Prison Camp, but the engineers and a few other ratings were kept on board the ship until she reached Japan some time in January, 1943, and were later interned in a Tokio Camp. The whole crew, with the exception of five who died while prisoners of war, were safely repatriated to their homes during September and October, 1945. " Awatea " The " Awatea," of 13,482 gross tons, built at Barrow-in-Furness in the year 1936 to the order of the Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand, Ltd., was the fourth ship lost through enemy action. The " Awatea " was a modern steel steamship with accommodation for 528 passengers, arrived in New Zealand in September, 1936, and was engaged in the passenger service between New Zealand and Australia. The " Awatea " was an outstanding ship in many respects, and particularly so in regard to her propelling machinery, which embodied the very latest refinements in marine engineering practice. In fact, when the ship arrived in New Zealand she was considered to be the most powerfully engined ship owned in the Southern Hemisphere and, for her size, one of the highest

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powered ships in the world. On her trials the ship averaged 23 knots. The passenger accommodation was the last word in convenience, and, included in her equipment, radio telephony for communication between ship and shore was installed. In July, 1940, the ship was taken over by the Ministry of War Transport and then commenced to make several voyages to Vancouver. On the 27th October she left Vancouver, touching at Honolulu, Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore (24th November, 1941, fourteen days before the Japanese entered the war), Colombo, Mombassa, Cape Town, Trinidad, and Liverpool, at which port she arrived on the 18th January, 1942. She left Liverpool on the 15th February, 1942, and proceeded to Freetown, Durban, and Bombay, and arrived back at the Clyde on 29th May, 1942. The ship then proceeded from the Clyde on 29th June, 1942, for Durban, Cape Town, Bermuda, and Halifax, from which port she left on 22nd August, 1942, under convoy, but at about 10.30 p.m. the same day the destroyer escort attempted to pass through the line of convoy and ahead of " Awatea," with the result that the ship's bow struck the destroyer with a severe impact, causing an explosion on the destroyer. The ship suffered damage and put back to Halifax for repairs. She left this port again on 29th September, 1942, and arrived at Glasgow on 7th October, 1942. She left this port on the 24th October, 1942, to join up with the big convoy in connection with the Allied landing on the North African coast, and it was while engaged in this operation that she was attacked by enemy bombers, and after a gallant action by the members of the crew she was torpedoed off Cape Carbon, North Africa, on the 11th November, 1942. Fortunately, no lives were lost, and several members of the crew were awarded decorations for their gallant service. " Limerick " This was the last ship lost as the result of enemy action, on the 26th April, 1943. The " Limerick," of 8,724 gross tons, was built at Port Glasgow in the year 1925 to the order of the Union Steam Ship Co.. of "New Zealand, Ltd. Although this ship was registered at London, she had been trading on New Zealand articles of agreement since the year 1935 between New Zealand, Australia, and North American west coast ports and carried a New Zealand crew of fifty-seven. She was a steel refrigerated cargo-ship, being taken over by the Ministry of War Transport in October, 1940, and carried many valuable cargoes during the war period. Unfortunately, two lives were lost when the ship was torpedoed off the Australian coast. HOSPITAL SHIP " MAUNGANUI " This veteran of two world wars was built at Govan, Scotland, in the year 1911, of 7,527 gross tons, was employed for the first few years in the old horse-shoe run between New Zealand and Australia. At the outbreak of World War I she was comandeered as a transport and conveyed the Headquarters staff of the Main Body, N.Z.E.F., from Wellington to Alexandria, arriving at the latter port on the Ist December, 1914. During the whole of the period of the 1914-18 War she made numerous voyages as a troopship, and after hostilities had ceased she resumed her running between New Zealand and Australia. In January, 1941, Government decided to take this ship over for a hospital ship, and as such she commenced her first voyage from Wellington on 21st April, 1941. In all she made nine voyages from Wellington to Suez, four to Italy and Mediterranean ports, and one voyage to Glasgow from Italy, one to the island of Leyte (Philippines), one to Hong Kong and Manila, and her last voyage as a hospital ship was made to the United Kingdom, from which she returned to Wellington on the 23rd March, 1946. The " Maunganui " was well worth the cost of converting her to a hospital ship, as she was instrumental in conveying large numbers of seriously wounded men in comfort to their homeland with a minimum of inconvenience and delay. She is at present making a further trip to the United Kingdom not as a hospital ship, but as a transport for the purposes of conveying the NeW Zealand contingent for the Victory Celebrations. This vessel carried 10,000 patients on seventeen voyages as a hospital ship and steamed 400,000 miles.

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BARQUE "PAMIR " . The four-masted barque, " Pamir," was built at Hamburg in the year 1905, is of 2,796 gross tonnage, and has had a most eventful career. During the 1914-18 War period she was captured from the Germans and handed over to the Italians. Later she was again acquired by the Germans, who sold her to Captain Ericson, of Finland, and who was the owner of a fleet of twelve sailing-ships principally engaged in carrying grain cargoes from all parts of the world. In the year 1931 " Pamir " dead-heated for first place in the annual sailing-ship grain-cargo race from Australia to the United Kingdom. On the 29th July, 1941, the ship arrived at Wellington from the Seychelles Islands with a cargo of guano with the intention after discharge to return to Seychelles to load again for New Zealand. The crew comprised fourteen Finns, including the master, one Swede, seven New Zealanders, and one English seaman. At the time of her arrival relations, although strained, had not been broken off with Finland and consequently it was not possible to seize the ship as a prize, and the United Kingdom authorities suggested that Government should continue to detain the ship by administration means. Later instructions were received to seize the ship in prize. The Prime Minister directed the Hon. Minister of Marine on 13th October, 1941, to arrange for officers of the Marine Department to consult with the management of the Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand, Ltd., with a view to getting the "Pamir" into commission again at the earliest opportunity. On the 6th January, 1942, the ship was taken over by an officer of the Marine Department on behalf of the Crown and arrangements were made to get the ship ready for sea. The Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand, Ltd., was appointed managing agent for the Government, and after several alterations to the crew's quarters had been effected and the ship loaded she commenced her first voyage for Government on the 30th March, 1942. In all to date she has made six round voyages from Wellington to San Francisco and two from Wellington to Vancouver and has carried valuable cargoes each way. NEW ZEALAND MERCHANT SEAMEN The record of this Department's war activities would not be complete without a measure of appreciation and thanks to New Zealand merchant seamen, who carried on for the war period without a single hold-up of traffic. With fifty-five small trading ships taken off our coast for war purposes, an already overloaded coastal traffic was asked to carry a double load, calling for a quick turn round of vessels and their retention at sea for every hour possible. The Marine Department co-operated with shipowners in arranging running surveys where necessary and extending the provisions of the Shipping and Seamen Act to the utmost. This increase in the use of vessels spelt hardship to the masters and crews of the vessels, in that normal periods in their home ports were vastly curtailed, but this position was accepted in a splendid spirit by the men concerned. SHIPPING AND SEAMEN During the six-year period of the war an average of 161 ships were employed in the coastal and overseas trades (exclusive of ships employed in river and extended-river limits), on which were employed an average of 2,676 men, exclusive of the masters of such ships. Owing to the menace of surface raiders and submarines, early in the war period the Department instituted a dual system of keeping a record of seamen. As well as keeping an individual record of seamen, an alphabetical list of ships was kept showing the names of each seaman employed on each ship. The idea of the latter record was if a ship were lost or overdue a ready reference to the members of the crew would be immediately available. Fortunately, it was required on only a few occasions. In the middle stages of the war there was an acute shortage of qualified seamen, but this was gradually overcome. During the whole period of the war the manning of ships was singularly free from any disputes or hold-ups'and the seamen are deserving of commendation for the way in which they kept the ships running.

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G.S.S. " MATAI" : CABLE-LAYING OPERATION Of tlie many and varied duties the " Matai " is called upon to .perform, submarine cable work, because of its importance to the community, possibly takes pride of place. The largest cabling operation ever undertaken by the Post and Telegraph Department was successfully carried out by the " Matai " under the command of Captain W. R. Webling during the early months of 1945. The vessel was adapted for cable work early in February, and by 21st April the new coaxial cable from Lyall Bay to Blind River had been laid. Subsequent tests proved the work had been well and truly done. Later the four-core telephone cable laid in Cook Strait in 1927 was recovered, reconditioned, and then laid from Oreti Beach to Lee Bay, in Stewart Island, providing .additional speech channels linking Stewart Island to the New Zealand telephone and telegraph systems. POST-WAR ACTIVITIES The foregoing has traversed the major and additional activities of the Department during the war years, and for the latter part of the financial year under review the Department's officers have been busy in getting down to details of post-war reconstruction due to war activities and to progress made in certain spheres during those war years. To take one aspect of progress : navigational aids have improved wonderfully by the use of radar, which in itself is only in the embryo stage. Towards the end of the year 'Captain Whiteford, Nautical Adviser to the Department, proceeded with Dr. E. Marsden, Secretary, Scientific and Industrial Research Department, to London to a Radar Conference to ensure that the latest developments for radar would become known to New Zealand navigators and shipowners and be available to assist in safe navigation on our shores. It may well be that navigation by radar assistance will revolutionize our preconceived ideas of navigational aids, and it is hoped that " radar pictures " will be .available through instruments which will have a comparatively low cost. Radiotelephones have also been improved, and it is the intention of the Department to recommend the institution of a series of radio-telephone installations around our coast which will ensure that contact by radio-telephone is available at every point, provided, of course, our coastal fleet and smaller vessels are suitably equipped. Approval has already been given for the installation of a wireless-telephone at Westport, and, apart from the feature of safe navigation, this unit will provide a means of information to shipowners which will prove invaluable in running-costs of vessels. The reorganization of the Fisheries Section of the Department is being undertaken as this report goes to press. Prior to the war our fisheries patrol vessels were so obsolete that with a maximum speed of 8 knots they were chasing offending trawlers with a speed -of perhaps 14 knots. That factor is being overcome by the replacement of the patrol vessels by up-to-date and faster units and by association in fisheries patrol with the Royal New Zealand Navy. At the outbreak of war the Department's fisheries research vessel, the " Ikatere," was at once made available during completion for war purposes. She has now been •reconditioned and will shortly be available for her original pursuit of fisheries research. The fresh-water fisheries research section of the Department was practically nonexistent during the war owing to the fact that our scientists joined up for military service. The necessity for this research in conjunction with the acclimatization societies of New Zealand, the Internal Affairs Department, the Scientific and Industrial Research Department, and the science section of the universities is fully recognized and a plan made with the approval of all interested parties has been formulated as this report goes to press. LIGHTHOUSES Work during the past year has been chiefly concerned with repairs to and maintenance of existing stations, improvements to amenities where such were practicable, and the reconditioning of stations taken back from Navy after being utilized for war

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purposes. There still remains the Mokohinau station to be reconditioned and placed in commission. Lightkeeping staff was difficult to obtain during the year, this necessitating in many cases extra work by the permanent staff remaining. In this connection it is hoped that the amended scale of salaries and conditions as from Ist April, 1946, will prove more attractive to those anxious to enter this particular branch of the service. The most important works carried out during the year were as follows : Cape Reinga. —Completion of 30,000-gallon reservoir with pump and construction of new dwelling. Cape Brett. —Miscellaneous repairs and the transfer of the naval water-supply to the permanent lighthouses. Chickens Island. —Construction of battery box and transmission line for ultimate electrification. Mokohinau. —General reconditioning of station now in hand. Portland Island. —Modernization of dwellings, including hot-water service, bathrooms, and W.C. drainage ; also construction of two 10,000-gallon water-tanks. Cape Palliser. —General repairs to dwellings and provision of hot-water service and drainage. Brothers. —Complete overhaul of station, including mechanical overhaul. Farewell Spit. —Installation of adequate water-supply. Cape Campbell. —Installation of water-supply and general improvement of residences with hot-water services, &c. Godley Head.—Prelimimary work in connection with electrification of light. Akaroa Head.—General painting and repairs to dwellings. Puysegur Point. —General repairs to dwellings and provision of 30,000-gallon watertank. NAUTICAL Admiralty Charts The demand for charts has not been so great as formerly, owing, no doubt, to the cessation of hostilities, with the consequential resumption of vessels to their normal trades. It is opportune at this juncture, with the removal of security precautions, to refer to the means whereby the Department was able to meet the unprecedented demand made on its chart resources. The war, becoming global overnight, rendered it very necessary and of the utmost urgency that ships be supplied with charts to cover practically every part of the world, but with the number of sinkings on the upward grade the problem of obtaining supplies from England became extremely acute and recourse had to be made to the production locally of photostatic copies of admiralty charts. It is interesting to record the following statistics : Number of photostatic charts completed .. .. 4,432 Number of negative prints .. .. .. .. 1,737 Number of positive prints .. .. .. .. 16,010 The length of photostatic paper 18 in. wide used in the production of charts was 6*72 miles. To appreciate the gravity of the situation it must be realized that without charts a vessel cannot proceed on her voyage, and it was therefore due to the officers of the Lands and Survey Department working in conjunction with this Department that a desperate situation was successfully overcome. Examination op Masters and Mates The examinations of masters and mates were held at Auckland and Wellington on ordinary scheduled dates, and at Wellington on special occasions to meet the convenience of students of overseas ships.

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The examinations were conducted in a satisfactory manner, and in the case of Foreign-going Certificates in accordance with the requirements of the Imperial Ministry of Shipping. The number of examinations, 161, shows an increase of 38 on last year's figures. The passes and failures are as follows : Foreign-going Certificates — Per Cent. Full pass .. .. .. .. .. .. 42 Partial pass . . .. .. .. .. 40 Foreign-going Certificates — Partial failure .. .. .. .. .. 17 Failures .. .. .. .. .. 1 Home-trade Certificates — Full pass .. .. .. .. .. .. 63 Partial pass .. . . . . .. .. .. 17 Partial failure .. .. .. .. 13 Failure .. .. .. .. .. 7 Examination in Form and Colour Vision During the year 107 candidates were examined, of whom 7 failed. School of Navigation Enrolments during the year were 84 students, made up as follows : 15 Masters Foreign Going, 8 First Mates Foreign Going, 24 Second Mates Foreign Going, 4 Masters Home Trade, 15 Mates Home Trade, 2 Second Mates Home Trade, 1 Master 25-ton Cargo-vessel, 13 Masters of Kiver Steamer, 1 Voluntary Examination Compass Deviation, 1 Yacht Master (N.Z.). The school continues to be appreciated by students and the accommodation has been fully occupied throughout the year. An additional room has been acquired, thus relieving the congestion which prevailed during the early period of the school's existence. The financial assistance rendered to students by the Kehabilitation Department has been much appreciated and the effect of this assistance in relieving students of financial worries has been amply reflected in the progress made in their studies. The beneficial results of planned courses for the various grades has been a marked success and particularly so in cases where students have undergone great privations as prisoners of war. Two students ex " Hauraki " had been in Japanese prisons for over three years and at the commencement of their studies at the school were at a great disadvantage. The studious atmosphere and comradeship which are a marked feature of the school helped these men considerably in making a fresh start and they were both successful in obtaining their certificates. In the near future it is hoped to expand the school by the acquisition of an additional room to be used entirely for seamanship instruction. The school will be developed along the lines of pre-vocational training, correspondence courses, and evening classes as necessity requires, but as yet there is little or no demand for other than the orthodox day classes. " Nautical Almanac " and Tide Tables The forty-fourth edition of the " New Zealand Nautical Almanac " was published and issued to the general public in November. The acute shortage of paper during the war years necessitated printing the " Almanac " in two parts, but there is every reason to hope that the volume will in the future be as formerly, in one part only, and thus restore this much-appreciated work to its full value. Unfortunately, the alteration in New Zealand Standard Time was not

