H.—ls,

Registration op Shipping. On the 31st December, 1936, there were on the Register of Vessels in the Dominion 53 sailingvessels of 4,701 tons register, 166 steamers of 82,136 tons register, and 264- motor-vessels of 14,269 tons register, as compared with 52 sailing-vessels of 4,726 tons register, 188 steamers of 80,763 tons register, and 255 motor-vessels of 10,518 tons register at the end of the previous year. The total number of vessels of all classes on the register at the end of the year was 483, aggregating 101,106 tons, as against 495 vessels aggregating 96,007 tons at the end of the previous year. The number of seamen employed on board was 3,071, as compared with 2,887 for the year 1935. Government Shipping Oppices. The administration of the Shipping and Seamen Act has been efficiently and smoothly carried out in the Government Shipping Offices to the entire satisfaction of owners and crews. The improvement in the shipping trade is reflected in the increased number of seamen engaged and discharged at the various ports during the year, the revenue in fees also showing a decided increase. The total number engaged and discharged was 11,803 and 11,533 respectively, compared with 10,283 and 10,070 respectively for the previous year. The transactions at the four main ports were as follows, the figures in parenthesis being those of the previous year : —

Engagement op 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 its amendments, was £20,208 Bs., as against £14,619 7s. 9d. for the previous year, an increase of £5,589 os. 3d. Survey op Ships. The following table shows the number of certificates of survey issued to ships during the year, the figures for the previous year being shown in parenthesis : — Sea-going steam and motor ships .. .. . . . . 155 (159) Sea-going sailing-ships . . .. .. .. .. .. 2 (4) Restricted-limits steam and motor ships .. .. .. .. 367 (382) Totals .. .. .. .. .. .. 524 (545) Four new sea-going motor-ships, " Matua," " Kauri," " Gale," and " Coastguard," were surveyed by the Department for the first time during the year for the issue of certificates. The " Matua " is a steel vessel, built at Hebburn-on-Tyne in June, 1936, of 4,193 tons gross and 2,112 tons register. The propelling machinery consists of two sets of Armstrong Whitworth two-stroke cycle, single-acting Diesel engines, the total brake horse-power being 5,400. The auxiliary machinery is electrically driven, while the steering-gear is electro-hydraulically operated. The vessel is engaged in the New Zealand-Pacific Islands cargo and passenger service. A safety certificate as required for a passenger-ship plying on an international voyage was issued to the vessel after annual survey at Wellington in January, 1937, under the provisions of the International Convention for the Safetv of Life at Sea, 1929. The Kauri, built at Glasgow in August, 1936, has a gross tonnage 2,361, and a register tonnage of 1,302, and is propelled by a single set of 1,600 b.h.p., two-stroke cycle, single-acting Diesel engines constructed by Alex. Stephen and Sons, Ltd. She is employed in the intercolonial coal and timber trade. The " Gale," of 622 tons gross and 314 tons register, was built at Bowling, Scotland, in 1935. She is propelled by a single set of two-stroke cycle Diesel engines of 725 b.h.p., built by British Auxiliaries, Ltd., and is employed in the New Zealand coastal trade. The " Coastguard is a wooden fishing-vessel built at Sydney in 1935, of 27 tons register, and fitted with a single set of Fairbanks-Morse two-stroke cycle oil engines of 100 b.h.p. Eight restricted-limits motor-vessels and one steamship were surveyed for the first time during the year for the issue of certificates. Five of these vessels were new, two had been in private use for a number of years, and two were converted ships' life-boats. The s.s. " William C. Daldy," the largest of the new vessels, is a tug 117 ft. 6 in. long and was built at Renfrew in 1935. The propelling machinery consists of two sets of triple-expansion engines of 261n.h.p., made by Lobnitz and Co., Ltd. Steam is supplied by two cylindrical multitubular boilers, made by Barclay, Curie, and Co. Coal is burned under Howden's forced-draught system. This vessel, it will be observed, is the only new ship propelled by steam-engines surveyed in the Dominion during the year. The remaining first-survey vessels were all propelled by internal-combustion engines.

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Port. Engaged. | Discharged. Fees. £ s. d. £ s. d. Auckland .. .. .. .. 3,244 (2,808) 3,355 (2,659): 618 2 0 (501 9 0) Wellington .. .. .. .. 5,735 (5,062) 5,484 (5,069) 1,021 19 0 (865 9 0) Lyttelton .. .. .. .. 546 (509) 550 (500) 91 10 0 (85 2 0) Dunedin .. .. .. .. 615 (372) 502 (400) 107 0 0 (73 0 0) | i