MARINE DEPARTMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1489, 11 July 1912, Page 4

MARINE DEPARTMENT.

A long report from the Marino Department was submitted to Parliament on Tuesday. A return appended shows the number of 6eamen engaged and discharged at tho principal ports as follows:— Engagements. Discharged. Auckland ;. 0,305 1 6,101 Wellington G,520 0,G23 Lyttelton 2,311 1,929 Dunedin and • ' Port Chalmers 3,081 . 2,648' The rook oyster"lxs'ds iiv.ih(i"rbrth'last season yielded 4782 sacks, which found a Teady salo at 12s. 6d. a sack. Tho amount received for tlieiu was .£3013, and the expense of picking and selling JC2447. Last season it was found that owing to the limited supply some dealers who could not obtain all they wanted were arranging with individuals to purchase at tho depot, ostensibly for themselves, but really for dealers to whom they resold at a higher "price. If this practice continues, the Department will arrange to deliver the oysters at the houses for which purchasers say they are bought, and if this does not stop the practioo other steps will be taken. Of tlie Foveaux Straits supply, 260,192 dozen, valued at ,£2057, were exported to Australia. Experience having shown that these oysters have not fully recovered condition by February 1, it was decided to alter the open season, and make it from March 1 to October 31.