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made until immediately after the publication of the " Almanac," hence the necessity for applying a correction to the times given in this year's edition, but in future editionsthe times given will be in the newly adopted Standard Time —i.e., twelve hours ahead, of Greenwich Mean Time. Radio Beacons The programme of establishing radio beacons had to be curtailed owing to the war, but perhaps this may be a temporary advantage, as the extraordinary development of radio aids to navigation has made it advisable to delay the resumption of activities, until full information is available as to the most suitable type of apparatus for the Dominion's requirements. The Government of Great Britain decided to call a conference for the purpose of" considering radar and other radio navigational aids. Representatives from the majority of countries throughout the world were invited, the New Zealand delegatesbeing Dr. E. Marsden, of the Scientific and Industrial Research Department, and Captain W. Whiteford, Nautical Adviser to this Department. While abroad the Nautical Adviser will visit Trinity House and several of the large seaports for the purpose of inspecting navigational aids. Training for Sea This is a matter which is being carefully considered by the Department, and it ishoped that as a result of several conferences attended by interested parties that finality will be reached in the near future. The question of training for the sea is not merely confined to a matter of providing openings for youths to commence a seafaring career, but involves the actual training in the art of a seaman and then finally the placing of the lads in suitable employment with reasonable hope of advancement. Survey of Coast The survey which was being carried out by the " Endeavour" had to bediscontinued shortly after the outbreak of war. The survey commenced south of Castle Point near Mercury Bay and filled in theblanks in the southern part of the Hauraki Gulf which remained from H.M.S, " Penguin " in 1909. The Endeavour" then resumed in the northern part of Hauraki Gulf and continued to Cape Brett and the Bay of Islands. New charts issued consequent on " Endeavour's " work are as follows : No. 3797 : Great Barrier Island to Mayor Island, including Hauraki Gulf. No. 3798 : Cape Brett to Cuvier Island. No. 1090 : Bay of Islands and Whangarei Harbour. No. 1512 : Approaches to Port Russell. No. 2543, Sheet 2 : Mongonui Bluff to Manukau Harbour, Tutukaka Harbourto Mayor Island, including Hauraki Gulf. The coastline from Young Nick's Head to Cape Brett is now correctly charted ; likewise from the 100-fathom line inwards to the coast. The Department has approached the Admiralty regarding the resumption of thesurvey and the matter is under consideration. Inspection of Compasses During the year the inspection of ships' compasses was carried out satisfactorily by the Department's Inspectors. With the removal of danger from magnetic mines, the need for de-gaussing will become less and less, and in the near future it is hoped that the compasses of ships will require adjusting from the ordinary disturbing forces only.

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Sea-rescue Service Arising out of the loss of the vessel " Hope " from Port Chalmers and with the purpose of setting up an organization to arrange immediate action for relief in such cases in future, a conference was held in Dunedin at which representatives of the Harbour Boards, Air Department, Seamen's Union, the Fishermen's Society, and the Marine Department were present. The conference investigated the various methods of assisting overdue vessels and other matters involving life-saving appliances, survey seaworthiness, &c., and a complete scheme of " sea-rescue service " was inaugurated. The intention is to apply the recommendations of the Dunedin conference to other parts of the Dominion so that in the event of a marine disaster the " sea-rescue service " will be able to swing into action at very short .notice. Notices to Mariners During the year forty-one notices to mariners were issued, but where the subjectmatter was of immediate urgency the facilities of the broadcasting stations were usedENGAGEMENT OF SEAMEN This service has been maintained. A record of seamen applying for work is kept: for the purpose of filling vacancies. SICK AND INJURED SEAMEN The total amount paid by shipowners to sick and injured seamen, under the provisions of the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908, and amendments, was £16,215 17s. 2d. r as against £11,606 10s. 4d. for the previous year, an increase of £4,609 6s. lOd. REGISTRATION OF SHIPPING On the 31st December, 1945, there were on the register of vessels in the Dominion; 45 sailing-vessels of 3,553 net tons register, 127 steamers of 61,606 net tons register,, and 279 motor-vessels of 18,770 net tons register, as compared with 45 sailing-vessels-of 3,553 net tons register, 127 steamers of 61,900 net tons register, and 280 motorvessels of 18,770 net tons register at the end of the previous year. The number of seamen employed on board was 2,174, as compared with 2,308 for the year 1944. PROSECUTIONS Prosecutions during the year under the various Acts administered by the Department numbered 51, as against 26 during the previous year. The prosecutions, during the past year comprised 47 for breaches of the Fisheries Act, 2 the Inspection of Machinery Act, and 2 the Shipping and Seamen Act. The increase in prosecutions under the Fisheries Act is due to the increased activity by the Department on fisheries patrol. HARBOURS At Dargaville the harbour services have been maintained in good orde'r by the Department, and at Picton a satisfactory service to shipping has been provided, thisincluding the maintenance of lights in the Cook Strait area, which is always a hazardous undertaking. At Westport there are two factors : (1) the maintenance of the port at normal standards to ensure availability of coal to North Island industries, and (2) the improvement of the port for the future. The latter factor has been well provided for by the decision of Government to bring out two eminent harbour engineers from

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England to report on the ports of Greymouth and Westport. The first factor has been implemented during the past year by the appointment by Government of a Harbour Advisory Committee and as dealt with in the report. of the Engineer-Manager, Mr. A. C. Bascand, as follows: During the first three months of the year —that is, April, May, and June, 1945—conditions on the bar at the entrance to the port were very unfavourable, noticeably so when compared with the very favourable condition which obtained over the later months at the close of the previous year. For instance, over the last three months to 31st March, 1945, the average of high-water depths on the bar <at which stage laden vessels leave the port), and which depths therefore govern the effective working -of the port, such average was 22 ft. 9 in., with the average least low-water depth during the period of 12 ft. 9 in. As comparison, during the first three months of the year now to be reviewed, however, the average of high-water depths was only 19 ft., with 8 ft. 6 in. only as the average of least low-water depths. This adverse change in circumstances resulted from a frequency of light freshes in the river, followed by a period of strong south-westerly actuated currents along the coastal foreshore and across the entrance, conditions which invariably result in shoaling on the bar. In June a period of favourable weather permitted intensification of dredging by the suction dredgers " Eileen Ward " and " Rubi Seddon " on the bar area, from which, together ultimately with a strong fresh in the river, -the very appreciable improvement to low-water depth on the bar of 15 ft. 6 in. resulted by mid-July, and a return to 22 ft. 9 in. as the average of high-water depths over that month. During the next few months, influenced mainly by prevalence of northerly weather conditions together with steady dredging, bar depths held satisfactorily, but a turn to south-westerly weather, inducing appreciable easterly sets past the entrance at time of low river flow, resulted in deterioration •of depths. Predominately fine south-westerly weather continued over the remainder of the year, which conditions do not favour ready reduction of the bar. By January the depth on the bar had fallen to 19 ft. 0 in. average for the month of high waters, as against 23 ft. 4 in. for August, and with the lowest low-water depth 9 ft. 0 in., as against 15 ft. 6 in. in July. By the close of the year—i.e., as at 31st March —the low-water depth improved to 12 ft. 0 in., and the average of high waters to 20 ft. 6 in., which latter has still further improved. The port's two bar suction dredgers, " Eileen Ward " and " Rubi Seddon," worked all possible time throughout the year, and together lifted just on 520,000 cubic yards of littoral sand from the bar area, as against some 490,000 yards during the previous twelve months. The dredgers mentioned, in addition, when conditions were not suitable for working on the bar, lifted from the river reach from the entrance to the wharves some 177,700 cubic yards of sand and shingle, and the bucket dredger, " Maui," lifted just over 88,000 yards of shingle from the berthage area in the port. In all the total lifted by the three dredgers and carried to sea to dump during the year was 785,900 cubic yards, as against 765,000 cubic yards during 1944-45, and a total only slightly exceeded during one year (1940-41) since 1930. Taken over the year as a result of poorer depths during the majority of months the mean of high-water depths was rather less than over the previous year, being 20 ft. 8 in., as against 21 ft. 4 in. Further comparisons are included in the following tabulation, together with corresponding statement of the number of days in the respective comparative years on which various depths of water obtained on the bar :

Number of Days on which Depth obtained on the Bar at High Water

Notes.—ln the foregoing tabulat ion the years quoted are as at 31st March. In the history of the port 1917 was the year of best depth conditions. This was during the year following completion of the last breakwaters extension plus a period of very intensive dredging. The good return of working depths for 1927 was the result of many floods in the river that year, topped by the «xceptionally great flood of sth November, 1926. The figures for 1931, except for 1934 (depression circumstances), represent the poorest working depth condtions for over forty years.

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Depth 1917. 1924. 1927. 1931. 1939. 1942. 1944. 1945. 1946. 14' to 16' 1 2 16' to 18' 25 2 1 39 23 35 18' to 20' 4 132 88 33 96 69 124 20' to 22' 110 26 165 149 181 150 142 117 22' to 24' 22 162 112 43 115 143 75 87 62 24' to 26' 143 86 125 11 7 5 43 24 26' to 28' 137 4 70 1 1 Over 28' 63 32 Mean for year 26' 3" 99/ 9// 24' 10" 20' 2" 21' 3" 21' 9" 20' 8" 21' 4" 20' 8"

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During the year under review 316 (301) vessels aggregating 198,643 (211,449) tons net register worked the port, the figures in parentheses being those corresponding for the previous year. In all, the in and out vessels for the year totalled 633 (603) with total net register tonnage of 398,565 (426,162). The trade of the port is essentially an export one, and in this direction the total of coal shipments was 385,300 tons, a slight decrease on that of 402,000 for the preceding year. In the past bunker-coal trade in respect to overseas and intercolonial cargo-vessels was a feature of the port's activities, though this fell away very considerably after the entry of Japan into the late war, and last year there was no such trade whatever. Timber, another product from the district, was shipped to the total of 1,500,000 super feet, ascompared to 400,000 super feet in 1944-45.

The following records of some annual shipments of coal from the port, together with the corresponding annual means of high-water depths on the bar, might be of some interest: —

During the years ended 31st March, 1931 and 1944, the working depths month by month were somewhat poorer than during the past year, yet, compared with the latter year, the total coal shipments fell to the extent of 16,000 tons and 128,000 tons as compared with 1931. In my report presented last year I mentioned that the administration is by no means unconcerned in regard to the circumstances which, with increasing frequency, result in periods during which shoaling of the bar at the entrance to the port occur, with the consequent considerable handicap to shipping working the port and resultant disruptions in transport of coal to North Island ports. With this in mind the Hon. Minister took steps during the year since to secure the services of two eminent British engineers to visit New Zealand and investigate at the port (and at Greymouth also) the circumstances and make recommendations as to works considered necessary to be carried-out for purposes of ensuring permanent adequate depth of water at the entrance, and improvements generally necessary to restore the harbour to a condition suitable to ensure all possible efficiency in operation of the port to the maximum of ability in the years to come. At time of indition of this report it is gratifying to be able to record that the Hon. Minister's efforts have been brought to fruition, in that such engineers, Mr. E. J. Buckton and Mr. A. J. Clark, senior members of the well-known and long-established engineering firm of Messrs. Rendel, Palmer, and Tritton, of Westminster, with a wide experience of harbour matters, and particularly bar harbours, have arrived in this country to carry out their investigations. For their preliminary information the Department's officers, also the Commissioner of Works' Office, assembled and collated much information relative to the establishment and progression of the harbour and subsequent circumstances and changes leading to the present position. During the year, also, the Hon. Minister obtained appointment of a Harbour Advisory Committee, comprised of reputable men representing all interests of the district, the function of such Committee being to consider on the spot and refer and recommend to the Hon. Minister and the Department suggestions and proposals in general for improvements to the port and any other aspects which may be allied with the harbour as a whole. It is pleasing to record that the members of the Committee have met on numerous regular occasions, and continue to do so, and have earnestly considered and referred many matters of nature relevant to betterment of the functioning of the port, and I have no doubt that by the time of my next annual report I will be able to specifically refer to definite and concrete achievements resultant from the Committee's activities. EXAMINATION OF MARINE ENGINEERS During the year 237 candidates were examined for Marine Engineers' Certificates of Competency at the various centres throughout the Dominion. Of these, 58 were examined for First- and Second-class Certificates of Imperial Validity, 58 were examined for Third-class Marine Certificates, and 20 were examined for First- and Second-class Coastal Motor Certificates of New Zealand Validity. Candidates sitting for First-class

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Year. Mean of High Water Depths on Bar. Total Quantity of Coal shipped. 1931 1939 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 Ft. in. 20 2 21 3 21 9 21 8 20 8 21 4 20 8 Tons. 513,500 426,400 487,500 446,500 401,300 402,000 385.300

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Imperial Validity Certificates total 29, of which 11 passed for certificates, 6 passed Part " A," and 12 failed. Candidates sitting for Second-class Imperial Validity Certificates total 29, of which 7 passed for certificates, 11 passed Part " A," and 11 failed. Candidates for the Third Marine Examination total 58, of whom 34 passed and 24 failed. Of the 34 who passed, 24 passed at the first attempt and 10 at the second attempt. Candidates for the Coastal Motor Examination total 20. Of these, 1 passed for First-class Certificate, and 16 passed and 3 failed for Second-class Certificate. Summary (1) First- and Second-class Examination for Imperial Validity Certificate. —60-3 per cent, passed and 39-7 per cent, failed. (2) Third-class Examination.—sB-7 per cent, passed and 41-3 per cent, failed. (3) Coastal Motor Examination.—Bs per cent, passed and 15 per cent, failed. The remaining 101 candidates were examined for River Engineer and Restricted Limits, P.V.O.S. Certificates of Competency. Of these, 7 passed for River Engineer ; 88 passed and 6 failed for Restricted Limits Examination. In the course of the year there has been a constantly increasing volume of inquiries xegarding qualifying workshop time for returned servicemen who have performed trade work. In all cases the time so served has been considered to be continued apprenticeship service and each apprentice who desired examination on the completion of five calendar years' combined service has been examined for the appropriate certificate for which he is -qualified to sit. During the latter part of the year there were numerous requests for special examinations for candidates serving on home-trade articles who could not get leave at schedule examination dates. These requests were met whenever possible. Summary, 31st March, 1946 Passed. Failed. Total. R.L., P.V.O.S. .. .. .. .. ..88. 6 94 River Engine Steam .. .. .. 7 .. 7 Second Coastal Motor • .. .. .. ..16 3 19 First Coastal Motor .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 Third Marine .. .. ... .. .. 34 24 58 P.P. Failed. N.P. Second Marine .. .. .. 11 11 7 29 First Marine .. .. .. 6 12 11 29 237 SURVEY OF SHIPS Survey certificates were issued during the year ended 31st March, 1946, for "2 steam and 5 motor foreign-going ships, 26 steam and 69 motor home-trade ships, and 33 steam and 262 motor restricted-limits ships and launches. Equipment certificates were issued for 16 foreign-going, 17 home-trade, and 4 restricted-limits ships, all of which carry certificates of class issued by classification societies. Survey and equipment certificates issued for the year ended 31st March, 1946, total 434, as compared with a total of 389 issued for the year ended 31st March, 1945. Surveys were also made in 247 cases for seaworthiness, efficiency of equipment, tonnage, radio-telegraphy, &c., as against 221 such cases surveyed during the previous year. Forty-two of these surveys made in 1945-46 were in respect of overseas ships not registered nor normally surveyed in the Dominion.

