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1902. NEW ZEALAND.

MARINE DEPARTMENT: ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1901-2.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

My Lord, — Marine Department, Wellington, Bth July, 1902. I do myself the honour to transmit herewith, for your Excellency's information, the report of the Marine Department of the colony for the financial year ended the 31st March last. I have, &c, Wμ. Hall-Jones, His Excellency the Eight Hon. the Earl of Banfurly, Minister of Marine. Governor of New Zealand.

Sib, — Marine Department, Wellington, Ist July, 1902. I have the honour to make the following report on the work of this Department during the financial year ended the 31st March last: — Lighthouses. —All the lights have been maintained in an efficient manner. The cost of maintenance, exclusive of the cost of the attending steamer, was £16,394 Is. 7d. The work of inspection of the buildings and plants has been performed by Captain Bollons, of the s.s. " Hinemoa," when visiting the lighthouse with oil, stores, &c. Two keepers left the service, and one died during the year. Four appointments were made, three of them being to fill the vacancies caused by resignations and death, and the other to provide an additional keeper at Nugget Point, to enable the work of signalling vessels to be properly carried out. A sum of £200 was voted last year to provide fog signal-rockets for use at some of the lighthouses, and inquiries have been made through the Agent-General as to the use of this class of fog signals in the United Kingdom, with the result that it is found that rockets are not much used, mainly owing to the danger to the men firing them. Apart from sirens and reed horns, which are very expensive, the signals mostly used are cotton-powder signals similar to those used at Pencarrow Head, some of them being fired by similar automatic apparatus, and some from a jib fixed on the lighthouse. The apparatus fixed on to the lighthoiTse is the less expensive, but, as it requires the constant attention of a man when in use, it appears more economical to procure the automatic apparatus for Godley Head and Taiaroa Head, where it is proposed to make signals during fogs. A cable has been imported and is being laid to connect East Cape Lighthouse with the mainland, and the necessary land line to connect the lighthouse with the telegraph system of the colony is being erected. Arrangements have been made to exhibit storm-warning signals at this station, and to obtain daily weather reports from it. Being the most eastern station in the colony, the weather reports from it will be of considerable value in connection with weather forecasts. It will also be a signal-station for reporting vessels. At Farewell Spit new houses have been erected for the three keepers, as the old houses, which were built when the lighthouse was erected in 1870, were becoming unfit for habitation. The roofs of the houses at Cape Saunders have been renewed and other repairs effected there. A workshop has been erected at Cape Eginont, the material having been supplied by the Department and the work of erection performed by the keepers. The work of erecting a lighthouse at Kahurangi Point, between Westport and Farewell Spit, has been commenced. The lantern has reached the colony, and the apparatus is expected shortly. This light will be of great value to vessels trading to and from West Coast ports. The sum of £25,626 17s. 6d. has been collected for light dues during the year. The amount received during the previous year was £22,240 9s. 3d. Statements are annexed showing the cost of maintenance of the lighthouses during the year, and the cost of their construction.

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