15

H— 88

Loss op Ships. The losses of insulated tonnage since the commencement ol the present war represented in terms of 60 11). carcases of meat, are as follows : a . Capacity: steamer. ~,,,-, ',-, •' 1)0 lb. Carcases. S.s. " Kaipara " .. .. .. .. 96,500 S.s. "Otaki" 95,000 S.s. "Rotorua" .. .. .. .. 99,000 S.s. " Tongariro " .. .. .. .. 83,500 S.s. " Rangatira " .. .. .. .. 97,800 S.s. " Tokomaru" .. .. .. .. 82,000 S.s.'" Middlesex" '... .. .. .. 102,000 S.s. " Port Nicholson " .. .. .. .-. 113,000 S.s. " Port Adelaide" .. .. .. .. 113,000 S.s. " Marere " .. .. .. .. .. 86,000 S.s. " Clan MacTavish ". . . . .. . . 48,000 S.s. " Turakina" .. .. .. .. 120,000 S.s. " Somerset" .. .. .. .. 95,000 S.s. " Roscommon " .. .. .. .. 100,000 S.s. " Cumberland" .. .. .. .. 123,000 S.s. " Delphic " .. .. .. .. 93,000 S.s. " Limerick" . . .. .. .. 100,000 S.s. " Port Kembla " .. .. .. .. 65,000 S.s. "Hurunui " . . . . .. .. 125,000 1,836,800 In my report for the previous year the s.s. " Westmoreland " was included in the foregoing list, but it has since been ascertained that this vessel, although suffering as the result of enemy action, was subsequently repaired, and re-entered the Australasian trade. Of the vessels mentioned in the above list only the s.s. " Rotorua," " Clan MacTavish," and " Hurunui " carried produce consigned to the Imperial Government, and the values of the cargo lost in each of these steamers were as follows : "Rotorua.'' "Clan MacTavish." " Hurunui." £ £ £ Meat .. .. 89,991 47,558 86,738 Wool .. .. 221,625 Cheese .. ..102,318 .. 302,069 Butter .. .. .. .. 194,953 Scheelite .. .. 1,641 .. 2,085 Ginned rabbits .... . . 7,953 Frozen rabbits .... . . 4,759 £415,575 £47,558 £598,557 The quantities of meat, cheese, and butter in store on the 3.lst March, 1916. 1917, 1918, and 1919, are given below, and show clearly the increase due to the shortage of shipping referred to above : —

The decrease in the number of boxes of butter held on the 3.lst March, 1919, was due to the exceptionally heavy shipments made during the months of February and March by direction of the Imperial Government.

31st March, 1916 31st March, 1917 ■ 31st March. 1918 31st March, 1919 Date. Frozen Moat (601b. Caroasos). 2.152.250 2,409.541 3,398.364 6,482,529 ( heese (Crates). 73,927 185,417 363,790 474.754 ' Butter (Boxes). 87.078 224.506 350.315 93,729