The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1913.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3718, 2 January 1913, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1913.

feme, very interesting figures sKmvin’g tlie progress of the port 1 during the past

The Progress of the Port In 1912.

. year liave been prepared by the harbor authorities. I'he financial year ol the Board, as •is well-known, is from April 1 to March 31, but a comparison is made of the position for the past calendar year, with that which obtained for the previous calendar year. It is gratifying to record that, there was an increase of 26 in the number of steamers orking the port during the twelve months, the increase in tonnage in this regard amounting to 3931 net tons. On the other hand there was however, a slight decrease with ref- |

erence to the number and aggregate tonnage of the sailing ships which visited the port, the disparity amounting to fourteen boats, and to in all 976 net tons. The reason for this state of affairs, it is explained, is that, on account of the improvements to the harbor larger steamers, with big cargoes, are now able to come right up to the wharves, and in tin's way the necessity for the use of so many small sailing ships is becoming not nearly so great. If both steamers and sailing ships are taken together it will he found that the grand total of ves-

sels working the port in 1912 was 657, of an aggregate tonnage of 673,056 tons, as against for 1911 a total of 645 vessels of an aggregate tonnage of 670,101 tons. A still better idea of the growth of the port may be given by quoting the figures for, say, ten years ago, when they stood at 440 vessels of an aggregate of

424,059 tons, or approximately 50 per cent less than the amount of traffic nowadays. As regards the financial position for 1912 it is important to note that there is also a satisfactory improvement as compared with the harbor business done in 1911. The wharfages for last year, for instance, came to £19,760, or £2675 above the total for the preceding year. Port charges for 1912 came to £3125, as against £3040 in 1911. As regards harbor master’s fees these stood at £1306 for last year, an increase of £220 over the aggregate for the 'pre-r vious twelve months. There was an increase in the figures in connection with the River Improvement Rate, show a falling off, and that was in regard to pilotages, which disclose a reduction of £sl 8s lOd. The explanathe total being £ll2 as compared with £93 for the preceding year. Only in one instance did any class of revenue show a falling off that was in regard to pilotages, which disclose a reduction of £sl 8s lOd. The explanation in this connection is, of course, that the river is being so greatly improved that there is a correspondingly less necessity for the services of a pilot being obtained. It will thus

be seen that for the past year there was under the headings given a net aggregate increase of (revenue of £3138 over and above the results for tlie previous twelve months which will be generally regarded as very gratifying. Unfortunately the overdraft increased somewhat.in the course of the past year, but this was or course due to extraordinary expenditure. At the beginning of the year the Board was indebted to the bank to the extent of £19,879, whilst on December 31 last its indebtedness stood at £25,620, an increase of £5741. It must be borne in mind, however, that in the meantime the Board paid in the vicinity of £9OOO to Messrs Langlands and Co., in connection with the breakwater extension contract, out of its ordinary revenue account. Had

the payments in respect of the undertaking been made not out of ordinary revenue but out of capital; as is usually the case when there is a heavv overdraft, the Board’s indebtedness to the bank would then have been only about £16,500 at the end of the rear instead of £25,620, the figure at which it at present stands. Attention has already been directed to this aspect of the matter by the Harbor Engineersecretary, and it will no doubt be considei ed by the Board in due course.