The Daily News. SATURDAY, JANUARY 21. THE HARBOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 299, 21 January 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, JANUARY 21. THE HARBOR.

The report submitted to yesterday's meeting of the Harbor Board by the chairman is in every way satisfactory, disclosing as it docs a particularly healthy state of affairs, and justifying —indeed, in some respects, more than justifying—the judgment of the furseeing men responsible for the progressive policy now being pursued by the Board. The ordinary revenue increased during tlie year by £2130. The drop in the Board's revenue a year or two ago, occasioned by the opening of the Main Trunk railway, was considerable, amounting to no less a sum than £SOOO. To have pulled up by nearly half in one year is n splendid achievement, and all the more satisfactory because the "quality" of the revenue is of a solid and permanent nature, unlike the passenger tax revenue in the pre-Main Trunk days. The increase in the revenue means, of course, an increase in the trade of the port. This is particularly noticeable in the imports, which sprang from 01,920 tons in 1909 to 72,507 tons in 1910. Our exports, butter and cheese, are small in bulk, but they rose from 13,484 tons il 1009 to 14,282 tons in 1910. The total trade of the port amounted to 80,849 tons, as against 75,410 tons in the previous year. The wharfage and dues showed a substantial improvement, the amount received last year from these sources totalling £11,820, as against £9900 the previous year. The land revenue also increased, the figures being £4BBI last year, as against £2909 in 1909. This is an uncertain source of revenue, but there is every indication that the Board will benefit for many years to coine from the sale and lease of Government land in the province. Altogether, there is a surplus of £14,924 available for the payment of interest on the loan raised in 1909, which amounts to £15,125 per annum. These are significant figures. They prove that the Board has already reached the position when it need have no recourse to levying a rate. It will be remembered that when the Harbor Bill was being discussed, the promoters stated that if a rate were required at all it would be infinitesimal, and hardly worth (at any rate, so far as the southern pari of the rating area was concerned) the cost of collecting. The pro- | moters then were not taking into consideration the sinking fund, which, it will ■ be recollected, was subsequently fixed by Parliament. They estimated the surplus for the first two or three years at £12,000, We see now that their estimates were on the conservative side, for, as we have mentioned, the actual amount available is just on £15,000. Ratepayers. therefore, cannot say they have been misled. On the contrary, they have to be grateful for the inauguration of a policy that has saved them the rate and is providing them with first-class harbor facilities, which will later put pounds and pounds into their pockets. The harbor improvements are now well under way, and everything points to thenbeing an unqualified success. The new dredge is doing fine work. Between it and the energetic little "Thomas King," a deep and safe inshore harbor will soon be provided, whilst the wharf-extension work will be started in real earnest in another month's time. Providing nothing unforeseen happens, there is every reason to believe that by the end of the year we will have at Moturoa what was promised—facilities for accommodating an ocean liner. We have been told that a great mistake has been made in adopting the plans that are now being followed; that it is impossible to dredge inshore as is being done; that the Hani conglomerate and stones forming the bed of the harbor cannot be successfully dealt with; that a dog's-hind-leg of a wharf is better than a compact, deepwater inshore structure; but ratepayers need not feel alarmed in the slightest degree. They can place every confidence in the work of the consulting engineer and the Board, who have so far "made good" ill what they have attempted and done, and will, we are convinced, "make good" to an equal if not greater, extent in the future.