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Two wooden motor-ships built by the New Zealand Government for the United States authorities for the Pacific war zone are now being prepared for entry into the New Zealand coastwise trade. These vessels, " Rosalie " and " Aranui," have each a cargo capacity of 250 tons. They have been chartered to the Northern Steamship Co., Ltd. Two steel motor-vessels, " Kanna " and " Katui," have been built in the United Kingdom for the Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand, Ltd., and they will shortly enter the New Zealand coastwise trade. A large turbo-electric steamer, " Hinemoa," is also on the stocks in Great Britain, and when completed at about the end of 1946 will enter the Wellington-Lyttelton express service Other ships are also on order for the New* Zealand local and Pacific trades to replace old ships either lost during the recent war or no longer economically serviceable. An extensive repair was made in the Wellington Floating Dock during the year to the Union Co,'s steamer " Karepo," which was seriously damaged through the underwater hull striking a submerged object in the course of a coastwise voyage. Demands by ships for accommodation at Calliope Dock, Auckland, continue to be heavy. The Docking Committee have, as in the war years, controlled New Zealand dock allocations throughout 1945-46. The shortage of ships' officers in general, and particularly the unsatisfied demand for engineer officers, has necessitated the granting of temporary permits to some uncertificated officers to ensure that ships will continue in operation. Continual attention is being given by the Department to maintain and improve the standard of accommodation in New Zealand ships for officers and ratings, and this object has been furthered by the withdrawal of gunners from New Zealand ships, thus providing crew spaces additional to pre-war accommodation. Discussions have been held with the shipowners and the maritime unions to secure improved heating and lighting of crew's quarters when ships are in port. Technical details are being worked out to use shore-generated electricity or storage batteries in lieu of the limited electric-power supply of most ships' own generating plants. Discussions have also taken place in respect of adopting a more rational and scientific basis for the assessment of deck cargoes, in which the important factors of the ship's structural fitness and stability are now taken into account before a deck-cargo license is approved. Since the conclusion of hostilities in the Pacific Ocean the Naval Board have authorized the removal of guns, armour, and other special equipment for defensively equipped merchant ships on the New Zealand register, and the work of removing such D.E.M.S. war equipment and restoring ships to pre-war condition has been steadily proceeded with under Marine Department supervision in such a way as to avoid unnecessarily immobilizing the ships. Small vessels used for coast defence by the naval authorities are also being reconditioned and returned to their former .owners or otherwise disposed of. INSPECTION OF MACHINERY Steam Boilers, Air-receivers, and other Unfired Pressure Vessels The following statement sets out the number of inspections made during the year ended 31st March, 1946, of fired boilers, air-receivers, and other unfired pressure vessels, with the corresponding figures for 1944-45 shown also : 1945-46. 1944-45. Fired boilers .. .. .. .. 4,551 4,499 Air-receivers .. .. .. .. 4,003 3,491 Other unfired pressure vessels .. .. 6,207 6,607 Total inspections .. .. .. 14,761 14,597

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The inspections include 138 new power boilers, agregating 728 horse-power, manufactured in the Dominion, and 13 new power boilers, aggregating 631 horse-power, imported from abroad. The inspections also include 45 new air-receivers made in the Dominion and 18 made abroad, and 367 new unfired pressure vessels, other than air-receivers, made in the Dominion and 120 made abroad. The fusion welding process of joining metals continues to progress in the field of boiler and pressure-vessel construction, this progress being marked by a concurrent ■decline in the time-honoured method of joining metals by rivets. Large unfired steam-pressure vessels -used as digesters for processing food products have been built in New Zealand during 1945 for the first time of all-welded construction. Welded digesters possess the important advantage that there are no lapped plates or rivet heads to harbour the acids which, in riveted digesters, have hitherto caused rapid and severe corrosion. Designs have been submitted and approved for the construction of water-tube boilers of 600 lb. p.s.i., which is the highest working pressure which has as yet been proposed for boilers intended for New Zealand The boilers are of the water-tube flash type and would be of all-welded construction. Increased attention is being given to the control of the quality of feed water in boilers of the types where the usual systems of feed-water control are inadequate. New Zealand Land Boiler Rules have been reprinted with amendments, and progress has been made in the framing of a comprehensive code of rules covering fired boilers and all types of unfired pressure vessels. Printed notices drawing the attention of steam-users to the fundamental principles of economy in steam-production have been distributed by the Department to encourage methods of efficient combustion which effect savings in the consumption of fuels in general, and particularly coal. Machinery The following statement shows the number of machines, machinery plants, lifts, cranes, hoists, and tractors inspected during the year ended 31st March, 1946, with the corresponding figures for 1945 also shown : 1945-46. 1944-45. Machines driven by steam power in 1,604 plants 8,323 8,053 (1,640 plants) Machines driven by power other than steam in 11,618 plants .. .. .. 83,291 81,155 (10,806 plants) Electric-power-supply stations .. .. 140 129 Lifts .. .. .. .. .. 3,563 3,331 Cranes .. .. .. .. .. 571 529 Hoists .. .. .. .. .. 1,950 1,885 Tractors .. .. .. .. .. 163 351 Total machinery inspections .. 98,001 95,433 There has been an increase of 2,568 machinery inspections made during 1945-46 over the previous year, including 47 cranes and 25 lifts inspected for the first time, and the revenue from the machinery-inspection service again shows an increase over that of the previous year.

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Plans of all new boilers, air-receivers, and other unfired pressure vessels, and of new cranes and lifts, have been examined during the year, including the plans of a 175-ton 'crane to be built in the United Kingdom for the Lake Tekapo Power-station. Accidents reported during the year ended 31st March, 1946, arising from boilers,, cranes, lifts, hoists, and general machinery inspected by the Inspection of Machinery Branch number 114, of which 7 were fatal. The circumstances attending every reported accident, fatal and non-fatal, were investigated by the Department to determine the cause of the accident and to devise means of preventings it repetition. Improvements have been effected in the mechanical guarding wherever practicable and in the removal or mitigation of mechanical hazards likely to cause accidents. Attention is being actively given by the Inspectors of Machinery to the education of machine owners and users in the practice of " safety first " principles by the vigorous pursuance of the safety poster campaign instituted in 1944 and by the efforts of Inspectors of Machinery in personal discussion of safety problems with operators and managers during routine inspections of machinery. Of the fatal accidents reported, nearly one-third were caused by circular saws. These machines also accounted for one-fifth of the non-fatal accidents reported in 1945-46. A determined effort to improve the efficiency of the guarding of all types of power-driven woodworking saws was made in 1945 by the publication of departmental instructions which describe and illustrate practical means whereby power saws can be efficiently guarded. Of the 7 fatal accidents reported, 2 occurred from circular saws, 2 from lifts, and 3 from the entanglement of the clothing of the victims with revolving shafts. In the following table is given an analysis of the fatal and non-fatal machinery accidents which occurred during the year, indicating the principal machines and industries concerned :

Machine and Industry Analysis of Accidents

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Industries. Totals. Description of Machines. Woodworking. Textile. Refrigeration. Printing. Metal-working and Engineering. g h-3 Butchery. Confectionery and Bakery. Boxmaking. Other Industries. Total Accidents (Machines). Fatal. Non-fatal, Circular saws 20 1 21 I 2 19> Planers 7 7 7 Shapers Power press 7 7 11 i ,5 7 24 7 24 Guillotines 2 2 2 Laundry machinery Cranes and hoists 1 1 2 2 Lifts 1 1 i 1 4 2 2 Belting 2 3 P* 5 Shafting Gearing 1 1 1 5 1 2 i 1 9 4 3 6 4 Mincers and other cutting-machines 1 1 4 6 6 Other *2 4 6 3 8 23 23 39 6 6 8 25 7 3 20 114 1 7 107 Total accidents in each industry Gra ,nd totals

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GENERAL HARBOUR REGULATIONS For the year ended 31st March, 1946, 301 accidents were reported under RegulaT tion 103 of the General Harbour Regulations. These accidents were suffered by persons engaged in the loading and unloading and repair of ships, and 5 accidents were fatal. The number of accidents for the previous year ended 31st March, 1945, was 276, of which 8 were fatal. Of the 5 fatal accidents reported during 1945-46,- 2 were caused by the victims inadvertently driving cargo-hauling motor-vehicles over the side of wharves into the water below. In two other cases the primary cause of death was fracture of lifting gear, and the fifth death was due to a fall down a ship's hold. The following is an analysis of -the accidents, and their causes : Handling goods .. .. .. .. .. .. 11.8 Persons slipping or falling .. .. .. .. .. 65 Persons struck by swinging or falling loads .. .. 69 Persons stepping on or striking fixed objects .. .. 3 Contact with power-driven machinery .. .. .. 1 Failures of gear .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 Not otherwise classified .. .. .. .. 20 Total .. .. .. .. .. 301 Emergency Regulations gazetted in 1942 to facilitate the speedier unloading of certain types of United States merchant ships have now been revoked with the passing of the conditions calling for the Emergency Regulations. The maximum load which it is now permissible to lift on a single cargo whip is therefore reduced to 2 tons 12 cwt., in accordance with the General Harbour (Safe Working Loads) Regulations. NEW ZEALAND STANDARDS INSTITUTE The Department was again represented on the Executive Committee of the Standards Council and the Mechanical Engineering Divisional Committee, and a departmental representative attended Committee meetings throughout the year. Draft specifications of Standards originating in New Zealand were examined, commented upon, and, where desirable, recommended for adoption as New Zealand Standards. Consideration has been given also to some British Standard Specifications, and those adapted to local conditions have also been recommended for adoption as New Zealand Standards. EXAMINATIONS OF LAND ENGINEERS, ENGINE-DRIVERS, AND ELECTRIC-TRAM DRIVERS Examinations for certificates issued under this head were conducted at intervals during the year by Inspector's of Machinery throughout the country. For the year ended 31st March, 1946, the candidates who presented themselves for examination totalled 478 ; of these, 392 passed and 86 failed, as compared with 354 successful candidates and 75 failures of the previous year. In addition to the 392 certificates issued in 1945-46 to successful candidates, 88 certificates were issued as replacements, &c., under the provisions of sections 53, 59, and 62 of the Inspection of Machinery Act, 1928. There is still a shortage of certificated engine-drivers, despite the increased number of certificates issued during 1945-46, and the shortage of certificated drivers has compelled the granting of permits to enable uncertificated drivers to take charge temporarily where they are favourably reported upon by the Inspectors of Machinery concerned.

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An analysis of the certificates issued during the year, with the corresponding figures' for 1944-45, is given hereunder : Class. 1945-46. 1944-45. Service — First-class Engine-driver .. .. .. 8 10 Competency — Extra First-class Stationary Engineer .. .. 2 First-class Engine-driver .. .. 30 38 Second-class Engine-driver .. .. .. 234 199 Locomotive and Traction .. .. 57 62 Locomotive-engine Driver .. .. .. 7 5 Traction-engine Driver .. .. 15 16 Electric-tram Driver .. .. .. 116 93 Electric-tram Driver (One-man Car) .. 9 7 Steam-winding-engine Driver .. 2 1 Electric-winding-engine Driver .. .... 2 480 433 Appended to this report is a statement of the number of candidates examined at •each examination centre for the year ended 31st March, 1946, showing the number of successful and unsuccessful candidates. STAFF During the year under review the effort of the staff of the Marine Department, •entailing as it did a quick change-over from wartime to peacetime economy, has been -a meritorious one, made more arduous by the difficulty in obtaining casual employees and by the retirement of executive officers of the Department. In the latter category, Mr. B. W. Millier, Acting Secretary to the Department, retired on superannuation after over forty years' meritorious service. Appreciation of his lifelong work was conveyed at meetings of his associates and shipping interests. At the latter end of the year Messrs. G. E. Breeze, Chief Surveyor of Ships and Chief Inspector of Machinery, and A. E. Hefford, Chief Inspector of Fisheries and Director of Fishery Research, also retired on reaching the age limit. To these officers also is conveyed appreciation of a long and splendid record of service to the Department in particular and to the community in general. FISHERIES An abridged report on the working of the Fisheries Branch of the Department follows hereon. I have, &c., W. C. Smith, Secretary.

REPORT ON FISHERIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1946 At the outset of this report it must be made clear that all the statistical data is for the calendar year 1945. This follows the practice adopted in 1944, for reasons given in last year's annual report, and it has been found that the adoption of the calendar in place of the financial year has overcome many difficulties of tabulation, bringing, as it does, the licensing year and the statistical year into line. As this report is mainly composed ■of statistics, with the balance of the text based on the figures, it becomes in effect a fishery report for the year 1945, although it is incorporated in the departmental report, which is for the year ending 31st March, 1946.

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The estimated total quantity and value of the principal classes of fishery products marketed in the year 1945 are as follows : Quantity. Value. £ Wet fish .. .. .. .. 331,773 cwt. 558,404 Whitebait .. .. .. .. 8,698 cwt. 97,418 Oysters — Dredged .. .. .. .. 76,038 sacks. 57,028 Kock .. .. .. .. 5,476 sacks. 9,583 Mussels .. .. .. .. 13,156 sacks. 4,607 Crayfish .. .. .. .. 15,924 cwt. 27,449 Toheroa (canned products) .. .. 85,682 Ib. 5,003 Whale-oil .. .. .. .. 750 tons. 21,500 Total values .. .. .. .. £780,992 The detailed landings are summarized in Tables I to IX (pp. 44 to 53). The total landings of wet fish show an increase of 23,536 cwt. over the previous year's total of 308,237 cwt., while the total value has increased by £35,450. The quantity of oysters dredged from Foveaux Strait has increased by 12,089 sacks, and a decrease of 910 sacks is shown for rock oysters. The crayfish total is up by 2_,074 cwt., but the mussel figures show a decline of 2,234 sacks. In the most important group, the " wet fish " —i.e., all the ordinary fishes caught by all methods of sea fishing—the annual totals for successive years are as follows : Total Quantity. Total Value. Year. Cwt. £ 1934-35 .. .. .. 331,415 294,267 1935-36 .. .. ..363,448 313,106 1936-37 .. .. .. 363,128 360,406 1937-38 .. .. .. 355,687 413,516 1938-39 .. .. .. 356,114 424,643 1939-40 .. .. ..339,231 416,480 1940-41 .. .. .. 328,594 440,308 1941-42 .. .. ..326,863 458,393 1942-43 .. .. .. 311,971 442,976 1943-44 .. .. ..294,445 489,268 1944 .. .. .. .. 308,237 522,954 1945 .. .. .. .. 331,773 558,404 The total weight of fish caught is starting to climb up again, and it is hoped that the 1946 total will be up to that of 1935-36, which can be taken as a good pre-war year. With the return of those units still on service or undergoing overhaul and reconversion after war service prior to resuming their normal calling, it is felt that the position in regard to fish-supplies will rapidly become normal. As last year's report contained an exhaustive comparative analysis of the fishing statistics over a period of years, there is no point in again labouring the position after so short an interval. It will be seen that most of the tables offer comparative figures. In 1946 or 1947 when the trade has settled down after the disturbed war years, another analysis of the situation can be made which may be of some value to those interested in the industry.

