HARBOUR BOARD

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 154, 19 March 1918, Page 6

HARBOUR BOARD

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the WellingtonHarbour Board was held yesterday. Mr. C. E. Daniell (chairman) presided, and there were also present: Captain C. M'Artlmr and Messrs. R. Fletcher, M.P., J. W. M'Ewan, 311. W. Welsh. W. Cable, R. E. Sinclair. Leave of absence was granted to Messrs. R. A. Wright, M.P., W. Wallis, and J. G. Harkness.

The chairman, in presenting his report, congratulated the executive officers and the staff for the work dnno during the year. Tho year's statistics, which must be treated as confidential owing to the war regulations, showed that in spite of short staffing tho officers had tabulated a great deal of very valuable information. The operations for the past twelve months.showed an excess of revenue over expenditure, and this was a very satisfactory result. The hoard had. been able to subscribe £30,000 to the War Loan, and it lad made contributions to the sinking fund, the insurance fund, and the superannuation fund. Tho insurance fund now contained £510,000, and the i sinking fund amounted to £200,000, against a. total debt of £850,000. The contributions to the superannuation fund for the year had amounted to £4000. The board, added Mr. Daniell, had done a great deal to assist the military authorities. It had granted them the use of two sheds and had done everything within its power, to facilitate their work. No progress had been made with the Patent Slip, and this was not altogether a matter for regret, since the Slip ought to be in the hands of the. port authority and not of a private'ciyipany. The chair l man moved the adoption of the state-: mcnt of receipts and expenditure and assets and liabilities.

' Mr. Fietcher seconded the motion,. He said that the hoard had reason to' lie proud of the success that had attended the year's operations. The profit of £12,000 w;fs a most gratifying result, for which much credit was due to the staff. The board nine years ago had got authority to borrow £1,000,000 for works, but none of the monej; had been raised. The hoard had continued the improvement- of the harbour from revenue. The levenue fund, which now stood at over £40.000. was an excellent feature of the hoard's finance. He congratulated the hoard's officers on their successful work. Mr. Cable referred to Wellington's lack of a dry dock. The people of tho city, he said, had beeii inexcusably slow in this matter. Otherwise, tho affairs of the board were prospering. Mr. M'Ewan said lie bad no doubt tho dock question would be revived after the war, when a progressive policy would he inaugurated. Mr. Welsh said that if the board's dredge was idle now it could be employed profitably at the Petone foreshore. The reclamation of that foreshore would create an asset of erormous value. The motion was carnal.