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1907. NEW ZEALAND.

MARINE DEPARTMENT (ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1906-7).

Presented to both /louses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

My Lord,— Marine Department, Wellington, 31st July, 1907. 1 do myself the honour to transmit herewith, for Your Excellency's information, the report of the Marine Department of the colony for the financial year ended the 31st March last. I have, &c, J. A. Millar, Minister of Marine. His Excellency the Right Hon. Baron Plunket, Governor of New Zealand.

Sih,— Marine Department, Wellington, 25th May, 1907. I have the honour to make the following report on the work of this Department during the financial year ended the 31st March last. Engagement and Discharge of Seamen. —This work lias been carried out in a satisfactory manner at the various ports, and appended is a return showing the number of seamen engaged and discharged, and the fees received at the mercantile marine offices. The increase of work has necessitated the appointment of a clerk in the Dunedin office, and, owing to increased work, and to Captain Atwood, of the Auckland office, being appointed a Surveyor of Ships to enable him to attend to survey work, a clerk has been appointed in that office. Appended are returns showing the accidents to seamen, and the amounts paid to disabled seamen under section 119 of "The Shipping and Seamen Act, 1903." In order that there may be a record of accidents to persons other than seamen who are employed in connection with ships, the Superintendents of Mercantile Marine at the various ports have been instructed to report to this Department all that come under their notice, and the police have been instructed to advise the Superintendents of those of which they have knowledge. It is not at present compulsory on the employers of such persons to report these accidents to the Superintendents, and, in order that the record may be a complete one, it would be advisable to make it compulsory by makingprovision for it in the Bill which is being prepared to amend " The Shipping and Seamen Act 1903." Proceedings have been taken and fines imposed for breaches of the law relating to seamen in the following cases—viz., the master of the s.s. " Perthshire," the master of the s.s. " Ngunguru," the master of the s.s. " Rippingham Grange," the master of the s.s. "Tasman," and the master of the scow " Ngaru," for carrying seamen to sea without entering into an agreement with them. In a prosecution against the Union Steamship Company for employing two men on the " Wainui " without putting them on the articles a conviction was recorded, and the company was ordered to pay costs;, and in another case the master of the "Wainui" was fined for proceeding from Greymouth to Onehunga with one man short of the number required by the Act. The master of the s.s. ''Storm" was convicted and ordered to pay costs on a similar charge. A man named Robert Dixon attempted to ship at Auckland with a discharge which he had altered from ordinary to able seaman, and proceedings were taken against him for making the alteration, which resulted in his being convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. Examination of Masters and Mates. —The report of the Principal Examiner is appended hereto. For' certificates of competency 311 persons passed their examinations, and 137 failed. Of those who passed 175 were masters, mates, and engineers of sea-going ships; 64 were masters and engineers of steamships plying within restricted limits ; 5 were masters of fishing-boats and of cargo-boats up to 25 tons register ; 1 was master of a fishing-boat up to 5 tons register; 1 was master of a sailing-vessel plying within restricted limits; 20 were engineers of sea-going ships propelled by oil-engines; 40 were engineers of similar vessels plying within restricted limits; and 5 were marine engineers. Certificates of service have been granted to 387 masters and 22 engi-

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