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Fishing-vessels and Personnel The number of licensed fishing-vessels operating in 1945 was 721, the same as 1944. It should be remembered, however, that the total number is not the important factor, but the type and size of the vessels engaged. It is necessary, therefore, to check these details as given in Table I before drawing the conclusion that the fishing fleet is of the same fishing power as in the previous year. From the table it will be seen that the Danish-seiners have dropped by 2 ; this is accounted for by vessels wrecked and not yet replaced. Steam-trawlers —the heaviest catching units of all —have increased by 1, due to the return of one of the Auckland trawlers from service ; motor-trawlers have increased by 2, and 11 vessels were engaged in part-time trawling and part-time line-fishing ; these are, in effect, additional to the trawler fleet, as in the old tables they would have been included as part-time trawlers instead of being placed in a separate category. Whole-time net and line boats have increased from 168 to 211, and the part-time ones decreased to 278—t0 this figure one should add for comparative purpose the 11 part-time trawlers which engaged in line-fishing —leaving a gross decrease of 17 vessels. This is offset by the fact that several vessels in this class have been replaced by more up-to-date and efficient units. The oyster-dredging and mussel-dredging fleets remain the same as before at 9 and 3 respectively. The whole-time crayfishing vessels are the same, but a decline of 6 in the part-time section of this fishing is to be noted. The whole-time fishermen increased from 711 to 877 and the number of part-time men declined from 641 to 536, an overall gain of 61. It can be stated here that 1946 will show a steady increase in both fishing-vessels and personnel. The time-lag after the ■cessation of hostilities has had the effect of putting off the resumption of fishing units from service and the return of personnel until the 1946 licensing year. A number of fishing-vessels for which licenses will be issued are under construction and, it is hoped, will be in production in 1946. The supply of high-powered Diesel •engines suitable for fishing-boats is still difficult, and is a major problem in the construction of new units and in the maintenance of the older vessels at their maximum efficiency. Fish Landings The total landings of fish and shell-fish landed at the various ports are shown in Table 11. Snapper, as always, is the most abundant species and the weight landed and the percentage in relation to the total weight are approximately the same as last year, being 109,009 and 32-86 per cent., as against 109,013 and 35-37 per cent, in 1944. Tarakihi shows another increase from 44,980 cwt. to 63,829 cwt., now providing 19-24 per cent, of the total landings, as against 14-59 per cent. There has been a slight drop in the groper (hapuku) landings from 21,901 cwt. to 21,672 cwt., with a corresponding decline in the percentage of the total from 7-11 to •6-53. A decline of such order is, however, within the orbit of the variations from season to season and is not a matter of great concern. The blue cod caught remains fairly steady at 19,160 cwt., representing 5-78 of the total. The flatfish total (flounders, soles, brill, and " mixed flats ") shows a substantial increase of 3,558 cwt., from 31,610 cwt. to '35,168 cwt., the soles accounting for the major part of the increase. The relative position of the species of lesser importance can be seen in the table which follows. This table gives the weight and value of each species caught for the years 1944 and 1945. The main point of interest is that snapper and tarakihi combined furnish over 50 per cent, of all the fish caught.

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32

Quantity. Value. Kind or Class of Fish. Cwt. Percentage of Total. S. Percentage of Total. 1945. 1944. 1945. 1944. 1945. 1944. 1945. 1944. Snapper 109,009 109,013 32 86 35 37 147,685 143,121 26 45 27-37 Tarakihi 63,829 44,980 19 24 14 59 97,007 68,902 17 37 13-18 Groper 21,672 21,901 6 53 7 11 62,446 66,795 11 18 12-77 Gurnard 20,354 17,764 6 14 5 76 21,683 21,120 3 89 4-04 Blue cod 19,160 19,069 5 78 6 19 47,288 41,680 8 47 7-97 Sole 17,990 15,095 5 42 4 90 52,671 46,820 9 43 8-95 Flounder 16,070 16,001 4 85 5 19 ' 51,648 52,817 9 25 10-10 Barracouta 9,726 8,462 2 93 2 75 5,403 4,716 0 97 0-90 Red cod 8,971 6,331 2 70 2 05 5,956 6,289 1 07 1-20 Ling 8,202 7,628 2 47 2 47 16,879 17,565 3 02 3-36 Trevally 6,725 8,332 2 03 2 70 5,107 6,298 0 92 1-21 " Mixed rounds " 5,730 8,892 1 73 2 89 7,226 10,361 1 30 1-98-Elephant-fish 4,269 5,313 1 29 1 72 8,759 10,477 1 57 2-00 1 Mullet 3,517 3,096 1 06 1 01 4,015 3,571 0 72 0-68-Ivahawai 2,330 2,166 0 71 0 70 1,805 1,693 0 32 0-32 Pioke 2,060 1,766 0 62 0 58 2,309 1,911 0 41 0-37 Butterfish 1,462 1,463 0 44 0 48 3,972 3,945 0 71 0-75-Sardine 1,458 4,281 0 44 1 39 1,025 3,122 0 18 0-60 Hake 1,349 1,031 0 41 0 33 3,762 2,895 0 68 0-55-Shark 1,335 0 40 1,328 0 24 "Mixed flats" 1,064 469 0 32 0 15 3,049 1^321 0 55 0-25-Moki 946 680 0 29 0 22 1,736 1,206 0 31 0-23 Parore 854 429 0 26 0 14 607 279 0 11 0-05-Kingfish 737 582 0 22 0 19 843 662 0 15 0-13 Swordfish 672 234 0 20 0 08 629 292 0 11 0-06-John-dory 381 527 0 12 0 17 502 620 0 09 0-12" Herring 373 190 0 11 0 06 684 311 0 12 0-06. Warehou 306 1,084 0 09 0 35 597 2,336 0 11 0-45-Whiting 287 44 0 09 0 01 201 66 0 04 0-01 Trumpeter 208 209 0 06 0 07 591 444 0 11 0-08-Mackerel 158 190 0 05 0 06 164 102 0 03 0-02 Garfish 148 47 0 04 0 02 297 105 0 06 0-02 Conger-eel .. , 140 128 0 04 0 04 109 90 0 02 0-02 Skate 78 55 0 02 0 02 54 44 0-01 Whiptail 69 11 0 02 84 8 0 01 Brill 44 45 0 01 0 01 151 264 0 03 0-05 Perch 43 662 0 01 0 21 41 585 0-11 Maomao 24 22 0 01 35 36 0-01 Bonita 19 31 0 01 53 82 0-02 Frost-fish 4 4 3 3 Total 331,773 308,237 558,404 522,954

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Methods op Capture Of the total catch, 45,315 cwt. (13-66 per cent.) was landed from steam-trawlers, 69,953 cwt. (21-08 per cent.) from motor-trawlers, while motor-vessels (line and net fishing) accounted for 109,627 cwt. (33-04 per cent.) and row-boats 1,785 cwt. (0-54 per cent.).

The total quantity of wet fish caught by each of the common methods of fishing is shown below (the figures in parentheses represent the 1944 quantities and values) :

Landings at Ports Of the total quantity of wet fish, 37*00 per cent, was landed at Auckland, 9-51 per cent, at Wellington, 7-70 per cent, at Port Chalmers, and 5-79 per cent, at Napier. In the following statement the total weights and values are given for some of the main ports alongside those for the previous two years, 1944 and 1943-44 :

Auckland.—Of the total of 122,789 cwt. of wet fish, landed at Auckland, 97,608 cwt. was brought in by Danish-seine boats, of which 72,179 cwt. was snapper and 15,515 cwt. tarakihi. The steam-trawlers accounted for 19,553 cwt., made up mainly of snapper (8,063 cwt.), tarakihi (8,103 cwt.), and trevally (1,035 cwt.). Motor line-fishing boats landed 2,493 cwt., compared with 1,409 cwt. of the previous year, and the netting boats 3,092 cwt., compared with 2,303 cwt. for 1944.

2—H 15

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Method of Quantity. Value. Filling. Cvt. Percentage of Total. Percentage of Total. Trawl Danish-seine Long and hand lines Net and drag-nets 115,268 (75,216) 105,093 (116,222) 72,226 (69,495) 39,186 (47,304) 34.74 (24.40) 31.68 (37-70) 21-77 (22.55) 11-81 (15-35) 206,176 (153,541) 139,597 (152,615) 152,483 (147,558) 60,148 (69,240) 36-92 (29.36) 25-00 (29-18) 27-31 (28-22) 10-77 (13-24) Totals .. 331,773 (308,237) 558,404 (522,954)

Port. Quantity. Yalue. 1945. 1944. 1943-44. 1945. 1944. 1943-44. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. £ £ £ Russell 4,194 2,350 1,736 5,093 3,199 1,785 Whangarei 1,766 4,104 3,858 2,264 4,262 4,046 Auckland .. .. v 122,789 111.078 103,882 156,979 138,872 129,904 Thames district 17,245 19,825 18,495 25,746 29,852 28,354 Tauranga and district 7,459 10,485 9,546 7,745 11,242 9,913 Gisborne 8,236 7,703 5,275 9,160 10,475 6,179 Napier 19,194 17,865 16,615 29,186 26,529 25,244 Wellington 31,554 14,019 14,775 63,445 33,548 36,054 Manukau Harbour 1,229 1,118 1.870 2,217 1,825 2,791 Picton 4,358 7,230 8,053 8,522 10,438 11,010 Lyttelton 11,430 16,221 14,050 26,764 42,527 34,755 Timaru 11,386 13,022 15,.898 33,106 37,759 42,960 Moeraki 2,017 1,658 1,717 5,551 4,728 3,845 Nuggets district 4,250 2,307 2,892 10,969 4,931 5,429 Port Chalmers .. 25,533 23,264 21,523 36,225 38,808 32,621 Waikawa 2,610 1,564 2,896 6,757 2,992 5,411 Bluff, with Stewart Island 13,649 12,163 12,416 32,802 27,860 22,748 Westport 738 814 1,434 2,103 2,013 2,990 Motueka 1,097 1,358 895 1,979 2,208 1,476 Nelson .. .. 6,372 5,541 3,833 13,603 13,635 10,208 French Pass 3,278 2,880 2,988 9,188 6,778 7,567 Chatham Islands 2,078 4.420 4,326 1,868 3,721 3,332

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The annual totals landed at Auckland over the last five years are given below :

The substantial increase in the total quantity of fish landed for the last year is mainly due to the operation of the steam-trawlers after some years absence on naval service. Tauranga:—

Set-net catches amounted to 3,861 cwt. (51-76 per cent, of the total), compared with 5,987 cwt. (57-1 per cent.) for 1944, of which 1,565 cwt. was snapper and 1,155 cwt. trevally. One vessel which had previously been engaged in purse-seining changed to trawling and landed 1,783 cwt. of fish, of which 54-68 per cent, was tarakihi and 29-44 per cent, snapper. The Danish-seine catch dropped considerably from 2,907 cwt. in 1944 to 418 cwt. in 1945 —this was due to the fact that the one vessel engaged in this form of fishing was wrecked early in the year.

Napier:—

The increase in the percentage of tarakihi compared with the total quantities landed for the past two years is more apparent than real, as previously a large percentage of tarakihi caught at this port was included under the heading " Mixed Bound Fish." This is a common fault with the Napier returns. Out of the total of 19,194 cwt. landed during 1945, 15,708 cwt. was brought in by motor-trawlers, of which 57*16 per cent, was tarakihi. The one Danish-seine boat accounted for 1,325 cwt., of which 57-66 per cent, was gurnard. The one steamtrawler brought in 621 cwt., compared with 1,706 cwt. for 1944. Wellington.—The return of the two steam-trawlers accounted for a large increase in the amount of fish landed at Wellington throughout the year. The catch for these vessels was 20,241 cwt., compared with 851 cwt. for 1944, when one boat commenced fishing in December. Of this 20,241 cwt., 16,634 cwt. was tarakihi and 469 cwt. snapper. One motor-trawler fished for seven months and brought in 687 cwt. of fish, of which 212 cwt. was tarakihi. The Island Bay fishing fleet landed 9,762 cwt., in comparison

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— 1941-42. 1942-43. 1943-44. 1944. 1945. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Total quantity landed 119,583 105,106 103,882 111,078 122,789 Snapper 87,028 73,604 75,153 79,844 81,706 Tarakihi 12,882 16,470 12,128 18,289 23,965 Flounder 8,151 3,904 5,489 1,857 2,047 Gurnard 1,375 1,447 1,361 3,206 5,570

— 1941-42. 1942-43. 1943-44. 1944. 1945. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Total quantity landed 4,368 7,926 9,546 10,485 7,459 Snapper 3,400 4,154 4,032 4,152 2,513 Tarakihi 102 290 29 1,057 1,289 Trevally 110 1,113 1,826 2,509 1,219 Kahawai 1 294 649 732 1,070

— 1941-42. 1942-43. 1943-44. 1944. 1945. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Total quantity landed 21,207 21,694 16,615 17,865 19,194 Tarakihi 6,809 6,005 4,931 8,966 9,744 Sole 1,385 2,165 914 1,710 1,036 Hapuka 2,011 660 861 986 1,443 Gurnard .. .. » . . 3,437 5,825 4,263 4,621 5,362

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with 11,018 cwt. for the previous year. The net-fishing boats also showed a decrease from 771 cwt. to 598 cwt. in 1945, mainly accounted for by a drop in warehou from 232 cwt. in 1944 to 109 cwt. in 1945.

Lyttelton. —The total catch landed amounted to 11,430 cwt., valued at £26,764, which is a considerable drop from 16,221 cwt. and £42,527 for 1944, some of which may be accounted for by the fact that the boats were laid up for a month or more due to price negotiations. The main decrease was caused by the motor-trawl figures falling from 10,693 cwt. in 1944 to 7,344 cwt. in 1945, and the one steam-vessel declining from 4,875 cwt. to 3,827 cwt. in 1945. The figures for the main types of fish landed at Lyttelton for the last five years are given below: —

Timaru. —The total fish landed at this port has shown a decrease over the last two years. Some of this may be accounted for by the fact that the boats were laid up for some time due to price negotiations. The annual catches by the various methods of fishing over the last five years are given below: —

Port Chalmers.—No steam-trawler has yet replaced the one which was wrecked in 1944, although a new motor-trawler commenced operating in the middle of 1945. The lack of a steam-trawler has been responsible for the substantial drop in the catches of tarakihi from 3,166 cwt. in 1944 to 173 cwt. in 1945. Of the 25,533 cwt. landed this year at Port Chalmers, 16,260 cwt. came from motor-trawlers and 9,091 from the line-fishing vessels. Of the former, 7,034 cwt. was red cod and 6,282 cwt. sole, and of the latter 7,402 cwt. was barracouta.

The tables for the main types of fish caught over the last five years are given below :

Exports and Imports Imports of fish, for the year amounted to 335f cwt. of tinned fish such as sardines, brisling, and sild, and cwt. of other fish otherwise preserved, with a total value of £5,141. The total value of New Zealand fish and shell-fish exported in 1945 was £187,381, which represents a substantial increase on the previous year's figures of £126,976.

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— 1941-42. 1942-43. 1943-44. 1944. 1945. - Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. 1 Cwt. Cwt. Total quantity landed 14,287 16,504 14,050 16,221 11,430 Tarakihi 6,440 7,010 4,614 6,202 4,840 Ling 1,703 936 864 1,556 1,447 Elephant-fish 1,322 1,954 2,862 2,611 1,632 Gurnard 532 1,943 2,383 2,537 1,203 Red ood 1,950 1,128 451 191 46

— 1941-42. 1942-43. 1943-44. 1944. 1945. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Total quantity landed 14,055 14,548 15,898 13,022 11,386 Motor-trawling 7,238 7,398 8,517 8,142 7,880 Danish - seining 3,053 2,797 2,508 1,804 1,292 Line-fishing /motor-vessels) 3,763 4,353 4,873 3,076 2,214

— 1941-42. 1942-43. 1943-44. 1944. 1945. • Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Total quantity landed 29,724 33,603 21,523 23,264 25,533 Tarakihi 5,101 2,886 3,361 3,166 173 Sole 6,394 5,410 4,114 4,993 6,282 Red cod 6,952 10,377 4,501 4,033 7,605 Barracouta 5,599 9,878 5,157 6,300 7,502 Flounder 1,516 840 885 1,163 1,366

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Totals for the principal classes of fishery products exported for the past three years are given below :

The following table shows the incidence of the principal kinds of fish exported for the year 1945 (the previous year's figures are given in parentheses):—

The above seven species represent 80-35 per cent, of the total weight of frozen fish exported and 73*8 per cent, of the total value. The balance of the frozen-fish exports were made up of a very large number of species of fish. Sardines The landings of sardines at Picton again showed a decline, from 4,281 cwt. in 1944 to 1,458 cwt. The pioneering work of locating the fish in due season and in worth-while quantities was carried forward and records kept of the conditions found. Fish-liver Oil This is a very important side of the industry and 1945 showed appreciable advances in the quantity of livers handled. The figures for 1945 were : Fish livers treated, 564,397 lb. ; and fish-liver oil produced, 25,023 gallons. A total of 22,007 gallons of fish-liver oil was exported. This amount included a carry-over of stock from the previous year. The two companies which hold licenses from the Bureau of Industry to engage in the occupation have explored every avenue for supplies and set up or arranged for collecting stations wherever the possible supplies warranted such action. Whaling Four vessels with a total complement of nine men were engaged in the whale-fishing based on Marlborough Sounds and fourteen men were employed ashore at the whalefactory. A total of 107 whales, all hump-backs, were taken, and these yielded 750 tons of oil and about 100 tons of bone-dust. The first whale was taken on 4th June and the last on 10th August. July was the month in which most whales were captured. From the dates supplied it will be seen that the whales were again late in making their appearance, but the catch was appreciably better than last year, when the total number of whales was only 88.

