WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11486, 20 January 1903, Page 5

WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD.

ENQRMOUe INCREASE OF BUSINluSe.

(■PKIAt TO "THK FMSS.")

WELLINGTON January 19. > • The annual report of the Harbour Enfinear submitted to the Board: to-day ahows that there hag been an enormous increase ©f business during the year. The total receipt* of the Board since ite inauguration in October, 1880, have been £1,547,490, of whloh £351,984 hae been loan, moneys,, and £1,196,506 bat been derived from revenue. Of the latter man £86,843 represents the revenue for the twelve months «nded September, 1900. Th* expenditure for the came period of tweaty-two - years baa been £1,480,827, of whtoo £896,5*5 hu been spent oa working account, and £549,420 on capital account, and £34,865 set aside lor •inking funds.. Of t&ese sums the working expenses for the past year amounted to £74,061, whilst £47347 wax spent on capital account, and £3420 contributed to the «Bking fund*, whilst the loam produced £351,984, netting to the Board £348,672. There hit been ■pent on works end appliance*, and charged to capital acoovnt* £549,420, the difference of £197,436 Slaving been provided out <? revenue, and of thi* cum £183,184 has been written off the assets to represent the depreciation of structure*.

The Board commtnoed the j«ar 1902 with eocroing Babilitiea in respect to «m----tracta Jo* works amounting to £34,654. Ibeae iiave been partially liquidated by the payment of £15,480, leaving a liability to accrue after the «»d of iae financial Tear of £9154 in respect to these oantmcta. Contract* ibare been let for work* eince the l«t of January laat amounting to £16,069, «*&* £16,915 has been paidwtce let Jwamrf Iα mpeot of oontimct*. A mm twnaina to be paid on the completion of the pmat oontmcts of £23,874. >. toilet ti» total mntter of abipa arching in the port vemaim practically tin same k> the Lrt ihree yaaw (2563 for tie last fear), the toooftge inoreaaed last year by 4 2-3 rd per c*nt. from 1,757,081 tona to 1,838,572 teem, ehowing tiat ibe xegietored tonnage of tie v email i* increawog Lα reality. The tarn of the ateaanec* ia moob greater titan appeax* merely from a oompanaon of the register totmage. Owing to Hμ chaage in the ckaa of ocean ateaawn trading to Urn port, ijie preeenb TeMeb carry o. higher tonnaga Sa proportion to their regiter than vaa the oaae in Che vetaela in the teaiie a ttmt Tear* ago. The ferry traffio baa largely increaeed. Daring twelve month* ending 30fch Bet»--tember then were landed on the Miramar, Seatwn, and Karaka Bay whams so fewer than 53,162 penow, arid so mums exist as to the traffic to the wharrea on the aaateni aide of tie feufcour at Hoatmr and