THE TRADE OF THE PORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 323, 14 January 1909, Page 4

THE TRADE OF THE PORT.

ANNUAL RETURNS.

1 The annual returns, prqinral by Mr. C. S. Bunnell, secretary of the Harbor 4 'Board, showing the trade of the port of ( •New Plymouth for the twelve months ending December 31st, IUUB, are now , available. , The returns arc interesting as showing | the shrinkage in the passenger tratlie , since tliie institution of coinpetition by , the Xurtli Island Main Trunk railway. Whilst there lias no doubt been a very large volume of passenger tratlie diverted to that route by the novelty of the trip, the opening of the line must have a permanent effect of reducing the number of passengers to and from New .Plymouth by steamer. This will lie less se\erely felt when the steamer's passenger fares are brought somewhat into 'line with the cost of the railway ticket. The actual number of passengers •who passed over the breakwater last year was. 41,741, from whom the Board collected a toll of £4174 7s. In the previous twelve months the passengers numbered 4ti,4!)a, and the passenger-tax was worth .-C-KU'.I 10s. It should lie taken into account, however, that the 'li)(>7 trallic was abnormal, owing to the very large number of people travelling to and from the International Exhibition at ChrisUihurch. The. Willi figures 'also included a goodly proportion of that special traffic, yet the number of passengers in 1008 was more by nearly ,three thousand than those of lHOli. I Tile actual figures were 38,882 passcn- ■ !gcrs, paying .0888 4s to the Hoard's 'funds by way of tax. The quarterly Higures show the shrinkage in holiday - 'trallic via New Plymouth to have been i 'considerable. In the final quarter of , '1905 the earnings from the passenger i 'tax were ,t(i32 12s; similar period, 'IOOO, £9BO 12s (two months' Exhibition , 'traffic) j 1907, £1066 10s (three months' 1 'Exhibition traffle); 1008, £O7B Bs. I The total number of berthings at the . harbor during 1008 was 530, as against ~ 0.53 in the previous year. The register shows a decrease in the tonnage from L 1281,528 to 273.102 ton* for tile year. ' The. returns of imports and exports , are more satisfactory, and the steady j 'growth recorded for .souie years past ■lias Iwen fully maintained.' It is in the volume of imports and exports that . -the usefulness of the port is best de- ■ monstrated. The quarterly returns j 'were as follows, the figures for the ■corresponding periods of 1007 being r given in parentheses:—January to 1 '.March: Imports 14,021 tons (11,307), j 'exports. 4778 tons (4jGO), total cargoes t 19,309 (15.807); April to June: Imports . 14,033 tons (13,800), exports 3021 tons , '(3205), total cargoes 18,804 tons (17.1,071); .Tuly to September: Imports 14,1 (lii j [ tons (13,015), exports 2495 tons (2400). . 'total cargoes 10,090 tons (10,021); October to December: Imports. 19,035 ■tons (18,458), exports 4740 tons (4830). , total cargoes, 24,381 tons (23,297). The imports for the twelve months totalled 03,294 tons, as against 57,240 in 1907; and the exports 15.940 tons, as against j 15,010 tons. The total cargoes handled , amounted to 79,234 tons, as against 72,- \ 250 tons in the previous vear, a gain ! of 0078 tons.

' Berthage fees brought in t!l7ofi 12s fid, an increase of £lO7 17s lOdior the previous year, and the items "warps" and "wateY" produced £B2O ss, or £l7 more than in 1007. Wharfage increased from £OOOI Os 2d in 1007 to £(>657 15s in 1908.

' The total revenue showed the satisfactory increase of £251 18s lid for the vear. the. difference between £13.206 8s 7d in 1!K)7 and £13,458 7s 0d in 1008. The figures for the three p.seeding vears were. £11,525 7s 8d in lOOfi, £O3OB 14s 3d in 1905, and £9170 2s 4d in 1904.