HARBOUR BOARDS. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. AUCKLAND AND GISBORNE. Wellington, August 22.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 397, 28 August 1889, Page 4

HARBOUR BOARDS. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. AUCKLAND AND GISBORNE. Wellington, August 22.

Tiik Committee appointed by the Legislative Council to reporb on the harbouv3 under the management of Harbour Boards, especially as to their financial position, prospects, accommodation, etc., submitted an interim report to day, in which they dealt with Auckland and Gisborne. The reporb on the Auckland haibour is j as follows :— The indebtedness of the Auckland Harbour Board amounts to £400, 0C0, or deducting pinking fund accrued, and debentures paid oil' out of sinking hind, €382,800. the annual cbaigcs for interest and sinking fund being £23,000, the iirsb lorn of £150,000 having been raised at 6 per cent., with a sinking fund of 1 per cent., and the second and blind loans of £150,000 and £100,000 respectively at 5 par cent., without a .sinking fund. The Board are authorised bo raise a fiubher sum of £100,000. The ordinary rovenuo of the Board is about 1 30,600, and the ordi nary oxpendituie, with tho interest) and sinking fund, etc., amount to about £.")0,100, lea\ing a balance in favour ot the Board of about £500. Th« Board's endowments aio \ allied by the Property Tax Dcpaibmenb at £178,190. Tho present lcnbal doi'ived ftom them is £10,343 9s. The Board have several \aluable sections ready to bo lot, but they prefer to hold them for the present, as they consider it is better policy to do so than to lease them at the low rent now obtainable. Tho Board haa a sufficient* sum of monoy in hand to cairy out the works in progress to a state of safety and usefulness. There appears to be ample accommodation for shipping. The Boaid have two dry docks, the Calliope Dock, lecontly built, and a smaller one, the Auckland Dock. The Auckland Dock is stated to have yielded a revenue of C?'M above working expenses, and the Calliope Dock £91, for the portion of the year dm ing which it has been in use. These amounts can only be considered as very small contributions to the interest on the cost of the construction of the docks. The smaller one cost £57,300, and tho larger one £137,100, or when the contractor has been settled with, and the machinery and bools for the workshops provided, say to £145,000. Tho Commilteo loam that no charge has been made in the dock& account for oißce expenses or superintendence by the harbour stall. The nob docks levenuc would thoreforo appear to be slightly overstated. Your Committee think thai this Board arc in no financial difficulty, and arc likely to be able to peiform their duties successfully, provided they do not increase their present indebtedness. With respect to the Gisborno Board the Committee suggest that as a large portion of the inteiest on loans will have- to be paid out of rates the Board should not be permitted to expend any greafer sum than is now authorised. The report says finally :—: — "The history ot the Gisborne Harbour Board, as examined by the Committee, appears to be that tho scheme for harboui improvements "was adopted hastily, and that the gain from increased facilities in shipping and receiving good, when tho sum at present authorised has been expended (amounting to £105,000) is ior a large portion of the settlers by no \ means an adequate compensation for the burden imposed on them."

A Western newspaper recently had this advertisement : "A raiddle-aged woman who is capable, honcsfc and industrious, but as homely as a stone' fence, wants work." Typewriter Agenl— l called to see you ( in reference to your typewriter. Would, you exchange if you could* get some improvements ? Merchant — I can't. I'm engaged to her. Melbourne's biggost book-stall man declares that the popularity of a book depends more on its cover than on what it contains." And what a poor cover the poet himself gonerally has !