NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 319, 18 January 1908, Page 5

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR.

CHAIRMAN'S ANNUAL REPORT. MOST SUCCESSFUL YEAR. The Channan of the Harbour Board, Mr. J. B. Connett, presented the following report at yesterday's meeting:— Gentlemen, —Accompanying this report is the annual statement of accounts, and you will notice that there is once again a large increase in the receipts, amounting to £1648 4s lOd. The working account shows a net profit of £9394 18s 2d, being £1995 lis 7d in excess of last year. The overdraft at the bank on 31st December, 1907, was £6711 1s 5(1, being an increase of £4OB 6s 2d over, the previous year, but as nearly £IO,OOO has been spent on improvements at the port, this must be considered exceptionally satisfactory. The trade of the port is also on I the upward grade, and the increase of nearly 7000 tons in the imports is particularly gratifying. BREAKWATER PROTECTION. The protection work of the old portion of the Breakwater is still in a very satisfactory condition, and it has not been found necysary to spend any money on this work during the year. BREAKWATER EXTENSION. The sum of £6892 3s 3d has been spent in extending the Breakwater during the year, and a length of 136 feet has been added. From this amount, however, must be deducted the sum of £247 10s, being the cost of the 15 blocks on hand in excess of the number at the commencement of the year and also £94 lis, being the cost of the drives at the Fishing Rock quarry, the stone from which has not yet been used. This leaves tbe net cost of the 136 feet at £6550 2s sd, or at the rate of £4B 9e 3d per foot. This shows an increase of £6 9s per foot over last year, the causes being—lst, working out the old quarry at a very low level, making it more expensive to obtain the stone; 2nd, insufficient quantity of large stone for protecting ' the work, and consequently having to nse blocks instead; and 3rd, increased depth of water. In addition to this, the whole of the cost of tbe lower level tramway to the Fishing Rock quarry has also been charged in this year's account, although tho line has not been used very much. The total amount spent to date on the extension has been £16,990 19s 9d for a length of 369 feet, averaging £46 0s lid per foot. The total length of the Breakwater is now 2289 feet or 61 feet short of Y.T.

There are at present 93 concrete blocks on hand, valued at £1534 10s, and all the stone quarried during the year has been tipped. It is worthy of note that owing to the improved shelter afforded by tho extension to the Breakwater, there has been no delay to shipping during the past two years, and also that vessels of larger tonnage are now visiting the port. DRKDQB, The sum of £7O 17s id hn beta expended on repairs to the dredge during the year, and £1435 19s 7d on working expenses, making a total of £1506 16s lid. 111,900 yards of spoil have been removed from the harbour, costing 3.09 d per yard, being 1.12 d per yard less than last year's cost. It has not been found necessary to have a night shift at work during the year. Particulars oi sand removed from the Harbour from 1592 as under:—

QUARRY. The old quarry is now practically worked out, and a drive lias been put in the Fishing Hock to tost the quality of stone there, and from samples already taken from this place it appears to be quite the equal of the old quarry and very suitable for block-making purposes. Tenders have been called for the powder for blasting the rock, and the explosion will take place shortly. Sixteen thousand six hundred and twenty-fire yards of stone have been quarried during the year, and with the addition of 500 yards on hand at the commencement of the year, makes a total of 17.12.) yards used in the extension work, as against 14.061 yards in the previous year for the same length.

V.'HAHF . The sum of £443 19s lOd has been ext ended on the old wharf during the year, mostly on piles, beams, and chaf-ing-pieces, and the side-walk of the wharf approach has been re-decked. A shelter shed has been erected on the wharf for the labourers, which cost C7B lis. TRANSHIPMENT SHED. The Board has had plans and specifications prepared for a transhipment sbe/l on the wharf. but the work of erection lias been allowed to stand over for the time being. WHARF WIDENING.

The widening of the old wharf for a listance of IKO feet, mentioned in my last report, has now been completed, ind the work lias cost C27!)8 13s lid. The Hoard has now ilccided to widen the balance of the slnictiire 370 feet. \ contract .lcs been entered into for the supply of ironbark timber necessary for the work, and the niiintr, metal mid felting will be ordered direct from Kngland. I PL ANT, m i I,DINGS, AND MACHINERY.

Tbt l sum of €!i I 1-Ji 10,1 lias been expended during the year under (his heading on labour, material, lnachin'•"y, repairs, etc.

