NEW ZEALAND'S MERCANTILE MARINE.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1074, 23 May 1873, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND'S MERCANTILE MARINE.

A return made to an order of the House of Representatives, on the motion of Mr 'Cfe'ighton, shows " the number and tonnage of all vessels built in the colony during the year ending June 30, 1872, distinguishing steamers from sailing vessels, and the province in which they were built > also the the number, tonnage, and crews of the said vessels engaged in the coasting trade of the colony on the 30th June, 1872 ; together with the number, tonnage, and number of crews of any foreign vessel now engaged in the coasting trade." The following are the details:— Auckland built 3 steamers, 10 sailng vessels—s62 tons; Wellington (Wanganui built one steamer) —39 tons:; Marlborough built 1 sailing vessel—--40 tons ; Canterbury, 1 sailing vessel —27 tons ; Otago and Southland, 7 sailing vessels—l 62 tons. Thus, of a total of 23 steam and sailing vessels built during the year ended June 30, 1872, 13 were built in the Province of Auckland, representing 562 tons out of a total of 830 tons. The coasting trade of the colony, on the 30th June, 1872, was represented by the following figures :—Colonial built belonging to Auckland, 142 vessels; Wellington, 7 ; Marlborough, 1; Nelson, 10 > Westland, 1; Canterbury, 15; Otago, 21. Total, 12? vessels; 6456 tons ; 583 number of crews. Foreign vessels —24,288 tons ; 136 number of crews. British vessels owned or registered in New Zealand—• 226 sailing atd 45 steam vessels, 12,018 tons ; number of crews, 1149. British vessels not owned or registered in ' the colony, engaged in coasting trade—--12 steamers and 3 sailing vessels-, 5322 ; number of crews, 393. The totals are—Number of vessels engaged in the New Zealand coasting trade, June 30, 1872—645; tons, 28,915 > number of crews, 2259.