The Wellington Harbour Board.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 14 July 1891, Page 3

The Wellington Harbour Board.

••;■- ■- . . .: .jw Last week the above Board laid the foundation stone of the: new. bond. Mr Booth, the chairman gave-soma interesting particulars pt, the progress of the port. In 1882, Mr Booth said, the Board completed; its first year of work, at which tijne 0 - the length of berthage at the whb>rf ' was 8560 ft, while now it was 68Spft.' There Were now three berths .for; ocean-going mail steamers, as. against one in 1882. Eight years ago r\o steamship traded to, Qreat Britain ; and the registered tonnage of 'all vessels which arrived : at Wellington in 1882 only amounted to 356,000 tons, while last year it had lEeached ,782,000. T^e ;ap- r pliances for working cargo when the Board first took over charge of the, port were of the most 'primitivedescription, there were, no cranes for working ships and only a few hand gear cranes were' available for loadjjto carts. Now, he said, the Board a jßjjrfetem unequalled m,the Australian; Colonies for completeness and efficiency, consisting of hydraulic ci-anels. The amount of goods which passed over the wharf in 1882 amounted to 105,000 tons {.eight years later : it was 175,000 • tons. During tiae same period of eight years the 5 number of bales of woql and flax had increased from 48,8001 to (129,000. , In 1882 the covered •pace available for the erection of stowage of goods extended 19.G0& square feet, while now it was ,94r,000 giving stowage capacity of 1,648,070 cubic feet, as against 198,000 cubic , fact at the former period. Notwithstanding these large extensions, 'the warehouses of goods has barely. Jjept pace with the requirements of the increasedv trade. ...;. ,; i f/