WELLINGTON'S SHIPPING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1923, 4 December 1913, Page 9

WELLINGTON'S SHIPPING.

PORT RECORD HOISTED. OVER 500 SHIPS IN A MONTH. Strike or no strike, the shipping at the port is going on at speed. In point or fact, a shipping record has been established. Seen yesterday afternoon'' Captain Johnson, Harbourmaster, suptho following particulars lor tlio month of November: — The ocean-going vessels handled by tho pilots and staff numbered 73, with a net tonnage of 36-1,955 tons, and a gross tonnage of 547,433 tong. Theso ngures do not include intercolonial and coastal shipping. To adumbrate tho amount of. oversea tonnago which has beou- handled hero it is necessary to make a comparison with tho work dono during the month of January, 1913—tho first month of the present year. During that period tho greatest tonnago of ocean oversea vessels for any month in tho history of tho port of Wellington was handled. Lasti month's tonnago, however, has proved to be greater than that han'dled:'during!January by 92,190 tons net, and 238,29G tons gross. During tho past month 113 vessels, with a net tonnage of 120,890 tons, and a gross tonnage of 181,33-3 tons, entered the port, and 119 vessels, with a net tonnage of 143,u'34 tons, and a gross tonnage of 215,451 tons, departed. Tho total removals for all classes of 'c-ssels from tho anchorage to the wharves, and vico versa, and also from one wharf to another was 281. Theso figures represent a not tonnago of 488,551 tons and n gross tonnago of 732,825 tons. Altogether 513 vessels wero moored and unmoored at the Wellington wharves during tho month of November. .

To stato that tho Harbourmaster and his staff havo been busy would be putting matters mildly. .Night and day tho work has gono on and everything went without a hitch.

It will be seen from the aboro figures' that tho''Labour Committee of tho Citizens', Employers', and Farmers' Defence Committee must also havo had a busy time in arranging the dischargeand intake of vessels. Each detail had of course to he thought out, and tho Harbourmaster was always in attendunco to facilttato anything lying within his special province. The Labour Committee has met in his room every day and, under his direction, berths have been allotted for tho huge fleet of 513 ships. Those who know tho waterfront sre sufficiently aware that thoro are a hundred and o'no things to bo attended to in regard to berthing—a matter which reads simply enough.in print, but is sometimes inconceivably difficult in actual practice: Subsidiary matters which' often clamour for attention aro cargo spaco in sheds, transhipment of goods, and looking ahead for future arrivals. -When this is realised it will bo readily understood that tho Labour Committeo (together with Captain Johnston) havo done excellent work during tho present strike.