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Quantity. Value. 1943-44. 1944. 1945. 1943-44. 1944. 1945. Oysters, fresh Fish, frozen Crayfish, frozen Fish, smoked, dried, &c. Fish and shell-fish (tinned) Total values .. 424 doz. 16,438 cwt. 2,754 cwt. 285,221 lb. 21,100 doz. 16,628 cwt. 1,921 cwt. 3,319 cwt. 181,3381b. 640 doz. 22,663 cwt. 1,346 cwt. 4,276 cwt. 371,776 lb. £ 20 70,019 16,574 24,072 £ 578 73,500 6,608 20,476 25,814 £ 18 104,046 6,462 26,390 50,465 110,685 126,976 187,381

Fish. Quantity. Value. Cwt. Cwt. £ £ Blue cod 7,644 (3,530) 38,682 (18,117) Red cod 3,255 (1,104) 3,255 (3,046) Barracouta 2,369 (3,786) 8,883 (14,014) Soles .. .. ' .. 2,207 (1,394) 11,452 (7,119) Tarakihi 1,037 (959) 4,895 (4,030) Flounder 947 (762) 5,374 (4,142) Snapper 752 (1,029) 4,244 (6,044)

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Rock Oysters The 1945 rock-oyster season yielded 5,476 sacks of oysters. This was a decline of 910 sacks on last year's total of 6,386 sacks, which was the highest since 1926. The drop was accounted for by shortage of skilled pickers at Bay of Islands and Kaipara. A heavy storm at the end of May aggravated the shortage of oysters by doing considerable damage to the Department's plant at Kaipara and Coromandel. Damage to the plant would have been much more serious but for the strenuous efforts of the Inspectors at both places. Picking started on 14th May, the last oysters of the season being picked on Ist August. The yield of oysters in sacks from each of the various areas was as follows : Bay of Islands, 2,003 ; Whangarei Harbour, 195 ; Kaipara Harbour, 907 ; Coromandel, 650; Great Barrier Island, 242 ; Hauraki Gulf, 1,479. The quantities from Hauraki Gulf were obtained from the following areas: Motutapu, 97 ; Waiheke, 719 ; Ponui, 408 ; Pahiki, 118 ; Rotoroa, 120 ; Pakatoa, 17. Area. Oyster-cultivation for the Year ended 31st March, 1946 I. Bay of Islands : 781,000 borers and 3,500 pupu destroyed, 214 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell, 1,130 square yards cleared of weed. Cost, £370 17s. 11. Whangarei Harbour : 291,500 borers and 1,500 pupu destroyed, 314 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell, 295 square yards cleared of weed. Cost, £B2 12s. Bd. IV. Takatu Point to Gull Point: 85,000 borers destroyed, 90 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell. No cost. VI. Coromandel: 1,471,610 borers and 4,977 pupu destroyed, 8,840 square yards cleared of weed. Cost, £52 16s. Bd. VIII. Rakino : 185,000 borers and 219 pupu destroyed. No cost. XIII. Waiheke : 498,000 borers and 91 pupu destroyed, 1,211 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell, 220 square yards cleared of weed. No cost. XIV. Ponui: 427,000 borers and 224 pupu destroyed, 316 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell. No cost. XV. Pahiki Island : 28,000 borers and 33 pupu destroyed. No cost. XVI. Great Barrier : 552,100 borers and 2,728 pupu destroyed, 251 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell. Cost, £65 17s. Bd. Total for all areas : 4,319,210 borers and 13,272 pupu destroyed, 2,396 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell, 10,485 square yards cleared of weed. Cost, £572 4s. With the cessation of hostilities, plans are being prepared for increased cultivation work, more particularly the formation of new beds in Kaipara Harbour. The demand for rock oysters always exceeds the supply, so that the expenditure of funds on this type of work is fully justified. Dredge Oysters : Foveaux Strait, 1945 The 1945 season was much more successful than that of 1944, the catch increased from 63,949 sacks to 76,038. As stated in the 1944 report, a co-operative survey was undertaken during the 1945 season, the oystermen, merchants, and the Government each providing part of the requirements. The investigation was in charge of Captain E. F. Watson, of Dunedin, who completed an arduous task under conditions not suitable for normal marine survey work. The main point at issue was the existence or otherwise of large beds of oysters west of a line drawn from Barracouta Head to Gull Rock. Unfortunately, the survey did not reveal any large beds of oysters in this area, other than those known previously. The experience, however, was well worth while, both in the results obtained and in the knowledge gained as to the best method of conducting future surveys.

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Lack of trained staff at Head Office has precluded the working-up and assemblage of the meticulous reports submitted by Captain Watson, but it is hoped that at some future date this valuable information will be compiled and published in a form which will be of interest and value to all concerned. Toheroas The state of the main toheroa beaches, Ninety-mile, North Kaipara, Muriwai, and Waitarere, is much the same as detailed in the last annual report. The stocks on the Ninety-mile Beach are still a matter of concern to this Department. The North Kaipara, Muriwai, and Waitarere Beaches are in good order. Mussels The catch of mussels in the Thames-Coromandel-Auckland area fell from 15,390 sacks in 1944 to 13,156 sacks in 1945. The decline is accounted for in the main to the closure of certain grounds at Coromandel which were showing the effect of too intensive exploitation. Paua The one fisherman licensed specifically for this fishery took 30,209 pauas in the year 1945 and the flesh or " steaks " of 23,580 of them was sold as food. This was a very useful effort, the reward of continued hard work, enthusiasm, and close study of the habits of the paua by the man concerned. Whitebait The table given below summarizes the information obtained from the principal whitebait-fishing centres for the 1945 season.

Whitebait Fishery, 1945 Season

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Number of Total Quantity caught Inspector's Centre. Rivers fished. Method of Pishing. Fishing began. Best Month. 'Fishermen (Approximately). Whole Time. Part Time. (Approximately). Cwt. Auckland Waikato Hand-nets July .. Sept. 200 250 2,238 Auckland Kaituna Set-nets .. July .. Aug.-Sept. Sept. 20 30 31 Auckland Rangitaiki, Tarawera Hand-nets July .. 22 33 New Plymouth Waitara, Awakino, Mokau, WaioHand and July .. Sept. iso 63 ngona, Mimi, Waiwalcaiho, Urenui, Henui set nets Wanganui Turakina, Kai Iwi, Wangaehu, Wanganui Hand-nets July .. Sept. 15 6 Napier Tukituku, Ngaruroro Hand and set nets July .. Aug. 100 Blenheim Wairau, Omaka, Opawa, Tau-Hand-nets Aug. .. Sept. 4 59 marina Christ church Waimakariri, Ashley, Saltwater, Rakaia, Opihi, Rangitata, Hand and Aug. .. Oct. 62 230 384 set nets Avon, Hurunui, Waiau, Orari, Waipara, Halswell, Styx Dunedin Molyneux, Taieri, Puerua, Owaka, Hand-nets Sept... Oct. 10 20 185 Waikawa, Shag, Waikouaiti, Kakanui, Pleasant, Wainakarua, Tokomairiro, Waitaki Dunediri Mataura, Oreti, Titiroa, Waihopai, Waimatuku, Otakau, Aparema, Waiau Hand and set nets Aug. .. Oct. 30 40 175 Wataroa Big Wanganui, Paringa, Jacobs, Mahitahi, Waitoto, Haast, Set-nets .. Sept... Oct. 100 25 2,432 Little Wanganui, Karangarua, Wataroa, Waitangi, Maori, Moeraki Hokitika Hokitika, Mahinapua Creek, tidal creeks at Three-mile, Arahura, Awatuna, Fishermen's Creek Hand and set nets Sept... Nov. 49 231 1,203 Greymouth .. Teremakau, Grey Hand-nets Aug. .. Oct .-Nov. 2 200 268 Westport Buller, Orawaiti, Nile, Totara, Hand-nets Aug. .. Oct. 50 100 1,196 Little Wanganui, Mokihinui, Karamea Takaka Takaka Hand-nets July .. Aug. 2 3 57 Motueka Motueka, Moutere Hand and Aug. .. Oct.-Nov. 16 20 268 set nets 8,698

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The estimated total of 8,698 cwt. shows another substantial increase, Westland, as usual, being the main contributor. The administrative problems in connection with the whitebait fishery are not only complex in themselves, but are further complicated by the fact that so many people are .affected by any particular move and the interests of each group clash violently with those of other groups. Fresh-water Eels Due to lack of staff, little was done in investigating the problems of the establishment of a commercial fresh-water-eel fishery. Some experimental work in canning and freezing eels has been carried out by the trade interests concerned, and it is hoped that 1946 will show a forward move in this field. Reference to eel-canning will also be found in the marine research section of this report. Quinnat Salmon Last year's report covered the activities of the Hakataramea Station in 1945 and also the activities of the rod and net fishermen. It is proposed to bring this data into line with the rest of the report, so that the next lot of statistics will appear in the 1946 report. The salmon season has continually overlapped the financial year, and in the past it was only the late preparation of the report, months after the close of the financial year, which has enabled this data to be included. Any person who desires the 1946 season's figures urgently can obtain them on application to the Department. Atlantic Salmon The same remarks as for quinnat salmon apply in this case. Fresh-water Research Up to the close of the 1945-46 year the two Biologists were either still with the Armed Forces or on furlough leave. Both of them will be. back during 1946, and plans are being made for a reorganization of the fresh-water side of the Department's activities. Marine Research The various activities of the Marine Biologist were carried forward throughout the year. It is not perhaps sufficiently recognized that marine biological research is a long-term process, and working out the life-history of any particular species may take several years. Each seasonal change has to be observed and recorded in its turn and seasonal variations noted before all the problems can be elucidated. The highlight of the Biologist's year was a visit to the Chatham Islands. As this fishing area has not been visited by a Marine Biologist for over twenty years, the report on the trip is of such interest and value that the opportunity is taken to publish portion of it here. Chatham Islands Fishery A visit was paid to the islands to determine the prospects of the fishing industry. Transport to and about the Chathams is had. The time taken from Wellington via Lyttelton was nine and a half days to Waitangi. To Kaiangaroa coastwise a further seven days. The return journey to Waitangi was made overland by jogger, a locally made machine with two rubber-tired motor wheels and comfortable seat drawn by two horses. The thirty miles from Kaiangaroa to Waitangi took eight hours over what must be classed among the worst roads in the world. Best travelling was over open undulating fields, and at low water the two-mile stretch of beach before Waitangi, the roads for the most part being 6 in. to 18 in. deep in mud, which is very hard going on both horses and passengers. Paua. —Good supplies of living pauas were found on all the rocky sections of the north and eastern shores between Wharekauri and Okawa Point; they are the dominant shell-fish in the coastal zone, and in many places the beach is thickly strewn with the dead shells.

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Sharlcs.—Two large sharks were seen, probably Garcharodon carcharias, and during the summer months it is reported that many small shark's come close inshore, where they are sometimes caught for sport. If suitable collecting methods were organized there are good prospects of establishing a sizeable liver-oil industry. All the islanders connected with the sea for a livelihood are said to know how to kill sharks by a knife thrust behind the pectoral fin —as sharks are a menace, and it is not safe to venture far in a small boat. Most launches have at some time been attacked by a big shark. Seals. —They are said to be increasing and to feed on blue cod—a large bull which was shot at Okawa Point had only three octopuses in the stomach, the largest having tentacles 15 in. long, so seals may at least be said to compete with cod for food. There is not a vast number on the mainland, and from Okawa Point to Kaiangaroa, the only part where seals were seen, it is estimated that there were less than one hundred, about fifty at Okawa Point, and thirty at Te Whakaru Island. Reports indicated that at times colonies of two hundred were to be seen on the mainland in this vicinity. Blue Cod.—This was the principal interest of the visit. Chatham Island blue cod are at least equal and probably superior to the best landed in New Zealand and Stewart Island. The fish caught were mostly over 14 in. in total length, and the average weight, headed and gutted, in four commercial samples was in all cases over If lb. The rate of growth is approximately the same as the fastest-grown fish so far examined from Cook and Foveaux Straits regions. Prior to 1931 there were twelve fishing-boats at the Chathams, but when the fish-carrier " South Sea " commenced operations the number of vessels increased to eighteen. During the past years the fleet has dwindled, some boats because of the absence of regular transport having sailed to New Zealand to fish, with the result that it will probably take some time before the fishing fleet reaches its previous strength and high standard. At present there are only five or six fishing-boats at the Islands. The " Silver Dawn " during my visit was completely wrecked when she broke from her mooring in a northerly storm. The original fishing settlement was Port Hutt, the best anchorage at the island, and the western reef, about twelve miles distant, was for many years an excellent fishing-ground and is said to-day to yield the largest cod in in-shore waters. There is, however, no land for farming near to Port Hutt and living conditions are not satisfactory. Freezers were subsequently erected at Owenga and Kaiangaroa, on the south-east and north-east coasts respectively. Anchorage in both places is poor, and there is no wharf at either place ; the stores or fish are landed from ship or launch to surf-boat, then into a dray drawn by three horses into the tide and so ashore. Loading cannot proceed when there is much swell. The Owenga freezer is not now operating. In 1931 the " South Sea " commenced trading to the Chathams, six boats fishing exclusively for her. The chief advantage of a large vessel from which the launches fished was that a change in weather which would make fishing impossible for shore-based vessels could be countered by a change to another part of the coast. Little fishing was done from the " South Sea," but this is a development which may be possible for subsequent ventures ; it appears to be the only satisfactory manner in which off-shore grounds may be fished. When the " South Sea " was loaded (or coal had run low) she returned to Wellington and the fishermen to their homes till next trip. Although it has been stated on several occasions that fishing was showing signs of depletion, it is probable that the fishing-grounds at and around the Chathams would support at least one shore station and two vessels of the " South Sea " type. Fishing would not always yield such rich harvests as during the first years, and the average size of the cod would fall, particularly on the more accessible grounds, but full cargoes would probably be obtained in reasonable time. New codding-grounds continue to be found close to the land, and it is said that whaling-vessels at one time awaited the arrival of whales about fifty miles to the south of the Chathams," and good cod were to be found there also. PILCHARDS The Marine Biologist continued his investigations on the pilchard fishery in Marlborough Sounds. The catches have not been large, and a high proportion was salted instead of being canned because of the difficulty experienced in transporting the fish from Te Rawa, in Pelorus Sound, to the cannery at Picton. Toheroas Two inspections of the North Auckland west coast beaches were made. On the Ninety-mile Beach toheroas are gradually reappearing to the north of the Waipapakauri road in some abundance, but they are small, few being over 3 in. long. Even with careful husbanding of supplies it will be two years before moderate numbers of goodsized toheroas are available. The tuatua, although leaving the southern end of the beach, are still present in dense beds farther north. There are practically no toheroas north of Mangonui Bluff.

