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Mercantile Marine Officers. The duties connected with these officers have 'been performed very satisfactorily, and the Superintendents and their assistants are to be commended for the skill and tact with which the)' have carried out their important and increasing duties. A return which is appended shows the number of seamen engaged and discharged at the different ports, and the amounts of fees received for the engagements and discharges. The number of men engaged was 20,554, and the number discharged 20,378. The amount of fees received was £2,801 17s. In the previous year the engagements were 21,123, the discharges 19,749, and the fees received £2,891 7s. The transactions at the four principal ports were as follows :— Engagements. Discharges. « ' , Auckland ... ... ... 5,611 5,692 775 13 0 Wellington ... ... ... 6,930 7,152 932 12 0 Lyttelton ... ... ... 2,152 1,936 296 0 6 Dunedin and Port Chalmers ... 2,879 3,021 437 13 0 During the previous year they were as follows: — Auckland ..'. ... ... 6,305 6,191 870 1 6 Wellington ... ... ... 6.520 6,623 891 1 6 Lyttelton ... ... ... 2,311 1,929 317 19 6 Dunedin and Port Chalmers ... 3,081 2,648 399 18 6 The Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act, 1909, empowers the Minister to withhold the certificates of discharge of seamen who desert from or fail to join their ships at the time of sailing for such time as he sees fit, and during the time they are withheld the men cannot ship in other vessels. This power is being exercised with salutary effect, and fewer men are absent at the time fixed for vessels to sail. The Shipping and Seamen x\mendment Act, 1911, empowers a Superintendent to accept an approved security for a sick seaman's wages, maintenance, and medical expenses, instead of a deposit being made in cash, and the practice of accepting such security is working well. It saves a shipowner "having to pay the money before it is required, and of having to deposit more than it may be found on the man's recovery is wanted. A vacancy in the Dunedin office has been filled by the appointment of Mr. H. F. Tomlinson, chief officer of the s.s. " Hinemoa," and one in the Wellington office by the appointment of Mr. W. Whiteford, clref officer of the s.s. " Tutanekai." P. G. Moffatt has been appointed Superintendent of Mercantile Marine at Motueka to enable seamen to be discharged before him. Proceedings in connection with seamen were taken by the Department in connection with the following cases with the results stated, viz. : The master of the scow " May," for carrying a seaman without entering into an agreement with him, fined £1 and costs; J. Hartley, Union Company's providore at Auckland, for transferring a steward from one ship to another without his being discharged from ship he was leaving, convicted and ordered to pay costs; P. Banfield, for making a false declaration that he was entitled to ship, fined £2 and costs; P. Lemon, for altering his discharge, sentenced to three months' imprisonment; J. H. Reed, for making a false declaration that he was entitled to ship, sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment; J. Cowan, master of s.s. " Himitangi," for not keeping a sailor on deck when at anchor in a harbour, fined 10s. and costs. Masters, Mates, and Engineers. The examination of candidates has been carried out satisfactorily at the various examination ports. 422 candidates have passed and 151 failed. Of those who passed, 241 were masters, mates, and engineers of seagoing ships, 54 were masters and engineers of steamships plying within restricted limits, 9 were masters of fishing-boats and of cargo-vessels up to 25 tons register, 13 were engineers of seagoing ships propelled by oil-engines or other mechanical power than steam, and 105 were engineers of similar vessels plying within restricted limits. Under the provisions of the Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act, 1909, two certificates of service as master of oilengine boats up to 6 tons register, and two as engineer of such vessels, were issued during the year. These with the certificates issued during the previous year make the numbers granted 792 as master and 772 as engineer. There will, however, be no more, as the time within which they can be given has expired. The following persons have been prosecuted by the Department for offences connected with certificates, viz. : W. Taupo, owner of launch, for running the boat without certificated master or engineer, fined £1 and costs; T. Wahanga, for similar offence, fined 10s. and costs; H- McCormick, for similar offence, fined £1 and costs. The report of the Chief Examiner of Masters and Mates is appended. Registration of Shipping. Returns are appended showing the vessels registered in New Zealand on the 31st December last, and the number of seamen and boys employed on them. These show that on that date there were 242 sail ; ng-ships of 34,308 registered tonnage, and 374 steamships of 121,772 tors register, as against 244 sailing-ships of 35,651 tons register, and 361 steamships of 114,973 tons register on the 31st December, 1911. The number of seamen and boys employed on board at the end of 1912 was 4,983, as compared with 5,268 at the end of the previous year.