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No. 15. New Zealand, Dominions No. 190. Sir, — Downing Street, 4th May, 1925. With reference to my predecessor's despatch, Dominions No. 309, of the 9th July, 1924, I have the honour to transmit to Your Excellency," for the information of your Ministers, copies of the Annual Return of Shipping and Tonnage of the Suez Canal for the Year 1924. I have, &c., J. S. AMERY. Governor-General His Excellency General Sir C. Fergusson, Bart., LL.D., G.G.M.G., K.C.8., D.5.0., M.Y.0., &c.

Enclosure. Suez Canal. —Annual Return of Shipping and Tonnage, 1924. Statistical Tables for the Year 1924. 1. Sea-borne Traffic and Monthly Transit Receipts. 2. Tonnage, by Flags. 3. Proportion per Cent, of the Number of Vessels and of the Gross and Net Tonnage passing through the Canal, by Flags. 4. Sea-borne Traffic, by Categories and Flags. 5. Mean Monthly Duration of Passages through the Canal. 6. Draught of Vessels. 7. Return of Passengers, by Categories and Nationalities. 8. Net Tonnage : Distribution among Principal Lines. 9. Miscellaneous Information.

1. Sea-borne Traffic and Monthly Transit Receipts.

2. Tonnage, by Flags.

2—A. 2.

Month. Vessels. Gross Tonnage. Net Tonnage. Transit Receipts. Fr. January .. .. .. 416 2,860,642 2,071,074 15,338,427 February .. .. .. 420 2,801,056 2,031,530 15,525,411 March .. .. .. 442 3,022,609 2,194,528 16,319,890 April.. .. .. .. 432 2,884,282 2,087,999 15,560,730 May.. .. .. .. 409 2,761,461 1,998,248 14,967,919 June .. .. .. 359 2,442,447 1,763,610 13,108,158 July.. .. .. .. 421 2,828,169 2,055,902 15,177,697 August .. .. .. 411 2,814,524 2,033,698 15,150,786 September .. .. .. 390 2,690,180 1,952,590 14,369,814 October .. ,, .. 463 3,171,288 2.297,001 16,922,845 November .. .. .. 488 3,247,541 2,353,996 17,353,905 December .. .. .. 471 3,127,733 2,269,745 16,665,231 5,122 34,651,932 25,109,921 186,460,813

Flag. Vessels. Gross Tonnage. Net Tonnage. British .. .. .. 2,973 20,638,195 14,994,681 Dutch .. .. .. 489 3,424,977 2,488,389 German .. .. .. 350 2,293,414 1,646,872 French .. .. .. 304 2,183,102 1,497,487 Italian .. .. .. 378 2,045,444 1,483,408 Japanese .. .. .. 149 1,194,524 871,529 American .. .. .. 137 1,076,488 795,021 Norwegian .. .. .. 105 491,084 367,418 Danish .. .. .. 78 456,656 344,868 Swedish .. .. .. 61 364,501 270,197 Greek .. .. .. 35 174,439 131,351 Russian .. .. .. 15 89,237 62,060 Spanish .. .. .. 18 74,773 52,443 Jugoslavic .. .. .. | 11 55,332 42,344 Panamanian .. .. .. 2 26,368 17,624 Egyptian .. .. .. 6 24,785 15,902 Danzig .. .. .. 2 16,336 11,856 Finnish 3 11,325 8,527 Roumanian .. .. .. 4 9,503 7,058 Siamese .. .. .. 1 873 627 Hedjaz ...... 1 576 259 5,122 34,651,932 25,109,921