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Session 11. 1912. NEW ZEALAND.

MARINE DEPARTMENT: ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1911-12.

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

My Lord,— Marine Department, Wellington, 6th July, 1912. I do myself the honour to transmit herewith, for Your Excellency's information, the report of the Marine Department of the Dominion for the financial year ended the 31st March last. I have, &c, Geo. Laurenson. His Excellency the Right Hon. Baron Islington, Governor of New Zealand.

Sir, — Marine Department, Wellington, 13th May, 1912. I have the honour to make the following report on the work carried out by this Department during the year ended the 31st March last. Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act, 1911. —This Act has been assented to by His Majesty the King. It came into force on the Ist instant. It provides that attendance at a course of mechanical-engineering classes recognized under Part VII of the Education Act, 1908, shall count as part of the qualifying service for exemption from examination as third-class engineer; remodels and amends the law relating to sick, and injured seamen; and enacts that all parties to any bill of lading relating to the carriage of goods from any place in New Zealand to any place outside the Dominion shall be deemed to have intended to contract according to the laws of New Zealand, and that any stipulation or agreement to the contrary shall be null and void. During October last the Harbours Association held a conference in Wellington to consider matters affecting Harbour Boards, and it submitted to the Department copies of resolutions passed by it to give effect to which amendment of the Harbours Act is required. These resolutions have been carefully considered, and it, is proposed to embody those with which the Department agrees in a Bill for submission to Parliament. Mercantile Marine Offices. —The work of these offices has been carried out in a very satisfactory manner. A return which is appended shows the number of seamen engaged and discharged at the various ports, and the amount of the fees received for the engagements and discharges. The number of men engaged during the year was 21,123, and the number discharged 19,749. The fees received amounted to £2,819 7s. In the previous year the engagements were 20,318, the discharges 19,420, and the fees received £2,701 13s. At the four principal ports the transactions were as follows: Auckland —engagements 6,305, discharges 6,191, fees £870 Is. 6d. ; Wellington—engagements 6,520, discharges 6,623, fees £891 Is. 6d.; Lyttelton— engagements 2,311, discharges 1,929, fees £317 19s. 6d.; and Dunedin and Port Chalmers — engagements 3,081, discharges 2,648, fees £399 18s. 6d. In the previous year Auckland showed 5,898 engagements, 5,701 discharges, and £800 17s. fees; Wellington 5,059 engagements, 4,897 discharges, and £633 15s. fees; Lyttelton. 2,320 engagements, 1,997 discharges, and £323 16s. 6d. fees; and Dunedin and Port Chalmers 3,797 engagements, 3,959 discharges, and £550 16s. 6d. fees. Besides the engagement and discharge of seamen, the following duties are carried out by the Mercantile Marine Office staffs —viz., surveys of ships, fixing of load-lines, supervision of deck cargo, measurement of ships, supervision of compass-adjustment, collection of survey fees and foreshore license charges, dealing with sick and injured seamen and seeing that their wages, maintenance, and medical and hospital expenses are paid by their employers, and various other

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