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On the south end of the North Kaipara Beach a considerable mortality of toheroas, both large and small, occurred some time prior to 22nd March, 1946. The reason for the large number dying was because the beds were rather near high-water mark and the tide did not cover them for several days during the hot weather. Some of the toheroas finally endeavoured to move to a lower position and had the tongues and siphons bitten off by fish, with the result that although still living, they were unable to dig into the sand and so continued to wash about in the surf. Those seen were so large that the birds were unable to lift them off the beach in order to drop them from a height—their usual method of breaking the shell. The beds on this beach are very well stocked. The south end of Muriwai is depleted to a similar degree that existed in 1937 when there were few beds on the southern ten miles. From eighteen to twenty-six miles north of the road there are still good stocks. The effects of commercial digging which were carried out in the two previous years appear more serious than is actually the case. It was anticipated that the good stocks of 1942-43 would decline naturally, and this has occurred. It is probable, also, that 1947 will see the lowest stock on Muriwai for many years. A reasonably good fixing of young toheroas occurred in 1945 and may be expected to yield a good increase in the supply over 3 in. by 1948. Canning Experiments A successful series of experiments in canning pauas (Haliotis australis and H. iris) were completed. Haliotis species are widely distributed ; in the Channel Islands they are called ormers, and in the United States of America, where they are canned, abalones. Shells of H. australis over 6£ in. long have been obtained from Stewart Island. Canning whole, with only the viscera removed, does not make a very attractive pack, the product being a dark green and the liquid somewhat slimy, although they were classed as satisfactory to eat by some people. In this pack the " fringe " or sensory margin of the mantle, which extends almost all round this shell-fish, is hard in the fresh state, but becomes jelly-like when canned and appears to contribute the viscid substance to the liquid. For the best product produced the fringe was removed, about in. thickness cut from the foot, and the sides trimmed to remove all trace of black or green colour. The resulting meat is quite white. Pauas treated in this way and canned whole or minced were equally good, the meat being tender and the flavour rich. Some observers classed them as superior to toheroas. Experiments were continued on canning eels : samples were obtained from the Hutt and Manawatu Rivers, and from Lake Ferry, covering long and short finned, migrants and non-migrants. Packs were prepared in several different ways, including eels in agar, vinegar, and oil, and smoked eel. The latter product is a delicacy which in flavour is difficult to better and is considered equal to the best New Zealand marine products such as canned whitebait, toheroas, or oysters. Apart from smoked eel, the straight pack of large long-finned eels with the addition of salt only gave the most satisfactory product for New Zealand, although eels in oil may be a desirable product where there is a market for an oily fish. A report on the canned-fish industry, with the results of experiments, is being prepared. Legislation In this field there were very important changes. In November the Fisheries Amendment Act, 1945, became law. Concurrently the fishing-side of the industry was delicensed under the Industrial Efficiency Act, the wholesale, retail, and export of fish having just previously been delicensed. 3—H 15

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The effect of the new legislation is to bring the whole of the licensing of fishermen and fishing-boats under the control of the Sea-fisheries Licensing Authority. This replaces the dual control of the Bureau of Industry and Marine Department which had existed since 1937. As a matter of interest it should be pointed out that this dual control was brought into force while the Sea-fisheries Investigation Committee, under the chairmanship of Mr. James Thorn, M.P., was collecting its evidence throughout New Zealand and compiling its report. There was never any intention of leaving the dual control in existence, but the outbreak of war prevented any further action being taken until this year and the dual control had to remain in force to keep the position in check until the Fisheries Act could be amended. The change over was effected very smoothly considering the individual nature of the licenses, the large number of licenses, and their scattered distribution. It was decided that owing to the late passage of the legislation —November —it was not practicable to decentralize the issue of licenses, as the licensing year commenced on Ist January, 1946, and with the closeness of the holiday season there would be no time to get the licenses printed and instructions issued in time for the main rush of applications in January. It is hoped that in 1946 the issue of renewal licenses will be done by the local officer in at least the main ports. In some of the smaller ports the difficulty arises that the officer in charge is an official of another Department, in some cases already overloaded with his own job plus other part-time appointments. The issue of new licenses or the authorization of a variation to any license must always remain the responsibility of the Licensing Authority. The passage of the Amendment Act was followed by the Sea-fisheries (Boats and Licenses) Regulations 1945. These set out the details of the licensing system. A copy of these regulations is issued gratis to every licensee. One note of warning must be struck here, and that is that fishermen should not buy boats or alter the power of the engines installed without the permission of the Licensing Authority. In too many cases a larger boat is bought or a more powerful engine installed and then the permission of the Authority is sought. In the case of those ports where the fishing power of the existing fleet is already near the danger mark, sooner or later some one will find his request refused and will suffer financial loss. After so many years of licensing, the people in the industry cannot plead ignorance on this point, and they are quite well aware that any effort to replace an obsolete unit will meet with favourable consideration from the Licensing Authority, provided the new unit is not so fundamentally different from the old one as to endanger the fishing-grounds. In regard to ordinary fishery regulations, these have been so amended and added to since the last consolidation in 1939 that it has been found necessary to undertake another revision, and the results of this will, it is hoped, be brought out in 1946. The revision of such complex regulations is, however, a major task which cannot be done quickly by an over-busy staff. Staff With the cessation of hostilities we are looking forward to having the staff back at full strength in 1946. It is proposed also to go ahead with the programme of expansion which was started just before the outbreak of war. With the high intensity of commercial operations right round the coasts of New Zealand, part-time Inspectors, with only occasional visits from fully trained Inspectors, are quite inadequate to cope with the inquiries and demands for investigations. Many of the districts require a thorough overhaul after the enforced laxity of the war years if our fisheries are to be preserved.

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The retirement of Mr. A. B. Hefford, who joined the Department in 1925 as Fishery Expert and who has been Chief Inspector of Sea-fisheries and Director of Fishery Research since 1927, will take place just after the close of the financial year. This long period of service in the Marine Department by an officer with wide experience overseas has been of great value to New Zealand in laying the foundation for a scientific fisheries administration. The year 1945 was mainly a war year and the final cessation of hostilities came too late in the year for there yet to have been time for the industry or the administration to get back on to a peacetime basis. The year 1946 can be forecast as largely a year of readjustment and settling down to normal peacetime functions of both the industry and the administration, and it is hoped that by the end of that year not only will definite progress have been made, but that long-term plans will have received consideration both as regards policy and rational utilization of our fishery resources. M. W. Young, Acting Chief Inspector of Fisheries.

4—H 15

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Table I.—Showing the Number of Fishing-vessels and the Number of Fishermen and other Persons engaged in the Industry at each Port for the Year ended 31st December, 1945

44

Name of Port or District. Vessels licensed, 1st January, 1945, to 31st December, 1945. Vessels enge iged in Pishing for Wet Fish. Vessels e ngaged in Shell-fishery. Number of Fishermen. Motor-vessels Danishseining. Steamtrawlers. Motortrawlers. Motor-vessels Set-net and Line-fishing. Boats engaged in Part-time Trawling and Part-time Line-fishing not included in Previous Columns. Rowingboats. Oysterdredging Vessels. Musseldredging Vessels. Crayfishingvessels. 21 si £ II fcf » 1 £ I £6 £E-i += £ §1 PH H si AHH ® . o § 0 -p 6 II 43 © ss PHB £ <B £.S Hi ® © Is a5 Sg f^H £ © J.I 1 i <D . 31 pfH I! U |l North Island Awanui and district 12 9 3 3 6 8 7 Mangonui 14 9 5 3 7 "2 4 10 Whangaroa 7 7 3 3 i 1 5 7 Russell 45 28 17 10 12 4 3 21 21 Whangarei 14 9 5 3 6 2 8 8 Auckland 103 75 28 35 0 i 1 4 20 '5 "l "l ' '4 2 142 64 Thames district 32 31 1 1 21 6 2 1 54 12 Coromandel 4 3 1 1 1 1 1 3 Mercury Bay 9 8 1 1 7 *3 "2 10 3 Whangamata 7 6 1 6 2 9 Waihi Beach 10 6 4 ' '2 4 "2 5 Tauranga and district 33 18 15 i* 10 6 'i "l "2 27 12 Whakatane 5 5 ' 'l 3 1 1 11 1 Ohiwa Harbour, Opo10 9 "l 2 4 '3 3 9 ■ tiki, and Cape Runaway Gisborne 15 13 2 2 2 4 * / 2 5 13 10 Napier 35 29 6 ' 1 'i 10 3 2 7 2 '3 fr 2 5 40 23 Castlepoint 6 3 3 3 1 4 Wellington 42 28 14 2 1 U 7 '2 "*6 2 '91 6 Makara 3 1 2 1 1 2 Paremata 15 10 5 5 5 i ' '2 12 ' '7 Paraparaumu Beach 5 3 2 1 2 2 3 Manawatu Heads .. 12 6 6 1 '5 2 5 Tangimoana 4 4 ' 4 8 Wanganui 16 12 ' 4 ' 3 8 i ' 5 14 New Plymouth 15 8 7 2 6 "4 3 6 Kawhia 3 3 3 5 Raglan 5 4 "l 1 "3 1 "4 Manukau Harbour .. 13 11 2 6 5 "1 9 8 ■: Kaipara 24 22 2 10 11 i 9 15 Hokianga 10 8 2 1 6 1 2 9

H—ls

45

South Island 19 17 11 12 < Havelock .. 1. 23 22 1 10 4 2 7 6 Picton 23 16 7 7 9 Blenheim (Wairau) .. 3 3 1 1 n 14 23 0 6 14 10 19 11 2 2 Kaikoura 17 14 3 1 6 5 2 ( Lyttelton 27f 17 10 6 3 5 2 1 Q Akaroa 21 9 12 1 7 1 O 7 41 12 12 Lake Ellesmere 30 18 12 1 5 11 Timaru 28 27 1 1 1 8 5 6 1 5 Oamaru 11 8 3 7 1 ' '2 "l 12 12 10 2 Karitane 8 8 7 1 4 4 11 41 4 21 J. Port Chalmers 45 32 13 13 3 7 7 Taieri Mouth 3 3 2 1 2 10 7 •± Nuggets district 11 9 2 4 4 1 1 4 Waikawa 5 5 3 1 1 9 Invercargill Bluflf 4 26 1 20 3 6 4 1 8 ' '9 54 51 6 A 21 25 6 1 Stewart Island 40 34 6 20 18 Riverton district 7 6 1 3 2 1 Hokitika .. 3 1 2 1 I 1 Grreymouth 4 3 1 1 1 1 "l 1 5 2 10 1 16 n Westport Golden Bay 14 5 7 4 7 1 1 4 ' '2 ' '2 3 Motneka 12 11 1 2 8 1 5 13 18 Q Nelson French Pass 23 30 13 27 10 3 ' '4 1 1 2 9 5 17 1 1 1 t 27 Chatham Islands 3 3 3 O Totals 066 721 245 42 7 6 4 61 35 211 278 11 51 9 1 2 27 63 877 536 * Also licensed for purse-seining f Excludes fishing-boats licensed for whitebait

H—ls

Table II.—Showing the Various Kinds of Fish caught and approximately the Total Quantities of Fish and Shell-fish landed at the Fishing Ports for the Year ended 31st December, 1945

46

Shell-fishery (excluding Toheroa) i. Principal QuanTotal Grand Name of Port or District. Kinds of Fish caught. tity landed (Fish). Value (Fish). Oysters. Value. Mussels. Value. Crayfish. Value. Total Value (ShellTotal Value. fish). North Island Cwt. £ Sacks. £ Sacks. £ Cwt. £ - £ £ Awanui and district Q,A,K .. 1,534 1,924 4 10 10 1,934 Mangonui A,K 571 814 92 223 223 1,037 Whangaroa A,V 779 1,044 67 123 123 1,167 Russell A,K,Z .. 4,194 5,093 149 243 243 5,336 Whangarei A,Q,C .. 1,760 2,264 123 259 259 2,523 Auckland a,b;h,q,e 122,789 156,979 5,476 9,583 11,657 4,083 1,385 2; ,950 16 .616 173,595 Thames district A,E,H .. 17,245 25,746 1,499 524 524 26,270 Coromandel A 168 247 247 Mercury Bay A,C 971 1,644 i,io4 2 ,409 2 ,409 4,053 Whangamata B,A 127 217 58 143 143 360 Waihi Beach A,B 259 342 342 Tauranga and district A,B,Q,Y 7,459 7,745 64 68 '68 7,813 Whakatane A,Q 1,423 2,122 81 225 225 2,347 Ohiwa Harbour, OpoA 651 1,041 1,041 tiki, and Cape Runaway Gisborne B,H 8,236 9,160 849 1 ,620 1 ,620 10,780 Napier B,H,C,F 19,194 29,186 922 1 ,640 1 ,640 30,826 Castlepoint C 60 199 26 38 38 237 Wellington B,C,G,M,N 31,554 63,445 3,725 7; ,661 7 ,661 71,106 Makara S 308 752 183 426 426 1,178 Paremata C,G 2,853 7,243 158 372 372 7,615 Paraparaumu Beach A,C 497 1,244 1,244 Manawatu Heads .. A 193 546 546 Tangimoana A 30 89 89 Wanganui A,Y 528 1,092 1,092 New Plymouth A,C 2,301 5,432 i67 508 508 .5,940 Kawhia E,A 375 1,112 1,112 Raglan E 163 500 500 Manukau Harbour .. K,E 1,229 2,217 21 70 70 2,287 Kaipara E,K 2,220 5,860 5,866 Hokianga K,E 941 1,189 1,189 South Island Havelock E,D,I .. 1,701 6,605 6,605 Picton C,X,T) .. 4,358 8,522 848 1 ,634 1 ,634 10,156 Blenheim (Wairau).. F,I 716 1,493 145 106 106 1,599 Kaikoura .. G,C 1,960 4,773 856 1 ,681 1 ,681 6,454 Lyttelton B,J,G,H,E 11,430 26,764 153 230 230 26,994 Akaroa H,G,B .. 1,433 3,936 705 1 ,285 1 ,285 5,221 Lake Ellesmere E \.. 764 2,964 2,964 Timaru J,F,H,Ejc 11,386 33,106 "l "l "l 33,107 Oamaru C A 1,860 4,576 4,576 Moeraki C,D 2,017 5,551 1,222 999 999 6,550 Karitane N,D 1,186 1,610 2,757 2 ,471 2 ,471 4,081 Port Chalmers I,N,E,E,G 25,533 36,225 2 3 3 36,228 Taieri Mouth E 714 2,045 2,045 Nuggets district E 4,250 10,969 10,969 Waikawa E 2,610 6,757 "l ' 1 ' 1 6,758 Invercargill D 51 126 126 Bluff D 3,303 7,834 76,038 57,028 57 ,028 64,862 Stewart Island D 10,346 24,968 24,968 Riverton district D 529 1,099 1,099 Hokitika W 33 64 64 Greymouth E 651 1,646 1,646 West port E,H 738 2,103 ' "e i3 i3 2,116 Golden Bay A 761 1,536 1,536 Motueka A,H .. 1,097 1,979 "i ' '2 "2 1,981 Nelson H,A,E,E 6,372 13,603 19 35 35 13,638 French Pass D,C,A .. 3,278 9,188 9,188 Chatham Islands .. D 2,078 1,868 1,868 Totals 331,773 558,404 81,514 66,611 13,156 4,607 15,924 27 ,449 98,667 657,071 Key to the Symbols used A = Snapper; B = Tarakihi: C = Groper : D = Blue cod; E ■■ = Flounder; F Sole G = Ling; H = Gurnard; I = = Red cod : J = Elephant-fish : K = = Mullet: L = Moki: M = Hake : N = = Barracouta; O = Warehou ; P = = John-dory : Q = Trevally ; R = Pioke ; S = = Butterfish; T = Trumpeter : U = = Whiting; V = Kingfish ; W = = Herring; X = Sardine ; Y = Kahawai; Z = Conger-eel.

