HARBOR BOARD MATTERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2596, 2 September 1909, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD MATTERS.

CHAIRMAN’S ANNUAL STATE-

MENT,

:At the adjourned statutory meeting of the Harbor Board, which was held yesterday, the following annual statement was read by the Chairman, Mr. John Townley : Gentlemen, —I have much pleasure'in laying before you the Annual Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the year ended 31st December, 1908, which has been duly audited and certified to by the Audtior-general. • The Secretary has prepared returns up to date appended hereto which show that in almost every source of revenue there is a steady increase in the volume of the trade of the Port. FINANCE. The year 1907 closed with a Cr. balance of £1948 3,3 Sd, and alter providing £3668 14s 4d for harbor mamtamanve, £8207 18s Id for harbor improvements, 1908, £631 8s 8d for expenses of reports and plans of “Outer Harbor,” we were able to transfer £9674 6s 7d from general account to interest account, which sum, together with £446 4s lid, arrears of previous year s rates collected, enabled us to pay the 12 months’ interest, £IO,OOO, and £l2O 11s 6d for bank commission, etc., without the necessity of striking any rate at, all for 1908—making the second successive year in which we have paid all charges'out of current income. The total receipts from all sources, including the Cr. balance of £1948 3s Sd, with which, the year started, amounted to £20,330 10s 7d. The total expenditure amounted to £22,688 13s 7d, leaving a Dr balance on the 31st December, j 190 S, of £2350. SHED ACCOMMODATION.

In consequenc eof the simultaneous arrivals of the steamers “Squall,” “Ripple,” ‘iHolnulale,” and the Napier boats in addition to the regular Union s.s. Company’s and Huddart Parker Company’s cargo boa,ts the floor space in the sheds, is too limited to allow of cargo being properly classified and sorted in order to give quick despatch in clearing sheds, hut it is hoped soon that arangenients can be. made with the Railway Department to shift the present line of rails which will enable the Board to make a substantial addition to No. 1 shed. - 1 OIL LAUNCH. This boat has fully answered all ex poctations and reflects, great credit on the builder—Chas. Bailey, jnr., of Auckland. During the past year, in adition to conveying the Harbormaster expeditiously to the Home boats on arrival, she was placed by the Board at the disposal of any of the ratepayers who wished to go out and inspect the proposed’ site of the outer harbor, which lias been clearly marked out and buoyed, and this opportunity was taken advantage of by some hundreds. DREDGE “JOHN TOWNLEY.” During the year the dredge “John Townley” has been constantly at work where most required, and has taken out to sea 42,615 yards of rock, mud and silt. RE RATES.

At a meeting of the Board on the 9th June, 1908, the treasurer laid on the table an estimate he had prepared of probable receipts and expenditure to the 31st December, 1908. when there would probably be a slight deficit, which could be covered by overdraft. It was unanimously, resolved “that no rate be struck for the year 1908.” OUTER HARBOR. At a special meetin’g of the Board held on the 12th February, 1908, the report of Messrs Coode, Son and Matthews was fully discussed, and ultimately a resolution was carried that the same be referred to Mr. Marchant for hi s criticism. At a meeting held on the Bth June, 1908, the Board decided to submit the several plans and specifications to Mr. Leslie H. Reynolds for his. opinion and recommendation on the same after a personal inspection, and they decided to give him, & free hand to report upon any other scheme which might suggest itself to him, and which must give sufficient accommodation for four of the largest ocean-going boats . trading to. New, Zealand. Mr.

Leslie Reynolds’ report, and plans were :onsidered at a committee meeting of lie whole Board on thoT4tb September

last, when it. was decided that a return should be prepared ,showing the financial position of the'Board .if they borrowed £s7o,OOO.rtthe; amount estimated by .Mr.. Reynolds-as boing necessary to complete his scheme —and subsequently' the matter was referred to the Finance Committee to show the position the Board would, be in if the report was adopted. On the' 27th October, 1908, at a special meeting the following documents were laid on ,the table :—(1) Report of the , majority of the Finance Committee; (2). report of the minority of- the Finance Committee; <3 report of the secretary and ' local auditor of the Board; (4) financial statement prepared by them; {5) statement of local auditor. After a long discussion, the report of the majority of the Finance Committee was carried by 5 to 4. BEACONS AT MURE WAR

At the request of the agents of the Huddart-Parker Company, the Board decided on the 28th September last to erect beacons to guide.captains of vessels to a safe anchorage tinder Young Nick’s Hefid, when compelled to take shelter there, and the same have been duly erected and gazetted. PORT CHARGES. The Marine Department have not :lied th© Board that after the Ist January,; 1900, all port charges, harbor masteris fees, and pilotages, must be collected by the Board themselves. HARBORMASTER’S FEES. At the request of the Union Steam Ship Company and the Huddart-Parker Company, it was decided to reduce the harbormaster’s fees... on intercolonial boats only, as from the Ist January, 1909. . . ' : The Chairman moved the adoption of the report. • ~ . ; - Mr. Lysnar said the' Board was to be congratulated, on the balance-sheet, but he deplored the fact that the Board had so altered its policy as to make it unlikely that, such ; a satisfactory state of affairs would ever be placed before them again. ; From this on their position would he very much altered, and in his opinion would be much worse. The fact that they could spend £23,000 on river works spoke volumes as to their stability, and also spoke volumes for the need of an outer i-iiP . / ii . fill

. harbor. With the cost of the ‘dredge, nearer £50,000 than £40,000, there would be probably an addition of £6OOO or £7OOO per annum on their river expenditure, and lie ventured to say. that' before the year was out they would bo compelled to strike the'full rate. Ho did not blame any member of tho Board for tlio existing state of affairs, but he did blame the people who had sent men on to the Board who were pledged to • certain things. He thought the Chairman’s statement was satisfactory, and that it should give the people faith in the outer harbor when they could spotid oe22,()00 in the river without striking a rate. With-the Board as at present constituted the outer harbor project was settled for ever, and 110 felt it to be' deplorable. He had great confidence in predicting failure for the new dredge, as the, .Board was going against nature. : They might congratulate themselves, even if for the last time, on the satisfactory report and balance-sheet, and he seconded the adoption of it. The Chairman said that the whole matter wss dead, and was only a summary bf the working of the year ending December, 1908. With an outer harbor they would have an enormously expensive thing to work, and it would probably require £40)000 a year to be raised to meet liabilities, including the interest on the present loan, and th« general harbor expenses. In addition there would he no revenue from the outer harbor for: probably ten years. There would he no rate struck in connection with the new dredge, which Tie felt would, by the' increased facilities, pay for its expenses three times over. Mr. Lysnar had said that they could incur an expenditure of £400.000 for an outer harbor without striking a rate, by increasing the charges on shipping another £IO,OOO a year; but that they would be unable to pay for the new dredge and carry on working expenses in the present river without striking a rate. The report, on being put to the meeting, was unanimously adopted.