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The transactions at the four chief ports were as follows (the figures in parentheses being those of the previous year) :—

The total amount paid to sick and injured seamen, under the provisions of section 6 of the Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act, 1911, was £15,228 10s., as compared with £20,288 6s. 6d. in the previous year. Masters, Mates, and Engineers. During the year 430 candidates passed their examinations and 121 failed. Of those who passed 232 were masters, mates, or engineers of seagoing ships, 4 were masters of fishing-boats or of cargoboats under 25 tons, 29 were masters or engineers of steamers plying within restricted limits, 60 were engineers of seagoing motor-pro pel led ships, and 105 were engineers of such boats plying within restricted limits. The report of Captain G. S. Hooper, Nautical Adviser and. Principal Examiner of Masters and Mates, is appended. The examination of masters and mates is carried out by Captain Hooper at Wellington, Captain Whiteford at Auckland, and Captain Dykes at Lyttelton ; the examination of engineers is carried out by the Inspectors of Machinery, who are also Examiners of Engineers at the. various places where they are. stationed. Registration of Shipping. On the 31st December last there wer ■ en the register of vessels in the Dominion 161 sailingvessels, of 23,201 tons register, and 401 steamers, of 68,705 tons register, as compared with 163 sailingvessels, of 21,223 tons register, and 384 steamers, of 64,837 tons register, at the end of the previous year. The number of seamen and boys employed on board was 3,448, as compared with 3,270 at the end of 1920: Survey of Shi\s. Certificates have been granted to 278 steamers, 532 oil-engine, vessels, and 51 sailing-vessels, as compared with 250, 4-12, and 55 respectively in the previous year. The regulations governing the inspection and safety of ships' and waterside cargo gear have been well carried out by the Inspectors specially appointed at the four main ports, and by the ordinary Surveyors of Ships at the other ports. A very large number of inspection visits have been made, by these officers, and defects found and remedied. Attached are returns of seagoing vessels to which certificates have been'issued. Government Steamers. Owing to the necessity for retrenchment and economy it was decided to lay up the s.s. " Hinemoa," which has for very many years carried out the work of attending to lighthouses, harbour buoys and beacons, and to replace her by the s.s. " Tutanekai," which underwent an extensive overhaul and refit for the purpose, and which will now carry out the whole of the departmental work. The " Hinemoa," which was built in 1876, has proved a very valuable vessel to the Government, as she was very economical and had run without practically any mishap during the, whole, period. Her expenses for upkeep have consequently been small until recently, when more money had. to be expended on her in view of her age. She is still a very serviceable vessel, but in any case, during the last few years, had proved rather small for the large quantity of stores, &c, required to be carried. The " Tutanekai " is now in good condition, and should be useful for some years. For the reason first given above the Government decided to abolish the training of boys for the sea and to place the training-ship " Amokura " out of commission. This training scheme was brought into force in 1907, since which time 516 boys have passed through the vessel, and a good number of these have passed for their masters' and mates' certificates, and occupy responsible positions in the mercantile marine, while others have gone into the Navy ; many of the trainees served (some of them with distinction) in the late war. While the Department has not, of course, been able to kcepi track of all the boys who have passed through the vessel, sufficient information has been gained from various sources to indicate that the object of the scheme —viz., to supply a good class of well-trained boy to the mercantile marine—has been attained. In addition to this work, the " Amokura " was of much use to the Department in visiting outlying islands and harbours in search of shipwrecked mariners, and to examine and replenish the food and clothing depots maintained by the Government at these places for the benefit of such people. The auxiliary ketch " Te Waipounamu," which was purchased by the Government for use in connection with the, picking of rock-oysters and the cultivation and extension of these oyster-beds, has received a thorough overhaul and is now in first-class condition.

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Engagements, Discharges. Fees. Auckland Wellington Lytic I ton Dunedin 5,139 (7,869) 6,059 (8,114) 2,111 (2,582) 1,565 (2,141) 5,451 (7,846) 6,266 (8,068) 2,156 (2,467) 1,705 (2,129) £ s. d. £ s. d. 923 2 0 (1,211 1 6) 1,059 3 0 (1,201 9 0) 395 0 0 (391 3 0) 297 18 0 (334 11 0)