H—ls

Table III.—Showing the Quantities of Different Kinds of Fish caught by the Different Methods of Fishing for the Year ended 31st December, 1945

47

Trawl. Danish Seine. Other Nets. Steam. Motor. Total. Motor. Motor. Ttow-boat. Total. Barracouta Cwt. £ Cwt. £ Cwt. £ Cwt. £ Cwt. £ Cwt. £ Cwt. 9 £ 989 728 199 65 1,188 793 2 1 5 5 4 3 .8 Blue cod .. 30 44 9 27 39 71 24 54 " Bonita " (Brama) Brill ' '44 i51 ' '44 'isi Butterfish (greenbone) 1 j 451 3 j 936 ''ll ' 36 1 j 462 3,972 Conger-eel 2 2 2 2 6 4 1 1 7 5 Elephant-fish '■492 1^228 3,366 6,695 19,090 3,858 7,923 'il8 '308 136 367 12 883 7 148 374 Flounders 5 18 5,046 5,051 19,108 3,286 10,070 6,850 19,378 3,092 7,733 22,470 Frost-fish Garfish ' 12 ' '42 'l35 '254 1 1 136 '255 898 Gurnard 1 j 273 1 j 361 9 j 640 12 j149 10 j913 13 j 510 7,797 6,822 1,266 898 1,266 Hake 428 1,115 143 499 571 1,614 Hapuku (groper) 367 936 536 1,803 903 2,739 196 *463 "l4 ' '22 Herring 170 156 ' 53 ioo 223 256 .Tohn-dory .. • '258 '254 ' '74 ' i76 '332 '430 ' '46 ' '69 3 3 3 3 Kahawai 4 3 34 31 38 34 1,704 1,215 ' 41 45 1,745 1,260 Kingfish ;. i35 'l54 154 152 23 156 155 Ling 352 '958 1 j 978 4,'i23 2^330 5,081 17 45 1 2 1 2 Mackerel .. .. 125 133 125 133 30 28 3 "3 33 31 Maomao 14 23 14 23 Moki .. .. 367 '720 '218 '365 '585 1 j 085 203 377 ' 73 138 276 515 Mullet 3,480 3,973 37 42 3,517 4,015 Parori Perch "l 1 " 1 1 845 602 4 2 849 .604 Pioki ... 533 486 533 486 '512 '663 570 721 570 161 721 103 Red cod 'i79 '204 7,874 4,955 8,053 5,159 21 42 1 1 'l60 io2 Sardine .... • .. Shark 761 713 8 28 5 '769 '718 5 6 1,458 167 1,025 211 1,458 167 1,025 211 Skate 4 3 19 32 22 Snapper 8,534 11,270 2,308 3,892 10,842 15,162 . 73,'i63 94,315 14,467 18^698 ■ "41 ' '89 14,'508 18 ,'787 Sole 751 2,318 16,289 46,757 17,040 . 49,075 950 3,596 Swordfish (marlin) .. Tarakihi 27," 728 47 j 638 19 j i74 27 j536 46^902 75^174 16 j i83 20,809 ' '52 io2 "52 3,580 i.02 2,670 Trevally 1,183 976 48 34 1,231 1,010 1,819 1,316 3,531 2,635 *49 35 Trumpeter 190 536 190 536Warehou Whiptail "25 64 ' *47 80 1 " 1 25 65 47 81 '221 '423 ' 60 '127 281 '550 "Whiting 287 201 287 201 Mixed flat fish 25 80 839 2,314 864 2,394 ' 64 178 136 668 477 616 136 681 . 477 634 Mixed round fish and all fish not specified Totals 1,084 1,106 1,371 2,330 2,455 3,436 743 644 "l3 "is 145,315 72,134 -69,953 134,042 115,268 206,176 105,093 139,597" 37,738 ' 56,304 1,448 3,844 39,186 60,148

H—ls

Table III.—Showing the Quantities of Different Kinds of Fish caught by the Different Methods of Fishing for the Year ended 31st December, 1945—continued

48

Lines. Grand Total. Steam. Motor. Row-boat. Total. Cwt. £ Cwt. £ Cwt. £ Cwt. £ Cwt. £ Barraeouta 8,526 4,600 1 1 8,527 4,601 9,726 5,403 Blue cod 19,097 19 47,163 19,097 47,163 19,160 47,288 " Bonita " (Brama) 53 19 53 19 53 Brill 44 151 Butterfish (greenbone) 1,462 3,972 Conger-eel .. i31 i02 i31 i02 140 109 Elephant-fish 145 154 145 154 4,269 8,759 Flounders .. 16,070 51,648 Frost-fish 4 3 4 3 4 3 Garfish 148 297 Gurnard '377 452 1 1 '378 '453 20,354 21,683 Hake .. 778 2,148 778 2,148 1,349 3,762 Hapuku (groper) 20,518 59,098 ' '41 i24 20,559 59,222 21,672 62,446 Herring 150 428 150 428 373 684 John-dory 381 502 Kahawai 530 '500 "l7 ' 11 '547 '511 2,330 1,805 Kingfish 438 524 8 10 446 534 737 843 Ling 5,854 11,751 5,854 11,751 8,202 16,879 Mackerel 158 164 Maomao "lO ' 12 "lO ' 12 24 35 Moki 80 132 5 4 85 136 946 1,736 Mullet 3,517 4,015 Parori 5 3 5 3 854 607 Perch 42 40 42 40 43 41 Pioki 445 439 445 439 2,060 ' 2,309 Red cod 736 652 736 652 8,971 5,956 Sardine 1,458 1,025 Shark 394 393 394 393 1,335 1,328 Skate 46 32 46 32 78 54 Snapper 10,244 18,961 '252 460 10,496 19,421 109,009 147,685 Sole 17,990 52,671 Swordfish (marlin) '672 629 '672 '629 672 629 Tarakihi 683 . 902 9 ' 20 692 922 63,829 97,007 Trevally .. .. 95 111 95 111 6,725 5,107 Trumpeter 18 55 18 55 208 591 Warehou 306 597 Whiptail 4 3 4 3 69 84 Whiting 287 201 Mixed fiat fish 1,064 3,049 Mixed round fish and all flsh not sj >ecified 1,848 2 j 510 3 2 1 j 851 2^512 5,730 7,226 Totals 71,889 151,850 337 633 72,226 152,483 331,773 558,404

H—ls

Table IV.—Showing approximately Quantities of Different Kinds of Fish landed at certain Ports during Year ended 31st December, 1945

49

— '3 % Russell. I § % Auckland. Thames. Tauranga. Whakatane. Gisborne. £ 'ft cS Wellington. Paremata. New Plymouth. Manukan Harbour. Kaipara. Picton. Barracoufca Blue cod " Bonita " (Brama) Butterflsh Brill Conger-eel Elephant-fish Flounder Frost-fish Garfish Gurnard Hake Hapuku (groper) Herring John-dory Kahawai Kingfish Ling Mackerel Maomao Moki Mullet .. Parore Perch Pioke Red cod Sardine Shark .. Skate Snapper Sole Swordflsh Tarakihi Trevally Trumpeter Warehou Whiptail Whiting Mixed flat fish .. Mixed round fish and kinds not specified Totals .. Cwt. "8 "2 ' 1 146 iie 14 "7 225 390 602 23 Cwt. 2 23 iii '39 15 i.52 ' '2 192 124 9 "i4 l,i49 450 105 1,362 228 16 61 U 126 Cwt. ' 1 ' '4 "7 ieo 151 10 14 69 "2 '90 859 387 12 Cwt. 490 114 375 2,047 '92 5,570 122 1,330 171 229 263 216 1.44 402 140 611 830 SI,706 4 23,965 3,297 63 778 Cwt. ' 1 4,246 1,171 "9 2i8 4 ' 3 403 10,«3 666 '50 61 Cwt. 2 10 "l ii6 151 1,070 240 7 ' 2 155 30 ' 1 2,5i3 444 1,289 1,219 ' '4 205 Cwt. iio *78 17 "9 964 *32 135 *78 Cwt. ' 'l '54 1,167 359 '28 "6 62 3 132 59 6,308 23 34 Cwt, 266 5,362 1,443 17 "7 2 36 '80 520 1,036 9,744 557 124 Cwt. 527 109 19 311 *53 141 4 4 342 928 5,403 '78 39 10 3,208 14 507 io5 209 3 67 46 519 11 16,857 244' 2 194 69 287 29 1,205 Cwt. - ' '2 '74 "6 "6 '25 1,835 "l2 488 '45 i.45 5 '45 r '9 31 '66 - 59 Cwt. 5 2 i5 235 ' '2 38 ii 29 ' 1 1,956 Cwt. 433 "7 "l 505 44 '22 45 Cwt. 1,485 ' '7 417 ' '4 15 259 33 Cwt. 59 293 148 *31 1 1 i7 1 1 1,947 15 io "4 ' 1 1,455 164 'i5 20 ' 6 169 1,534 4,194 1,766 122,789 17,245 7,459 1,423 8,236 19,194 31,554 2,853 2,301 1,229 2,220 4,358

H—ls

Table IV.—Showing approximately Quantities of Different Kinds of Fish landed at certain Ports during Year ended 31st December, 1945— continued

50

§ § . 3 'd § 05 i iSs'l 5 • ts" §■ § "S ,a2 X -S S £ bn £ 35 fe « g a S M '3 "£, m .a 1 o 8 ° a £, ® K ® « K J Wi-)<hoSPM ft & z. £, £ £ g Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Barracouta .. .. . ■ • • 40 2 .. 9 .. 7 7,502 .. .. .. ,. .. 147 87 Blue cod .. .. .. •• 26 31 .. 61 170 549 156 45 121 2,899 9,294 .. 96 1,751 2,011 " Bonita" (Brama) .. .. •• • • •• •• •• •• •• •• Butterfish .. .. .. • • 43 1 5 .. .. .. . .. .. 6 .. 21 225 Brill .. .. .. .. • • • • 11 32 1 Conger-eel .. .. .. • • • • 1 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ . • 46 Elephant-fish .. .. .. 6 1,632 38 2,155 .. .. 200 .. .. .. .. 2 5 Flounder .. .. .. •• 512 97 1,819 .. .. 1,366 214 94 39 .. .. 870 Frost-fish .. .. . . • • • • • ■ .... Gurnard !! !! " '' 1,203 431 1,879 !! " 358 '39 "5 !! i26 2,081 *34 !! Hake .. .. .. .. • • 5 234 3 6 1 .. 6 .. .. . . .. .. 1 17 Hapuku (groper) .. .. • • 535 318 164 1,275 1,548 1,336 829 94 36 . 135 433 72 221 554 67 Herring 10 .. 86 John-dory .. .. .. .. • • • • • • • • • • • • 2 .. .. , , .. .. 39 Kahawai .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. 2 .. 3 3 .. .. .. .. .. 7 13 Kin|fish .. .. .. i^ g 1,447 193 1,047 "l7 *24 503 "8 "3 '33 "4 'lO !! "l !! Mackerel Maomao .. .. .. • • • • • • • ■ • • • • • • • • • ■ .... Moki .. .. .. .. .. 13 102 15 1 18 3 9 13 Mullett .. .. .. .. Parore .. .. .. .. •• •• •• •• Perch .. .. .. .. • • • • • • • • • • 9 26 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 5 Pioke 1 7 .. 57 .. .. 375 223 2 Red cod .. .. .. .. •• 46 13 432 97 64 7,605 9 3 18 1 Sardine .. .. .. .. .. • • • • • • • • • • .... Shark .. .. .. .. .. •• • ■ • • 1 • ■ 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19 Skate .. .. .. .. .. • • 3 .. 23 .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Snapper.. .. .. .. .. 47 3 .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 2 2,034 287 Sole .. .. .. .. .. 3 379 32 1,903 .. .. 6,282 3,838 2,320 .. .. 414 446 Swordfish Tarakihi .. .. .. .. 58 4,840 193 44 1 173 1 8 3 48 Trevally Trumpeter .. .. .. .. 10 1 189 .. .. 2 3 Warehou .. .. .. .. .. .... Whiptail .. .. .. Whiting Mixed flat fish 101 .. 154 . . . . 16 2 14 Mixed round fish and kinds not specified .. 72 546 60 518 .. .. 118 1 28 197 609 104 53 169 Totals .. .. .. .. 1,960 11,430 1,433 11,386 1,860 2,017 25,533 4,250 2,610 3,303 10,346 738 6,372 3,278 2,078

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Table V.—Showing Total Quantities of Wet Fish landed at each of the Chief Fishing Ports each Month of the Year 1945

51

Port or District. January. February. March April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. Totals. North Island Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Owt. Awanui and district .. 97 112 293 172 173 160 162 74 152 49 48 42 1,534 Mangonui 23 10 33 35 16 27 48 31 23 137 101 87 571 Whangaroa 108 113 119 82 34 73 39 31 44 46 47 43 779 Russell 344 276 441 404 297 221 377 248 356 420 446 364 4,194 Whangarei 163 117 118 316 143 45 194 124 226 146 115 59 1,766 Auckland 7,815 7,400 9,130 8,065 8,488 10,462 12,722 10,576 11,153 12,730 12,545 11,703 122,789 Thames district 1,627 1,669 2,228 2,100 592 807 984 1,259 2,043 1.904 1.633 399 17,245 Coromandel 15 19 25 22 8 18 9 10 12 12 10 8 168 Mercury Bay 130 131 232 167 48 125 1 1 73 63 971 Whangamata 7 6 5 4 2 "l3 13 14 25 38 127 Waihi Beach 96 23 25 22 22 16 6 23 6 4 8 8 259 "Tauranga and district 510 764 1,250 667 419 323 424 356 536 880 684 646 7,459 Whakatane 90 121 169 154 80 67 141 98 179 187 109 28 1,423 Ohiwa Harbour, Opotiki, 66 106 54 8 29 39 34 41 38 78 89 69 651 and Cape Runaway ■Oisborne 371 485 227 228 342 469 872 1,209 717 910 1,456 950 8,236 Napier 1,110 927 1,091 934 475 790 1,795 2,759 2,379 1,824 3,442 1,668 19,194 Castlepoint 17 2 3 1 8 4 8 11 6 60 "Wellington 2,262 2 j 328 3,399 2,648 2,999 2,692 2^820 2 j 536 1,907 2,732 3,361 1,870 31,554 Makara 23 54 14 23 37 24 40 66 11 5 5 6 308 Paremata 585 282 94 281 240 303 297 72 62 199 203 235 2,853 Paraparaumu Beach .. 79 51 43 52 41 . 38 53 35 26 14 42 23 497 Manawatu Heads 30 48 14 31 6 6 13 13 7 10 8 7 193 Tangimoana.. 3 3 2 4 4 1 3 4 3 3 30 Wanganui .. 39 75 16 61 ' 'eo "35 84 51 32 24 26 25 528 New Plymouth 276 193 111 . 115 124 276 217 63 82 104 217 523 2,301 Kawhia 36 52 40 44 34 32 30 24 16 17 26 24 375 Raglan 13 24 9 13 14 11 11 10 12 . 12 16 18 163 Manukau Harbour 147 142 88 106 79 76 120 81 144 91 86 69 1,229 Kaipara 134 225 245 195 140 210 179 171 211 217 171 122 2,220 Hokianga 73 75 154 112 67 104 85 76 54 44 63 34 941 Sovth Island Havelock 13 22 44 243 316 283 371 164 104 108 18 15 1,701 Picton 751 610 261 376 386 383 276 167 81 136 626 305 4,358 Blenheim (Wairau) .. 24 101 173 141 33 58 57 9 51 21 25 23 716 Kaikoura 166 54 188 116 88 9 21 122 432 230 388 146 1,960 Xyttelton 443 817 1,207 943 1,421 4 913 1,084 777 1,345 1,524 952 11,430 Akaroa 130 92 134 142 81 7 8 44 189 243 259 104 1,433 Lake Ellesmere 143 126 139 145 80 5 18 24 18 23 18 25 764 Timaru 1,262 825 1,038 1,208 1,012 13 395 830 978 1,064 1,554 1,207 11,386 Oamaru 350 136 296 188 136 33 37 38 153 59 194 240 1,860 Moeraki 181 164 243 262 201 149 61 72 155 176 220 133 2,017 Karitane 98 107 254 204 34 1 4 1 114 190 179 1,186 Port Chalmers 2,124 3,589 3,626 3,532 2,277 252 '996 652 720 1,803 3,883 2,079 25,533 Taieri Mouth 114 55 87 119 4 17 22 24 4 117 151 714 Nuggets district 684 424 319 173 20 io9 71 ■ 229 174 426 997 624 4,250 Waikawa 198 118 47 90 74 256 177 290 438 420 265 237 2,610 Invercargill 12 32 2 4 ' 1 51 Bluff 647 *655 "il8 "i38 '237 393 381 473 134 "22 "57 "48 3,303 Stewart Island 310 1,933 217 1,137 1,338 2,349 1,063 1,313 473 119 94 10,346 Riverton district 86 126 , 15 36 30 34 28 84 12 22 14 ' "42 529 Hokit'ika 4 6 2 3 3 3 3 3 6 33 •Greymouth 53 64 19 3.2 76 134 70 72 ' 37 ' " l4 ' 29 51 651 "Westport 41 44 35 51 45 151 80 70 25 93 74 29 738 Golden Bay 61 67 92 139 198 82 20 8 12 50 8 24 761 Motueka 51 74 131 124 200 127 64 25 30 24 88 159 1,097 Nelson 398 270 377 364 624 806 863 404 576 732 571 . 387 6,372 French Pass 411 343 236 252 386 614 271 142 107 203 197 116 3,278 Chatham Islands 495 178 258 163 98 104 417 212 103 2,078 Totals 25,044 27,148^9,146 27,485 24,473 23,842 28,127 26,817 26,413 30,377 36,479 26,422 331,773

