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Session II. 1906. NEW ZEALAND.

MARINE DEPARTMENT. (ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1905-6.)

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

My Lord,' — Marine Department, Wellington, 20th August, 1906. I do myself the honour to transmit herewith, for Your Excellency's information, the report of the Marine Department ol the colony for the financial year ended the 31st March last. I have, &c., J. A. Millar, Minister of Marine. His Excellency the Right Hon. Baron Plunket, Governor of New Zealand.

Sir,— Marine Department, Wellington, 30th May, 1906. I have the honour to make the following report on the work of this Department during the financial year ended the 31st March last. Shipping and Seamen. —" The Shipping and Seamen Act Amendment Act, 1905," was assented to by His Majesty on the 16th February last, and it came into force on the 19th ultimo, on which date the Governor's Proclamation notifying the King's assent was published in the New Zealand Gazette. The extension of the time within which applications for masters' certificates of service could be received, provided for by this Act, has enabled the Department to issue a large number of these certificates to persons who had the qualifying service provided for by section 27 of the Act of 1903, but who did not apply for them within the time prescribed by that Act, and thus hardship has been avoided. When making the extension of time the Act also provided that the certificates of service granted under it must be for vessels of similar class, tonnage, and trade to those in which the applicants had performed their qualifying service, as the intention of the Act of 1903 was that they should only receive these certificates, which are given without examination, of such value as to entitle them to continue in similar employment to that in which they were engaged before the alteration of the law required their vessels to carry certificated masters. If they require anything more than this they can obtain certificates of competency by passing the prescribed examinations. The amending Act also provided for the issue of certificates of service to engineers ot pleasure-yachts, missionary-ships, and fishing-boats, and of certificates of competency to second mates of home-trade ships. Certain other necessary amendments were made in the principal Act by the amending Act of 1905. Engagement and Discharge of Seamen. —" The Shipping and Seamen Act, 1903," having made provision for a Registrar of Seamen, who is to keep a register of all persons who serve in ships subject to the Act, the Secretary of Marine has been appointed to that position ; and all expired articles of agreement are now sent to his office to enable the register to be kept. Appended is a return showing the number of seamen engaged and discharged. This work has been satisfactorily performed during the year. In pursuance of the power given by " The Shipping and Seamen Act, 1903," the Customhouses at all the ports except Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin have been declared to be Mercantile Marine Offices, and the principal officers of Customs have been appointed Superintendents of Mercantile Marine. This was not necessary at the four ports named above, as there are Mercantile Marine Offices and Superintendents separate from the Customs. Authority has been given to the Superintendents at the four principal ports to attend on board for the purpose of sanctioning the engagement and discharge of whole crews in cases where the vessels are lying in the streams or at a wharf a good distance from the shipping office, and a special charge is made for their attendance on board in such cases. With this exception, all engagements and discharges are required to be effected at the shipping offices. A return showing the amounts paid to disabled seamen under section 119 of the Act is also appended.

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