H—ls

Port equipment and property has been maintained in satisfactory condition throughout the year. Further new tools have been installed in the workshops, and more and valuable up-to-date machine tools are to hand. Of necessity these will have to be installed in the port's old and inadequate workshops, and full value and use will not become evident until the intended new workshops can be erected. I referred in my report of last year to the wastage and breaking-away that had occurred in the rock half-tide channel training-wall abreast of the wharves, and that necessary repair work had been put in hand. This work was completed during this past year, and the men who were employed then engaged in the removal of numerous nests of drift logs which over a period had lodged in the channel of the river in the reach extending some distance upstream from the wharves, and, of course, above the actual ship-navigation area. During the year the Department acquired from the War Assets Realization Board for the purposes of the port one of the 75 ft. steel tugs which were built at Auckland during the war under direction of the Shipbuilding Division of the Department to United States Navy specification. This craft, in effect, replaced the paddle-wheel tug " Mana," which for many years rendered valuable service and which was reduced to " scrap " for war salvage. Shortly after this new tug became effective as a unit in the equipment of the port it was called to good use in an emergency such as had not arisen at any time previously in the history of the port. The collier s.s. " Kaimiro " outward bound with a cargo of coal inadvertently grounded on the bar in shoal water, and within two hours, on a falling tide, with a tow line aboard the tug in supplementation of the " Kaimiro's " own engine, the vessel was safely away without detriment. Incidentally, I mention that as a gesture of appreciation by the Department of its late Hon. Minister, just prior to whose death the tug was acquired, the vessel was named James O'Brien." In my last report I referred to the setting-up of a committee of New Zealand engineers, under the direction of the Commissioner of Works, for the purpose of analysing several previous recent reports for effecting improvements to the harbour, and in particular with a view to gaining and more effectively maintaining satisfactory working depths on the bar, .such committee to bring down final recommendations for consideration as to implementation. The report of this committee, which comprised Mr. W. L. Newnham, Chairman, and Messrs. F. W. Furkert and J. Wood, each previously in their time Marine Engineer to the Government, has now been received, and is receiving consideration. I again express appreciation of the services voluntarily rendered to the Department by the Harbour Advisory Committee, the members of which are representative of all interests locally concerned in the successful functioning of the port. The Committee has continued to meet regularly and consider matters for the betterment of the port and its operation, and it is pleasing to note that several points which they have steadfastly advocated have received endorsement by the committee of engineers. In conclusion, I wish to refer to the loss to the Department's operating staff during the year of two long-service and valued officers, Captain L. W. Crowe, Senior Dredgemaster, and Mr. C. R. Bignell, Mechanical Engineer, both of whom very faithfully served the harbour for thirty years. Captain Crowe retired, whilst unfortunately Mr. Bignell's service was prematurely terminated by his death. EXAMINATION OF MARINE ENGINEERS During the year, 364 candidates were examined for Marine Engineer's Certificates of Competency at the various centres throughout the Dominion. Of these, 130 were examined for First- and Second-class Certificates of Imperial validity, 95 were examined for Third-class Marine Certificates, and 30 were examined for First- and Second-class

9