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1947 NEW ZEALAND

MARINE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1946-47

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

Marine Department, Wellington, 30th June, 1947. Your Excellency,— I do myself the honour to transmit for Your Excellency's information the report of the Marine Department for the financial year ended the 31st March last. I have, &c., J. O'Brien, Minister of Marine. His Excellency the Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand.

REPORT

The Secretary, Marine Department, to the Hon. the Minister op Marine. Marine Department, Wellington, 20th June, 1947. Sir, — I have the honour to submit the annual report on the activities of the Marine Department for the year ended 31st March, 1947. It had been hoped that at this period, after the cessation of hostilities, the work of the Department would be back to normal, but such is not so. My staff have performed splendidly in carrying out the normal duties of the Department, plus the additional work entailed in post-war activities such as the redelivery to previous owners of vessels taken over for war service ; the sale of other units which are not required by the previous owners ; the completion of war vessels which were almost constructed when hostilities ceased ; the disposal of shipbuilding and other stores in Auckland, Wellington, and Port Chalmers through the War Assets Realization Board ; the clearing and handing over of areas taken for shipbuilding purposes ; the supervision of running accounts of the barque " Pamir " ; and many other minor activities consequent on the war. The receipt of the report of the British engineers, Messrs. Buckton and Clarke, on the west coast harbours was of outstanding importance during the year. In the main the report confirmed the opinion of the majority of engineers who had previously reported on the west coast harbours and narrowed the opinions in regard to other points on the coast where deep-sea harbours had been advocated. At the time of going to press, all the reports available are being studied and collated by a committee of engineers which is expected to make a final report and recommena- ;ion in the near future. The repatriation of British seamen from this area has been carried out during the year, and the reciprocal repatriation of our own New Zealand seamen from other parts of the world has steadily proceeded, along with the arranging of passages and provision for the care and comfort of the wives and families of seamen involved.