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Table VI. —Showing Quantities of the Main Species of Fish landed at the Chief Fishing Ports in each Month of the Year ended 31st December, 1945

52

— January. February. March. April. May. June. July. £ Op «s September. October. November. December. Total. Auckland Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. ■ .Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Flounder 269 29 25 26 21 97 139 135 164 556 485 101 2,047" Gurnard 381 298 337 248 397 512 401 386 623 831 554 602 5,570 Snapper 4,247 4,876 6,379 6,313 7,208 8,591 9,024 6,375 7,191 7,684 6,703 7,115 81,706 Tarakihi 2,221 1,487 1,744 753 280 462 2,535 3,065 3,520 2,591 3,592 2,715 24,965 Trevally 158 413 238 381 185 377 304 179 275 257 282 248 3,297 Thames Flounder 1,306 962 462 578 119 55 14 44 68 236 193 209 4,246 Gurnard 40 34 86 119 114 138 i 127 170 , 93 79 143 28 1,171 Snapper 273 663 1.659 1,339 329 545 778 943 1,707 1,305 755 117 10,413 Trevally 2 6 17 21 21 18 I 21 52 62 61 §70 15 666Tauranga Kahawai 63 22 120 86 113 30 i 3 28 229 152 224 1,070 Snapper 268 423 397 309 124 52 io3 94 152 229 212 150 2,513 Tarakihi 2 4 283 2 64 148 201 247 157 181 1,289 Trevally ' - 18 53 271 215 155 m : 179 20 25 68 39 5 l^lQ' Gisborne Gurnard 150 85 51 73 108 42 24 25 81 142 228 158 1,167 Tarakihi 140 350 87 96 197 410 814 1,168 575 709 1,085 677 6,308 Napier Groper 34 155 105 48 26 141 287 279 151 58 106 53 1,443 Gurnard 402 218 452 533 204 127 •322 595 576 586 964 383 5,362 Sole 170 55 138 60 23 7 23 44 58 96 239 123 1,036 Tarakihi 380 444 304 97 92 424 1,088 1,792 1,554 989 1,828 752 9,744 Wellington 53 Hake 79 60 131 102 36 13 16 13 45 254 126 928 Groper 436 328 179 284 253 460 753 460 529 670 462 589 5,403 Ling 135 121 160 313 704 690 556 201 82 86 79 81 3,208 Tarakihi 1,298 1,384 2,596 1,310 1,572 957 1,168 1,546 728 1,174 2,186 938 16,857 Picton Barracouta 2 1 2 3 46 1 2 1 1 59 Blue cod 76 42 12 46 15 5 2 17"6 25 47 293 Groper 126 201 197 120 252 341 169 23 10 108 240 160 1,947 Sardine 527 339 156 346 87 1,455 Lyttelton Elephant-fish 178 165 188 119 131 62 64 144 221 205 155 1,632 Gurnard 34 51 203 139 56 7 188 246 113 124 42 1,203 Ling 54 163 74 93 104 3 92 59 67 330 364 44 1,447 Tarakihi 11 58 136 372 872 660 727 269 495 675 565 4,840 Timaru Elephant-fish.. 391 103 86 51 112 2 I 4 4 24 413 695 270 2,155 Elounder 314 ; 83 83 126 124 88 238 229 152 153 229 1,819 Groper 212 181 178 211 124 "2 15 160 192 1,275 Gurnard 106 124 257 351 187 '69 ii4 231 166 200 74 1,879 Ling 105 92 178 232 171 "2 10 24 16 22 76 119 1,047 Sole 84 •' 185 192 151 89 3 145 350 294 128 160 122 1,903 Port Chalmers Barracouta 74 119 1,171 1,545 294 3 512 2,810 974 7,502 Flounder 96 108 69 109 205 56 1.66 94 io9 104 130 120 1,366 Bed cod 1,239 2,437 1,010 872 907 72 222 111 38 320 139 238 7,605 Sole 335 561 990 588 563 63 422 260 475 677 680 668 6,282 Groper 99 119 94 100 99 32 94 32 10 103 33 14 829 Stewart Island Blue cod 235 1,647 189 986 1,207 2,183 997 1,240 445 93 72 9,294 Groper 29 139 16 68 71 77 18 5 1 3 6 433 Nelson Flounder 72 41 40 80 125 157 41 44 63 102 79 26 870 Gurnard 74 54 96 103 205 263 356 221 346 -236 86 41 2,081 Snapper 161 83 162 131 235 171 127 52 72 289 326 225 2,034 Sole 1 38 36 30 7 14 183 65 58 14 446

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Table VII.—Showing the Number of Sacks and Value of the Oysters obtained in the Dominion during the Year ended 31st December, 1945

Table VIII. —Showing the Number and Species of Whales taken off the New Zealand Coast, with Quantity of Products, for the Year ended 31st December, 1945

Table IX.—Showing the Total Quantity and Value of Fish and Shell-fish imported into and exported from New Zealand during the Year ended 31st December, 1945 Fish and Shell-fish imported

Fish and Shell-fish exported

53

Locality. Quantity. Value. Dredge Oysters Foveaux Strait .. .. .. .. | Sacks. 76,038 1 £(N.Z.) 57,028 Rock Oysters Bay of Islands Whangarei Harbour Kaipara Harbour Hauraki Gulf* Coromandel Great Barrier Island 2,003 195 907 1,479 650 242 9,583 Total 5,476 Grand total 81,514 66,611 * Pahiki, 118 ; Motutapu, 97 ; Rotoroa, 120 ; Pakatoa, 17 ; Ponui, 408 .; Waiheke, 719.

Whaling-station. Number of Whales taken. Species. Yield of Oil. Quantity of Other Products. Tons. Tons. Marlborough Sounds 107 Humpbacks 750 100 (bonedust) (Picton)

Kind of Fish. Quantity. Value. £(N.Z.) Sardines, brisling, and sild (tinned) 37,500 lb. 2,491 Other fish— Smoked, dried, or salted 129 cwt. 2,633 Preserved 288 lb. 17 5,141

Kind of Fish. Exporting Ports. Quantity. Value. £(N.Z.) Oysters, fresh Auckland 180 doz. 4 Other ports 460 doz. 14 Total 640 doz. 18 \

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Fish and Shell-fish exported—continued

54

Kind of Fish. Exporting Ports. Quantity. Value. Blue cod, frozen Auckland Wellington Dunedin Other ports .. 81 cwt. 167 cwt. 112 cwt. 7,284 cwt. £(N.Z.) 529 1,094 569 36,490 , Total 7,644 cwt. 38,682 Flounder, frozen Auckland Wellington Dunedin Other ports 180 cwt. 102 cwt. 452 cwt. 213 cwt. 1,046 582 2,536 1,210 Total 947 cwt. 5,374 Snapper, frozen . Auckland Wellington 389 cwt. 363 cwt. 2,092 2,152 Total 752 cwt. 4,244 Tarakibi, frozen.. Auckland Wellington Dunedin 262 cwt. 544 cwt. 231 cwt. 1,198 2,826 871 Total 1,037 cwt. 4,895 Red cod, frozen Auckland Wellington Dunedin Other ports 1 cwt. 123 cwt. 2,414 cwt. 717 cwt. 6 571 6,250 1,846 Total 3,255 cwt. 8,673 Hapuku ... Auckland Wellington Dunedin Other ports 120 cwt. 61 cwt. 398 cwt. 119 cwt. 668 390 2,048 616 Total 698 cwt. 3,722 Barracouta, frozen Auckland Wellington Dunedin Other ports 94 cwt. 626 cwt. 1,429 cwt. 220 cwt. 481 3,263 4,376 763 Total 2,369 cwt. 8,883 Sole, frozen Dunedin Other ports 1,575 cwt. 632 «wt. • 8,154 3,298 Total 2,207 cwt. 11,452 Crayfish, frozen Auckland Wellington Dunedin 38 cwt. 826 cwt. 482 cwt. 266 4,236 2,020 Total 1,346 cwt. 6,462

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Fish and Shell-fish —continued

55

Kind of Fish. Exporting Ports. Quantity. Value. Other kinds*, frozen Auckland Wellington Dunedin Other ports 584 cwt. 1,849 cwt. 512 cwt. 809 cwt. Jt(N.Z.) 3,020 10,110 2,093 2,898 Total 3,754 cwt. 18,121 Total exports of frozen fish (including crayfish) from New Zealand 24,009 cwt. 110,508 Smoked, dried, pickled, or salted .. Auckland .. Wellington Dunedin Other ports 362 cwt. 2,899 cwt. 736 cwt. 279 cwt. 2,041 18,266 4,479 1,604 Total 4,276 cwt. 26,390 Preserved in tins— Oysters Auckland Wellington Other ports 1,649 lb. 233 lb. 42 lb. 179 18 2 Total 1,924 lb. 199 Whitebait Auckland Wellington Lyttelton Dunedin Other ports 118,217 lb. 18.081 lb. 5,240 lb. 55,772 lb. 517 lb. 23,833 3,861 1,207 10,354 92 Total 197,827 lb. 39,347 Toheroa Auckland Wellington 15,800 lb. 228 lb. 1,291 22 Total 16,028 lb. 1,313 Mussels Auckland 3,579 lb. 201 Crayfish Auckland Wellington Dunedin 4,076 lb. 216 lb. 21,600 lb. 487 27 2,520 Total 25,892 lb. 3,034 01am chowder Auckland 124,648 lb. 6,117 Other kinds Auckland 1,878 lb. 254 Value of total exports of New Zealand fish and shell-fish 187,381 * Includes mussels, 48 cwt., value £272 ; abalone, 2 cwt., value, £28.

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Table X. —Return of Land Engineers', Engine-drivers', and Electric-tram Drivers' Examinations held throughout New Zealand during the Year ended 31st March, 1946, showing the Number of Successful and Unsuccessful Candidates

Table XI.—Summary of Examinations for Certificates as Masters and Mates for the Year ended 31st March, 1946

56

Extra First Class. First Second Locomotive Traction. LocoTraction. Winding. Electrictram Driver. Total. "3 Place. Class. Class. motive. Steam. Electric. "8 H P. F. P. F. P. F. P. F. P. F. P. F. P. F. P. F. P. F. P. F. 1 as Auckland .. Christchurch Dunedin Gisborne Oreymouth .. Hamilton .. Invercargill.. Napier Nelson New Plymouth Palmerston North Timaru Wanganui .. Wellington .. Whangarei .. Other places 1 4 3 2 3 2 i l l i 12 l 3 i 1 37 16 13 2 7 25 13 11 10 26 11 6 6 22 2 13 13 3 2 2 7 2 3 4 15 3 3 5 "i 1 4 2 4" 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 5 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 33 37 7 3 7 30 6 1 i 75 '61 26 2 13 32 20 13 11 30 13 9 14 65 15 26 3 3 2 9 3 4 4 16 3 3 9 1 101 64 29 2 15 41 23 17 15 46 16 9 17 74 3 16 Totals .. 2 5 27 8 220 63 15 1 4 12 1 2 120 8 392 86 478

Auckland. Wellington. Totals. _ _. Total Class ot Certificate. Examinations. P. P.P. F. P.F. P. P.P. F. P.F. P.. P.P. F. P.F. Foreign - going Masters and 29 27 9 8 8 1 6 37 35 1 15 88 Mates Home-trade Masters and Mates 23 8 3 1 6 29 8 3 6 46 Master River Steamer 14 1 2 1 16 2 18 Examination in Compass 1 1 2 1 3 2 5 Deviation Square Rigged Endorsement 1 1 1 Fore and Aft Endorsement .. 1 1 1 New Zealand Pilot 1 1 1 Totals 69 35 5 10 19 8 3 6 88 43 8 21 161

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Table XII.— Summary of Examinations of Marine Engineers for the Year ended 31st March, 1946

Table XIII.—Summary of Casualties to Shipping reported to the Marine Department during the Year ended 31st March, 1946

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (693 copies,) £137.

By Authority: B. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington. —194 G. Price Is. 3c/.]

57

Class of Auckland. Wellington. Christchurch. Dunedin. Other Places. Totals. Grand Certificate. P. P.P. F. P.P. P. P.P. F. P.F. P. P.P. F. P.F. P. P.P. F. P.F. . P. F. P. P.P. F. P.F. Total. Imperial Validity 1st and 2nd Class Steam 1st and 2nd Class Motor 1st and 2nd Class Steam Endorsement 1st and 2nd Class Motor Endorsement 6 2 9 3 3 1 10 2 9 2 5 1 3 2 11 3 3 1 23 2 1 14 49 5 3 1 6 2 16 12 9 2 5 1 3 2 18 25 1 14 58 Valid in New Zealand only 3rd Class Steam River Steam .. 1st and 2nd Coastal Motor River Oil 14 5 8 31 9 3 1 18 1 8 12 10 1 2 1 5 3 1 1 3 1 i' 37 3 35 7 17 88 23 3 6 58 7 20 94 58 13 39 11 8 4 4 1 38 3 147 32 179 Totals .. 58 6 13 2 55 12 11 9 10 5 5 3 4 2 1 38 3 165 25 33 14 237

On or near Coasts of Dominion. Outside Dominion. Total Number of Casualties reported. Nature of Casualty. Number of Vessels. Tonnage. Number of Lives lost. Number of Vessels. Tonnage. Number of Lives lost. Number of Vessels. Tonnage. Number of Lives lost. rStrandings— Total loss Damaged Undamaged io 5 3,276 3,444 io 5 3,276 3,444 15 6,720 15 6,720 Fires— Total loss Damaged Undamaged 3 3,652 s 3,652 3 3,652 3 3,652 •CollisionsTotal loss Damaged Undamaged 6 11,249 6 11,249 6 11,249 6 11,249 Miscellaneous, including damage by heavy seas, breakdown of machinery, &c. 16 2,866 2 6,888 8 9,754 Total casualties .. 30 24,487 2 6,888 32 31,375