FOXTON HARBOUR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 972, 28 March 1911, Page 3

FOXTON HARBOUR.

THE YEAR'S WORK. The annual balance sheet of the F'oxton Harbour Board (which is subject to audit) shows the year started with a credit balance of ,£123 ros 8d and ended with ns rod, (including 10s part of grant of ,£250) an increase of ordinary revenue of jQ B2 ns 2d. Pilotage for the year returned ,£323 i2S (giving an average of £26 17s 4d per mouth, against £272 6s for nine months of 1904, averaging £3O 5s 4d per moiuh). Wharfage £27 fid lod. Rents £152 17s fid ; other receipts £5 18s 4d. The expenditure is made up of Harbour Master and assistant £229 16s. Re-erecting staff and repairs to plant and buildings, kerosene, sundries and insurance £45 4s xod, launch hire for soundings etc. £7. Secretary’s salary £35 18s 4d, and bonus for 1909 £ls. Office expenses and rent £l4 15s rod. Legal expenses £lO 19s 1 id. Printing, advertising and commission on sale of leases £32 16s. Members travelling expenses ,£3l issd. Other expenditure £5 1 is 2d. Through efforts of Mr Newman, M.P., a grant of £250 was made for river improvements, but it will require a very much larger sum to do any permanent work, and is a matter for consideration by the new Board. The total annual rental of Beach sections leased is:—£107 1 os, sanatorium sections, ,£ls 15s; flaxmill sites, £25: signal station reserve, £75: making a total of Comparing the shipping for the nine months of the year with the nine mouths of the previous year the following is the results; —

1909No. ol Month. Vessels. Tonnage. April 16 1834 May 19 2123 [line 14 1620 (uly 22 2567 August 30 3594 September 27 3254 October 18 2056 November 21 2519 December 19 2278 186 21845 1910. No. of Month. Vessels. Tonnage. April 15 1650 May II 1329 June 10 1202 July 16 1814 August 21 2350 September 21 2467 October 18 2095 November 24 2897 December 20 2301 156 18105 The pilotage for the latter nine months of 1910, compared with the nine months of 1909, shows a shortage of 30 boats, representing 3740 tons register, at 3d per ton, £4.6 15s. Probably the explanation of this is the smaller quantity of coal passing through the port. The figures given for the twelve mouths ending 31st December, 1910, are: 10213 tons, averaging 851 tons per month, against 16393 tons for 1909, averaging 1366 tons per month, a difference of 6180 tons, or equal to say 515 tons per mouth.

The Harbour Master’s reports on bar and river have been satisfactory for some months and very little difficulty has been experienced in navigation. A little progress has been made in regard to the purchase of the wharf, but not sufficient to incline the Board to hope for a final settlement for some time. The matter ot forming a rating area lor the security of payment is one of the conditions laid down by the Minister, and this apparently cannot be done without special legislation. However, it is hoped beiore the next annual meeting the purchase of the wharf will be an established fact. The new system of election will operate in April, aud it is hoped the districts interested will return members who will take as keen an interest in the Board’s alTairs as the present members. The one and greatest difficulty in this connection is the distance members have to travel to attend meetings. The Board has tried to meet this by holdiug alternate meeting - hi i' xiou and Palmerston, but even men it is sometimes hard to fit them to the convenience of all.

With a view of more regular soundings being made, aud to enable the Harbour Master to better attend to buoys aud the lighting of the river for vessels coming in or going out ou the night tides, an oil launch has been purchased and gives full satisfaction. When the present Chairman made up his statement of finance for the Board in 1909 an oversight was made in connection with a special charge made to boats working the river at night, viz. 7s 6d, this should have been added to the 1 Jad per ton pilotage. Now, in order to meet interest ou capital invested in launch, benzine. etc., in this connection, I propose a charge of 10s per ship. A meeting must be held for the election of Chairman within fourteen days of the general election, aud might be fixed for Palmerston North. P. J. Hennkssy, Chairman.