DEFICIT FACED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 204, 29 July 1937, Page 8

DEFICIT FACED.

WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD. WELLINGTON, July 28. The Wellington Harbour Board’s action last month in rejecting the recommendations of the by-law charges committee that increased port charges should be adopted, was again discussed by the board to-day and it was decided to set up a committee to go into the whole question again. Mr C. H. Chapman said the board faced a deficit of £33,000 for the current year. He' would like to know whether it was proposed to take steps to limit the deficit or meet it out of reserves. He said that during the last ten years reductions in charges to users of the port totalled £51,000 annually and the reductions still continued. The recommendations rejected last month involved increased charges to importers and exporters and to ships to yield a total of £24,262, including an increase in inward wharfage on general goods- from 3s 9d to 4s per ton to yield £6500, an increase in inward wharfage on awkward and fragile packages requiring extra labour, etc., from 5s 9d to Cs 6d per ton to yield £3500; an increase of 6d per ton on various charges for outward wharfage on general goods (at present Is fid a ton), butter, cheese and fresh fruit (Is a ton); tallow, pelts and hides (Is 3d a ton) to yield £3300;. also increases in transhipment rates and labour charges.