Year. Wharfage, j Berthage. [ Warps. I Water, &c. I Port Charges. I Total. ' 5| ? ? isyi £i,;i4y Jim ; TTTS .'=•== 2- S?F'o 1892 2 105 256 iJs no £4b I £2,507 n * 3 s- i? ® ~ !893 1966 3fi6 ? 2® «? -V>79 1894 2,922 3»y £] 71 2.625 i S 5- Cjs ® 8, s g 1895 . 2,806 320 -"67 m JoT 3 - 6tu ! £ 3 » g" er~ 1896 3,242 450 }f> 131 I 3.540 § = >=! 0 0 •= .2 cr 1897 . 3 ;.588 1459 iji | 3.7 in 4 . o;iy -K >~ = 2 1898 3,824 1,414 jjpi ,"7 14 " 191 <"'B®=O ="E 1899 3,797 1 549 417 I 5.929 2»"ss-l: " =' 1900 3/929 1 788 HI «.OSI s - S| S 1901 3,835 2*lßo |,)B 5n 'ir 6 ' i33lJ 2?" 1902 4,239 2 554 Sii 76 21,0 B «'3S Z ' =5' a 1903 4i893 1904 5,200 3 242 r,7~> rL 8 - 7fil 3 CJ ,1H » 3 1905 5,019 3,551 , ~/i 9,444 •• 5 K 5 3 ®" o 1906 5,302 5 437 7% «r? 9-«03 I= ' o§" 1907 6,061 0.338 7PI 48 ai r' l, 1 -?* 1 3 S ~ H - J I 40/ [ 13,013 £ - £ 3 5

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V CO CO GO X » 00 Zi T. CT. ?5 T. T. O C;

Being an increase of seven vessels of 16,771 tons, and 7075 tons in imports and exports. ENDOWMENTS. No applications for the unlet sections have been received during tho year. The extension of twelve months granted to the estato of Sir A. J. C'adman of the ironsand leases will expire on January 25th next. The leases of Kawau Pa Reserve expire on February sth next, but the Board has granted an extension of time pending arrangements with the Government re Molesworth Street extension through tho railway yards. This extension is subject to six months' notice at any time. Nothing has been done by tho Borough Council towards forming Currio Street extension, but it is understood that steps will shortly he taken to do this work. WHARF LIGHTING. The wharf and port lights were lit for tho first time with the borough electricity in July (under contract), and so far have given everv satisfaction. HARBOURS ASSOCIATION. A conference of Harbour Boards was held in Wellington during October. Various subjects were discussed, the principal one being a Harbours Bill introduced by the Minister of Marine. Numerous amendments wero recommended by the conference, but the Bill was afterwards dropped for the session. HARBOUR RATE AND LAND REVENUE. It will be noticed that a further increase lias taken place in tho receipts from land revenue from £3799 7s 6d in 1906 to £3924 9s 2d in 1907. The Harbour Kate struck for the year was {d in the £, which will produce £9766 13s sd. Table of Land Revenue for the past Seventeen Years. Amount. Year £ s. d. 1891 7905 11 8 1892 7125 8 2 1893 6114 1 11 1894 7577 3 1 1895 8588 15 3 1896 670G 9 4 1897 4870 18 9 1898 5935 3 2 1899 GBO6 18 4 1900 6094 6 3 1901 5454 4 5 1902 3417 17 7 1903 3506 6 11 1904 3209 14 11 1905 2912 17 11 1906 3799 7 6 1907 3924 9 2 This shows an increaso of £125 Is 8d for the year 1907.

SINKING FUND. The total worth of this fund on December 31st, 1007, was £60,711 18s 8(1, the sum of £54,450 being in NewPlymouth Harbour Board Debentures and £6261 18s 8d in the Bank of New Zealand not bearing interest. The increase in this fund for the year has been £3360 4s 7d. MEMBERS. It is with regret I record the death of Mr. R. W. Hornby, who resigned his position during the early part of the yoar as the Government nominee on the Board. Mr. D. J. Hughes, of Manaia, was appointed in bis place. J. B. CONNETT, Chairman.

Year. Cubic Yards. Total Cost. Cost per Yard. £ s. d. 1893 15,8<«l 794 1 7 12 M Kid 1894 •>2,615 787 1 8 1895 39,680 aw 19 o 516d 18% 67,136 1,7a 8 li 6'30d 1897 114,309 1,877 15 10 3"94d 18!t8 135,2!*) 2,501 4 2 4 "43d 1899 232,730 2,970 12 1 3-50d 1900 134,278 1,458 11 11 2-fi0d 1901 95,380 1.453 15 6 3-52d 1902 103,320 2,125 19 3 4 "93d l'.Ktt 153.190 uw 12 io 2'48d r.«n arm.088 2.117 11 II 2-54d 1905 2i«.042 2,805 19 7 :-S-30d r.«»; ■U ,9211 1,612 18 2 4" 2 Id 1907 111.900 1.506 16 11 3-0'Jd