H.—ls

of overseas ships, reconversion and reconditioning of tonnage handed back to commerce by Navy, and to extensive repairs to some ships as a result of delay in carrying out full repairs during the early war period. Quick turn-round in dock was in many cases impracticable owing to the acute shortage of skilled labour. One overseas ship was some weeks on drydock undergoing extensive repairs to her wooden hull. Skilled shipwright labour had to be provided from other ports to assist with the work. Another overseas ship was many months in a New Zealand port undergoing repairs and reconditioning on behalf of the Ministry of War Transport, London. The work of reconversion of commercial tonnage taken up for use by Navy during the early part of the war made a heavy demand on repair facilities throughout the Dominion. The ships included a fair number of coasting vessels and a large number of launches of all kinds. One ship —the s.s Wairua ' —formerly used in the passenger and cargo service between Auckland and Tauranga and taken up for minesweeping purposes, was retained by the Government and converted into a ferry steamer for the run between and Stewart Island. This service was maintained before the war by the motorship " Tamatea." She was taken up early for war duties in the Western Pacific, and as a temporary measure the fishing-vessel s.s. " Orewa " was fitted out for the service. The " Orewa " was small and slow and not altogether suitable for the inclement-weather run across Foveaux Strait. The Wairua is 139 ft. long with a gross tonnage of 324 tons, and is an excellent seaboat well suited for the run. A comfortable well-fitted-out cabin for 72 persons was provided aft, and an awning deck was fitted for the protection of deck passengers. Her total accommodation is suitable for 347 adults. The Wairua has maintained the service since before Christmas 1944, and has proved very successful. New construction during the year included five 60 ft. vessels for the High Commissioner, Western Pacific. I'liey are small cargo and general utility vessels for inter-island service powered with Diesel engines. They were laid down in Auckland during 1944, and first deliveries have been made since the close of the year under review on 31st March, 1945. A shortage of qualified officers for the smaller coasting vessels has been experienced during the year, and on many occasions it has been found necessary to issue permits for men to act in higher positions until the services of properly certificated officers could be obtained. It is expected that the shortage will remain acute until the termination of war in the Pacific. Inspection of Machinery Boilers The following statement shows the number of inspections of fired boilers, unfired pressure vessels, and air receivers made during the year, with the corresponding figures for the previous year shown in parentheses : — Fired boilers ... .. .. .. .. .. 4,499 (4,600) Unfired steam-pressure vessels .. .. .. .. 6,607 (6,319) Air receivers .. .. .. .. .. .. 3^91 (3^28) Total inspections .. .. .. .. .. 14,597 (14,147) The inspections include 127 new power-boilers, aggregating 2,204 horse-power, manufactured in the Dominion, and 51 new power-boilers, aggregating 738 horse-power, imported from abroad. The inspections also include 488 new steam-pressure vessels and 95 new air-receivers made in the Dominion and 130 steam-pressure vessels and 26 new air-receivers imported from overseas. First inspections of bakers' steam-tube ovens were made during the year. The classification of these plants as pressure-producing apparatus was until recent years left in doubt. They have now been definitely classed by the Imperial Government as steam-boilers and as such are subject to the statutory examination and certification governing boilers. Now Zealand has followed suit and classified them as boilers under the Inspection of Machinery Act. The apparatus consists of a number of sealed tubes each of which is a separate element. A certain amount of water is placed in each tube before sealing. The ends are exposed to the furnace fire and, on generation of steam, heat is conducted to the oven through the remainder of the tube. There are no safety-valve, water-gauge, or other fittings of the normal boiler. Safety is dependent 011 the temperature of the oven, which is usually round about 500° F. Steam-pressure at this temperature is about I,ooolb. per square inch. The tubes are safe at this pressure provided their condition is maintained. New tubes are tested during construction to a pressure up to 6,000 lb. per square inch. Machinery The following statement shows the number of machines, machinery plants, lifts, cranes, hoists, and tractors inspected during the year, with the corresponding figures for the previous year shown in parentheses :— ■ Machines not drawn by steam-power in 10,806 (10,815) plants .. 81,155 (82,760) Machines driven by steam power in 1,640 (1,825) plants .. 8,053 Electric-supply stations .. .. .. .. . 129 (109) ifts •• •• •• •• •• •• 3,331 (3,470) Cranes .. .. .. .. . . .. 529 (545) olsts •• •• •• •• •• •• 1,885 (1,768) Tractors 351 (353) Total machinery inspections .. .. 95,433 (98 ( 600) The number of machinery inspections made during the year shows a decrease of 3,167 inspections over the previous year. Included in the inspections are 46 cranes and 32 lifts inspected for the first time. The revenue, however, shows an increase over the previous year,

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