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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 174, 22 January 1912, Page 4

THE HABBOR.

The chairman's annual review of the operations of the harbor is always instructive and interesting, and this year is not less so than its predecessors. In some respects it does not reveal quite as satisfactory a position as one would desire, but, as the chairman points out, this is more apparent than real. For example, the general revenue showa » decrease of £1853, as compared with the previous year, but it is explained that one monthly payment for wharfage les3 was made than in 1910, which, also included an amount which was not, strictly speaking, annual revenue for that year,' the whole accounting for £llOB, showing a net difference of £745 for the year. This decrease, the chairman shows, is made up principally by concessions in the rate of wharfage, etc. The working account of the port, however, continues to show a substantial profit, amounting to no less a sum than £7859. This profit is more than sufficient to pay for the cost of dredging the new harbor, which last year reached £7138. The smaller dredge, the Thomas King, did very good work again during the year, removing 118,240 tons at a cost of less than 3d a ton, whilst the Paritutu, used of course for the harder work, shifted 155,250 tons at a cost of nearly 9d a ton. It does not seem to be generally known that the work of dredging has now advanced to such a degree that it is possible to accommodate, so far as depth and extent of water is concerned, the largest vessels trading to the shores of the Dominion. Alongside the'wharf there is a berth 610 ft. long by 90ft. wide (which will shortly be enlarged to 200 ft.), with a depth of 33ft. at low water. The dredges and the men responsible for the working have done splendid work. We could not at the moment accommodate the big liners, for the reason that the wharf widening work is not completed, but we are assured by the chairman that it will be at the end of April next, which is to say that by that time we will be in a position to accommodate any of the vessels coming to New Zealand. The completion of the widening does not finish the wharf extensions, as it is to be lengthened by another fOft., thus giving an additional" berth on the inside of the wharf. The materials are on order, and the work is to be pu.,hed on with after the widening is finished. The loan fund will bear this additional burden with ease, the balance of this account at the. end of the year being no less than £52,029. After all the work is carried out it seems likely that there will be a considerable credit-balance left, a gratifying condition of things, showing that the engineer and Harbor Bill promoters were well within their estimate of the cost of converting the harbor from a coastal into an oversea going one. The land revenue, always a fluctuating quantity, shows a decrease of nearly £BOO, but over this the Board has n'o control. Wharfage and dues also show a decrease. How this comes about we explained in our opening remarks. The trade of the port continues to increase,

slowly last year, it is true, but none the less surely. It now stands at 87,185 tons. Until the harbor improvements are completed and we get the big vessels here, it is not to be expected that we will make very great, headway in trade or revenue. Taking all things into consideration, the Port has done remarkably well to achieve what it has since it received the set-back arising out of the opening of the Main Trunk railway. It has a future full of promise, and this year, which will see the completion of the scheme of improvements, it should make a good start on what we firmly believe will be a career of unpredecented progress and prosperity, and soon take a prominent place among the important ports of the Dominion.