TIMARU HARBOUR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 3

TIMARU HARBOUR.

■ INCREASING. TRADE AND REVENUE. "". ' 181 lELEQRAI'II—I-KEU3 ! iBSOCIATi.6IU '■■■■'■•' Timariii-February 26. : The annual- meeting of,, the Tiraaru Harbour Board was held to-day. The chairman's report on the thirty-second year or the board stated that contrary to anticipation that the' unfavourable season would affect detrimentally trade and revenue, 1908 had been a bettor year thanl'9o7. ;The imports .and ex-' ports showed,an increase of 5620;t0n5, thevalue of the foreign and,intercolonial trade, being £1,217,315, while the total 'revenue-in-" creased. £442, in addition'!;to. which sions were made in charges fori hawsers and" fenders-totalling. £090. Shipping aggregated .434,262 tons, whioh, was 37,092 in excess of that of. 1907. Comparing the figures', for 1898 and 1908, it was seen that shipping increased 123 per cent.,, the volume of trade 100 per 'cent.,; and the "revenue apart from the. harbour rate, 108 per cent. The total amount of -direct imports' landed at Timaru was 44,889 tons,'/compared 'with '34,729 in 1907, but consequent on the drought the ex-' port of frozen mutton decreased 194,071 carcasses, The total expenditure was £30,506 and the total revenue £34,160.- Referring to the .question of Lyttelton versus' Timaru the -report denied that the board adopted an aggressive policy, but desired only to get all the trade which legitimately belonged toi- the; port. : from the' large. fertile districts which it served. During the year a'tender JlS?^ oo^,* 6 **''*o*'0*' a ' ne,T wllarf providing for 1200 ft. .of berthage.. The board's -bucket dredge lifted 304,500 tonsat a cost'of 6 3Gd - per ton, : and the grab dredge 14,315 tons at a,cost of 10.94 d. • ■■:.-■ ; . . "