MARINE SURVEY WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 30, 4 February 1905, Page 5

MARINE SURVEY WORK.

PENGUIN'S SERVICES TO BE DISPENSED WITH. UNFAVOURABLE COMMENT IN SHIPPING CIRCLES. Information has been received in Auckland that the New Zealand Govern- ! ment has given notice to the captain of H-M.s. Penguin, engaged on marinesurvey work in New Zealand waters, dispensing with the further services of that vessel. It is assumed among shipping people that the Government proposes to continue the uncompleted surveys itself in the hope of saving money, but experts consider that on the contrary money will be lost by the step. The "departure of the Penguin will also be a loss to the tradespeople of the colony's ports. The Penguin, which now lies in the Auckland Harbour, has been engaged for the past five years making a survey of the coast of New Zealand, and has been receiving from the New Zealand Government an annual payment of £5000. Ac the time when the Penguin took up the work it was found that none of our existing charts were accurate. The previous survey had been done by H.JVf.s. Challenger, about 40 years ago. and since that time considerable changes. had evidently taken place in the bottoms of the harbours. The notice to discontinue the services of the Penguin seems to have come suddenly and without previous warning, and it has been followed by an intimation from the Admiralty that in consequence of Government's decision the Penguin must proceed to Sydney at the end of February, pay off there and return to England. The Penguin will next be put on survey work at the Solomon Islands on behalf of the Admiralty.

The Government's action in the matteis just now being subjected to adverse criticism in shipping circles. It is stated that if the Ggvernment intends to undertake its own survey work it will be necessary to purchase a ship for the purpose, and it is said that there is no 3hip in the colony at the present time suitable for the purpose. The Hinemoa and Tutanckai have been mentioned as available vessels, but they are declared t6 be hopelessly unfit for surveying. In addition to the purchase of & vessel thr- instruments required for the work will, it is said, cost £ 10,000, and there will then remain the difficulty o" obtaining a staff of men capable to efi'ect a reliable survey and prepare charts which will be accepted as authentic by the shipping people of ths world. Such men will need to be skilled in marine work; the ordinary land surveyor would be quite out of his element at tue work.

The £5.000 per annum hitherto paid by the N.Z. Government for the Penguin is said to do little more than cover the cost of the coal consumed by the vessel, but as a contra account to this there is the great benefit which New Zealand ha.= reaped from the presence of the vessel in our water*, a large portion of thi £5000 being respent in the colony in the purchase of local coal, the prov-i-=ioninsr of the ship. The incidental expenses of the officers and men, etc. It is calculated that if the Government undertake th«work of completing the survey of our harbours it will cost them considerably more than double the present cost, anil several yenr« mu-t ehip«e before the nev mon engaged will be expert enouch to do so important a work satisfactorily.

The ■nirvpy so far carried out h:i.= by no means rcsf'ied a stage at which i>. might reasonably be discontinued. It i; in a very patchy condition, including .1 ■surveyed patch down the East Cape, an other patch at Coromaudel, and another between Iv-swan .md Oreatßarrier. Ther? is an absence of continuity about the surveys in their present state, but it was, o' course, the intention of th* , Pensniin to •n:ike them continuous as the work proceeded. The Rang: to to Channel was t<> be next surveyed, and the errors in th» existing charts rectified, and afterwards 'he wa.=i to proceed to Cαpp PiHUpr where she would be occupied till about July next. At the end of the year the naying oil would have been done in Auckland, and this would have been a ?ood thini? for the city.

A member of the Auckland Harbour Board, who was questioned on the «übieet this morning, stated that the harbour boards of the colony were nuite ur able to undertake the work. They Liad no ships or appliances available, and n) staffs of men eomnetent- to do the worV. An esnlanation of the Government's decision is awaited with keen interest.