H—4s

In so far as individual ports are concerned, improvements in rates of work are shown at Lyttelton, Port Chalmers, Napier, and Bluff. At Auckland there have been slight improvements in most cargoes loaded, but general cargo discharged has fallen from 10*21 to 9*55 tons per net gang-hour, which is almost 2 tons per net gang-hour below the all-ports average. Reductions, some of which are substantial, have occurred in the rates of work for most cargoes handled at Wellington. Butter and cheese, for example, which were handled at the rate of 744 boxes and 279 crates respectively per net gang-hour in 1948-49, have fallen to 694 boxes and 254 crates per net gang-hour in 1949-50. Similar decreases are shown for beef and frozen meat sundries, although the reduction in the principal item of frozen produce, mutton and lamb, is only slight — from 782 running carcasses per net gang-hour in 1948-49 to 775 in 1949-50. Reductions in most rates of work are also shown at Dunedin and New Plymouth. (ii) Coastal Vessels While the all ports average rate of work for handling general cargo on Union Steam Ship Co. vessels has remained practically unchanged at 13-51 tons per net gang-hour, there has been a drop from 16-48 to 15-85 tons per net gang-hour in the all-ports general cargo average for other coastal vessels. The rates of work for handling timber have increased in most cases. Improvements are also shown in rates of work for loading coal at West Coast ports.

The following table sets out, for comparative purposes, the average rates of work for general cargo on both Union Steam Ship Co. and other coastal vessels at the main ports and principal secondary ports for the last three years :

It will be noted that there has been a slight improvement for Union Steam Ship Co. vessels during 1949-50 at Auckland, where the rate of work is still over 3 tons per net gang-hour below that of other main ports. Improvements are recorded at Napier, Nelson, and Timaru. For other coastal vessels, however, increases during 1949-50 are shown only at Lvttelton and Napier.

7

General Cargo : Rates Per Net Gang-hour. I. Union Steam Ship Co. IT. Other Coastal Vessels. vessels. 1947-48. 1948-49. 1 1949-50. 1 1947-48. 1948-49. 1949-50. Main ports — Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. | | | Tons. Tons. Auckland 10-83 10-82 10-98 (Not worked under contract) Wellington 14-29 15-13 14-02 14-24 15-57 14-49 Lyttelton 14-31 14-13 14-12 13-83 14-10 14-26 Dunedin 14-75 14-92 14-38 16-84 15-97 15-08 Principal secondary ports — 16-11 16-43 Napier 16-65 17-27 17-60 15-81 New Plymouth 15-80 16-08 15-45 13-76 14-27 13-42 Wanganui 17-74 17-80 17-49 Nelson 22-09 21-76 21-91 27-98 27-57 26-23 Timaru 18-58 19-00 19-97 21-04 21-54 20-84 Bluff .. 14-67 14-87 14-90 16-33 14-64 13-92