The Daily News. MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1904. NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 14, 18 January 1904, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1904. NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR.

The annual report presented by the chairman oi' the Haifix>vjr Board discloses a very siatis'flajctory condition m iUTu.ii-». The uidnaiivistratioH during t-lw |nu*l jw. has been sound and economical, with the result that uwUniid of the overdraft ot' C377G 4s -Id wluch meed the Uoaitl at the begimjdng of 1903, there was a. cmlit balance on Dec. 31 of £153 la Id—a \ cry goud record indeed, i tc-vidies? paying off the overdraft ctalne account, £44(1 9s fid, \>as iiq.uidaiUid, inaJking a total sa\ for t'he year oi £4375 J Is Ihl. 'l'ho report refers to the pleas* ii.g lac-f that imvinU»nia:itce of the breakwater *>st only £29 3 6s 6d for th«> year, and to the authorised e\Uii.«kvn of the mole by a hundred kit. This work is necessary in view ol th * proposed wharf extension, and -aill have the efl'rct of reducing Uie ran-g'e which is felt i-n the harbour during hm\y winds from certain |J.outers. The \olume of trajde at the pott is steadily increasing-. In 1002 the total tonnage berthed wa* 1*9,800 t.on.s, ami the mincer of \ os.sely 454. There were -182 vessels in the } ear just parsed, wit'h a total uvr.ter of 201,323 tons. Imports in< reaj-v.l -by r>(i()7 tons over the 1902 returns, an<:i compared with 1901 showed a<n arlnwiine of 13 731 Loti'S. r J he total imports in 1903 were 47,312 tons. During the year ve*;<»ls took from the breakwater 11,113 tons of meitilitiindise, including (5705 twiiK of butter ami cheese Tn 190'2 the expat ts were 9545 tons * , with dairy produce tvmomviinig to *>79B um,s. Ty provide foj> this w

tension of trade live Board has in- | stnictud' Mr l\ W. Marcm ; n f , engi- ; r.eei, to prepaiv plans for an addi- i tional berth inshore, and for wid.-n-----in«r the wharf by sixteen feet. The inshore Iwnth will be i>romded with ut once, the wharf accommodation being found totally insufficient to cope with the rabidly growing trade of live port. It is almost Wonderful to lind that the goods are landed or sihippod at nil ex--1 peditiously under existing conditions, the wharf being almost blocked when two stt-a.iners are wor.kiing cargo at one and thv? same time. The dredging tjiies'lion has given htUe canse for commeivt during Hie year, the repairs to the Thomas King being kopt down to £l9O. The cost per \ai-d for removing sand was 2.-ISd, and the total cost, of lifting i IVK» vatds was £1587 ,12s tOd. This is the lowest cost per yard yet i ed. The report further dealt with re\<"nuo from endowments, which In ought in £1434 (5s (id for the past tw-elve months. arid slated that *tlvo hailvo.ur rate hud been reduced from id to- Jd in the £. The tO'tal icvenue from rates was £904-i Us, and from land £:ir>of) 6s lid. The total worth of the sinking fund at Pec. 31 was £4B/180 5s 9d, of which £47,4'H0 was invested in Nvw Plymouth bai'luonir boiwls, and the balance of £lott(s 5s 9d was hearing interest at the bank. The Kinkinig furi'd conimittce bajd bouglht during tlw year ha-nhaur bonds to the extent of £4684 lfis, and had funds available for further purchaMS. S'hould awy of t:hcse securitiw be in the market. Meitriers of the iloard expi-osstid Lli-emseU'es as bei'ng \\ r ell pleastd with t;be condition of the Hoard's afVairs, as disclosvd by the statement presented by the chairman and their opinioru will be generally endorsed by the ratepayers. We U*uf»l that the matter of increase nig l trade will be kopt in view, as sooner ,or later much impro;vemc!vt must be • made at the in order to laf il'itate tlx* working of steamers, and thus lessen the cost of goods to the settlers. This aspect of il, L * Question mus*t not be overlooked.