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been erected at general cargo berths, but so far as I can 

 ascertain, they are seldom used, and occupy much useful 

 space on the wharves. For the loading of bagged wheat 

 conveyors are most extensively used, and perhaps no better 

 example of this class of gear can be found anywhere than 

 in the port of Sydney at Darling Harbour, where an exten- 

 sive system of electrically driven conveyors capable of 

 loading some 12,000 tons of wheat a day into seven vessels, 

 has been installed. I may add that in order to keep pace 

 with the rapid increase of our wheat export trade, provision 

 is now being made to largely increase this installation. 



The question of coal loading appliances lias been so much 

 before the public of this State during the last year that it 

 is not my intention to deal with it at any length this even- 

 ing. I would, however, point out that the particular trade 

 of a port and the class of vessels to be loaded, must be 

 taken into account quite as seriously as the question of 

 feeding the loading appliances, or the rapid discharge of 

 coal from the trucks. At a majority of the coal-loading 

 ports of England and America, the trade is carried on by 

 steamers specially built for the purpose. These colliers 

 are constructed with no 'tween decks and continuous 

 hatches through which loading can be completed practically 

 without trimming. The rate of loading is therefore largely 

 governed by the capacity of the shore appliances. From 

 other ports, such as those of Australia and New Zealand, 

 coal is taken away for the most part by the ordinary cargo 

 steamer, constructed with two or three decks and compara- 

 tively small hatches to suit the general cargo trade. With 

 such vessels it is necessary to start trimming after a few 

 hundred tons of coal have been deposited in a hold, and 

 from that point the rate of loading largely depends on the 

 rate of trimming. With vessels of this class there is often 

 difficulty in depositing the coal without excessive breakage. 



