WELLINGTON PORT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 982, 24 November 1910, Page 7

WELLINGTON PORT.

TRADE FIGURES', BIG INCREASE IN TONNAGEindication's OF BETTER TIMES, A summary of 'port'statistics for tho year ended September 30, 1910, was'laid beinro the Harbour Board at its meeting last ovening.... Commenting on the facts disclosed, the chairman: (Mr. R. Fletcher) said the statistics' show'od a fair increase in the tonnage of goods handled. Goods passing inwards totalled''l3s,-139 tons, as against.-110,2-11 tons for (ho "previous year. The increase amounted to 25.19S tons, equivalent'to ;C.M per cent. The. total was still 51,317 (or 10.0 per cent) tons below that of the boom year, 1907-8. Importations from foreign" sources showed a slight increase .'over the importations during 1908-!), but, were less by 30,000 tons' than the imports during 1007-8.-;, -• Transhipments showed an increase of over 11,000 tons, as compared with the previous year, and colonial ancl coastal inwards trade an increase of 12,518 tons. Outward ' shipments totalled. 161,265 tons for, 1909-10, as against 150,157 tons ill 1008-9, and 144,293 tons in 1907-8. This, said Mr. Fletcher, must be accounted very satisfactory. Exports of. wool and hemp for the year reached tho large total of 252,332 bales, 33,771 bales more than in tho previous year. The increase was equivalent to J5.4 per cent. The wool increased by 1829 bales, and the hemp by no less than '31,942'ba1e5, or 49.4 per cent, over the figures for the previous year.. The export of -hemp exceedeil by 18,314! bales that of 1907-8. Coal Trade Increasing. T)io- total coal handled at Wellington amounted last year to. 502,098 tons as against 4411029 tons in 1908-9,. nnd 443,043 tons in 1907-8. There was thus an . increase of 61,069 tons over the amount handled in 1908-9, and an increase .of 53,055 tons-over tho corresponding total for 1907-8. There Was a slight increase in the quantity of cool passing over' the! wharves and paying wharfage, viz., 5495 tons, and Government coal, exempt from wharfage, increased by 3305 tons. There, was a very largo increase in the coal transhipped over sido .at the wharves, 'the figures being (for 1909-10) .262,134 tons, as against 224,721.t0n5.in 1908-9. The increase thus amounted 'to no less- than 37,473 tons, 0r.10.6 per cent. This showed how largely foreign-going advantage of -Wellington's central position for coaling. There was also an iucreaso in the coal transhipped by vessels lying in the stream, tho figures being 45,804 tons in 1909-10, as compared with "0,528 tons in .1908-9, an increase of 15.33 C tons. . Inward and outwaid trade in timber, Mr, Fletcher remarked, showed a decrease. This ho did -not regret, as. timber, was an,. unprofitable commodity' for the Harbour Board to handle. 11l 1909-10 tho anantitv handled was 14,500,187 as against 17,732,915 feet, and 31,735,508 feet in 1907-8. Satisfactory Development. i Tho tonnage of vessels- arriving showed a substantial increaso on the previous year. During 1909-10 a total of 3480 vessels entered tho port,- of a total tonnago of 2,901,371". tons, as. compared with 3383 vessels aggregating . 2,841,049. tons 'during tho previous year. The' increase amounted to 58 veiscls, aggregating 80,320 tons. . The figures stated, said Mr. Fletcher, showed that thero had been a satisfactory increase in tile business of the port for ■the past year, .Visible indications ' suggested, that a continuance of these favourable conditions was probable, and with good ;management tho board should have a pvosperous'-year.'.. ~ Mr. C. W. Jones'painted out, in connection with - tho large .Increase in.coal, that the protracted strike iu Now South .Wales had meant a great iuorea&e in bunkering, : Mr.-M; Cohen said that tho increases in sonio' instances represented a return to normal conditions, and in others thoy showed .a- gratifying growth' of business. He thought this growth was likely to bo maintained.' There Were largo increases' in wool and hemp,' and ho thought it was doubtful whether- tlio-'incroaso inhemp would bo maintained,' as the prices had again sjono down. What struck him generally v.-as the consistent increaso in almost every -item of trade. . Mr; J. Or. Harkness said tho striking feature of the, statistics was the growth of the total outward'foreign tratlo of tho port, which amounted to over 50,000 tons, as against 4-1,000 last year, when' there was an increase over 'tlio "boom year,". 1008. The 1 tonnage was a much better indication of trade thnn tho'value, which might be influenced by booms and ; othor causes. Tlio> increa'sa in tonnage 'of' exports showed' that-the prosperity of tho Dominion, in connection with-(ho port of Wellington at uny rac, was de-' veloping oh right lines.