TRADE AT THE PORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 394, 20 May 1910, Page 2

TRADE AT THE PORT.

A SATISFACTORY INCREASE. During toe course of the Harbour Board meeting yesterday Mr. Maxwell said- that an idea had got abroad in some pants of the district that tuere (had been such a sharp decrease in the revenue of the port that the Board would 'lave to levy a rate. It was las iwiell to contradict the motion. As a matter of fact there was a/very decided indication of recovery from the general depression as far as" .the cargo at New Plymouth was concerned. For instance, in the four weeks, just closed the revenue from this source had been £912, as against £867 for tne corresponding four-weekly period in 1909. Mr. King said that a comparison of six months' trade ending in May last year would also' disclose a satisfactory position. Mr. Maxwell then referred to the returns of revenue under this heading in the first three four-weekly periods of 1910, as compared with the figures for a simitar, period in the two preceding years. In 1908 the earnings were £3OOO for that quarter, and in 1909 it fell away by nearly £IO9O, the actual ! figures being £2630. This year, .uowever, the 'three months had given £3524, or only £76 short of the lamount in 'I9OB. Mr. King, as treasurer of the Board, informed members that tlie amount of land revenue for the last quarter was the largest for ten years past. Mr. Wilkinson said he understood the Board had just had a record month for wharfage dues. Mr. Rennell, the secretary, said that was so. For the period ending Apru 2fith., the wharfage returns were £609, v.'lrcih exceeded previous few-weekly returns by £29. He added that the i Jlmrd 'kid in this year to date made up [ nc'i-ly Ml the leeway of the past year. Mi-. Wilkinson said it was very satisfactory to see the goods traffic so largely ine'reasing. The passenger traffic, however, was not yet up to its old dimensions.