HARBOUR BOARD FINANCES UNDER REVIEW.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4448, 6 May 1930, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD FINANCES UNDER REVIEW.

AIR. .T. A. NASH ASKS FORSTATEMENT. At yesterday's meeting of flie Foxlon Harbour Board, the fiann-,-ial statement was tabled as follows : Receipts: —(Cash in band as at 1-10-29 £393 2s fid, pilotage £145 2s (id, river lighting CGI, wharfage inwards £ll (15 Is Hid, wharfage outwards £l2l 17s 7d, ship’s dues £ls 7s Id: rents: Round Bush £SB, To Wharangi £232 5s lid, Sanatorium £24 17s tid, camping license Ids, grazing license £3 4s ticl, sited Tie £lj Ids , septic tank site 10s; road contributions £OB l(is Id; miscellaneous £lOl 11s 8d; differential *peeial rale £295; dr. halanee as at 3(1-4-30 £473 7s 9d, a total of £313(1 Is lid. Payments:—Overdraft as at 1-JO-2-9 £10(17 (is 2d, salaries £513 12s Sd, kerosene, ole., £27 7s, maintenance and repairs £3(l 19s 2d, plant, et<-., jjfiff 15s (id, office and genei'itl expenses £77 15s. handling, ole.. £533 4s 9d, miscellaneous .('321 8s sd, travelling expenses £7 10s (id, insurances £57 (is 9d, nightwatchman £l3, interest £420 ds od, a total of £313(1 4s Id. Accounts amounting to £25(1 5s id were passed for payment.

AL- ,1. A. Nash submitted the finances to a searching scrutiny. After a study of the linanc.es Air Nash said that the statement showed that the Board commenced the lirst of the tenth month with a debit (nr+ance of £1,007. This sum covered seven months operations, and lie would like to know if the > covet ary had in mind when he made arrangements for the striking of a levy on the local bodies for the. raising- of the £I,OOO the fact that the Board bad an ojverdralit of £l,ddd al Hie end of last year. If *o, tin- Boat'll was gelling into a bad way. Last year, with a debit balance al Hie end of the term of £I.OOO the Board struck a levy ol ! £1,900 over the district to make up the deficit. It was said at that meeting that the rate was struck to u ipe out the deficit and put the Board right for the Government audit. Possibly members were not aware that the Board was not allowed to show a debit at the end of ihe year, and that if they did, then the individual members were liable for it.

The Secretary (AH’ R„ Rangihenca) : After the assets have been taken into consideration. Mr Nash: That is so. But when Hie mallei’ was discussed at that meeting' it was distinctly said that, the amount was to be collected lo wipe out the debit balance in order Hull it would not be necessary lo (all on the local bodies again.

Afr W. E. Barber: I remember that quite well.

Then wlial do we find this year? i ohiinurd AH- Nash. Wo have wiped .ml the £1,009 by way of levy and find that we want another £ I.9UU. Are we losing £4,000 a year in the running of Hie Harbour l'.mird? The position is serious, and wants reviewing. Only seven months of the present year have' gone and it is difficult to know what the position will be at ihe end of the financial year in September. The receipts, said Mr Nash, showed a deficit of £473 7/9 al the bank, and there was an item, “Differential Special Rate £205." Was that the Foxlon Borough Council's portion of Hie rate unpaid? The Secretary said that it was the Alanawalu County Council’s coiiii-lmiion, which had not been paid last year. It had been paid during the present current financial year, and was shown in “sundry debtors.” Air Nash: Did we receive interest on i lie amount? The Secretary; No.

Mr Nash said that the Board had to pay interest oil overdraft, and the .Maimwatu County Council should also pay interest on unpaid i unirilmlions. Then there was the Round Busli reserve, £SB. What was ihc Ldal .-1111011111 payable for the year. Rents amounted to £209 l!'s. Of tlmt £2OO liow much was I here left lo he paid By the end of the linanci.it year. Te W'haraugi iriits amounted to £232 on the statement, Imt lie understood that then- was about £438 yet to conic in. 1 1 was time they took stock ami looked into 1 heir linanees. The .secretary said that rents for Te Wharangi and the Round Busli yet to come in during the current year amounted to £570. Mr Nash asked how the imvard w harfage I his year compared with I hat uf last: year. Wins the £llOs shown on tile statement an increase o', ci- i he same period last year"/ The .Secretary: Yes. We had no boat over that period last year. Mr Nash: Then will it he quite safe In say that the inward wharfage will go on increasing until the end of the year? I’lie Secretary said there would he a salckeniiig off for three mouilis. Abon l August shipping would pick ii)i again and by September and October a considerable amount of merchandise would he on the move again.

Mr Nash said that as fur as he could see there was £572 to come in, and the Board's liability was £473. With an increase in shipping surely there was not any need for the £I,OOO loan. Mr Bleiikhorn (Levin) said that the Board was faced with certain repairs to the wharf, etc.

Mr Nash: Yes, but if we are going in for a lot of repairs we are increasing our expenditure. We also have a report to-day submitted by the Secretary in connection with establishing marram grass ■nurseries. That will take another £2OO.

AH' Perreau: It would be money well spent. Afr Nash; I am quite sympathetic Inwards the report. It is a very good one, but it will require deep consideration. All this'expenditure is quite all right in a way, hut if we have to call on local authorities every year for £I,OOO it seems to me that the business of the Board is no good, and that we can’t carry on. The position would be impossible and unfair to the contributing authorities. The levy has gone out, but we should have some indication as to what the estimated expenditure will be for the balance of the year. It is difficult to say what freights will Jie, but that eould he estimated, 100. Possibly it would not be necessary to call ihe £I,OOO up. AYe certainly have certain repairs to face, hut they will not amount to £1.900.

The Chairman (Afr .1. Linklater) ; The estimate for repairs is £250, hut we are faced with expenditure at the Beach in connection with reading. The Secretary said llml to make a aist-sfaciory job of the wharf £SOO would have to he spent. Air Nash : AYeII, we’ve gut to give safety with the working of the port. In regard to the Beach reading, the Beach residents are entitled to good roads. The Board lias money in hand for this purpose not expended. It is a separate thing and any surplus money should be expended on the Beach roads.

The Chairman: \Ye haven’t- the money to spend on the roads.

Atr Perreau said that the expenidtiire might not tie increased to any great extern. Certain non-recurring

works lout Ween eari-nM out. Itu-ve-a-ed wharfage would obviate the necessity of collecting the rate, bun if that was done the benefits of patronising ilie local port would he reduced accordingly. The Board could not spend any of the £I,OOO on improvements, as it had to be devoted to interest and sinking fund. On the other hand if revenue was to be used to met*l interest and sinking fund it would not help the port.

Afr Nash moved -that the Secretary submit a comprehensive report on the state of the Board’s finances to ihe uoxt meeting. This was seconded by Ah’ Perreau. Mr Edwards endorsed the suggestion. He suggested that a committee be set up to assist the Secretary in bis work. The Board would have to be careful not to kill ibe goose that laid the goldeu egg when any alteration was suggested to charges, etc. Afr Rlenklmrn said there was no chance of freeing local bodies from the rate this year, nor was it the proper time to dismiss fully estimates for the coming year. Next meeting the Board could go-fully into the matter. The motion was carried, and the matter will be fully discussed at the next monthly meeting.