THE PORT

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1916, Page 3

THE PORT

PAST YEAR'S WORK. 4 falling off in trade. ' A RESULT OF THE WAR. The Now Plymouth Harbor Board met yesterday. Pre9ent: Messrs J. B. Connett, X. King, E, Doekrill, J. MeCluggago, D. J. Hughes, E. Maxwell, C. ■E. Bellringer and C. A. Wilkinson, M.P. The chairman presented his annual reported, which stated:— I have to place before you the accounts of the Board for the year 1915, and regret to report a falling off in the trade of the port—the cargo handled being 'J2,107 tons, against 105,270 tons in 1914, a decrease of 10,163 tons. This falling-off is practically all in the imports, and is caused almost entirely by the great European war. The revenue received during the year was £11,667 5s 3d, against £13,240 16s 5d in 1914, a decrease of £1573 lis 2d. The working account shows a nett •profit of £6525 15s 7d, against £9054 63 4d in 1914, or a decrease of £2528 10s 9d, which may be accounted for by the reduced revenue and by the increased expenditure on the wharf, plant and other items. The total ordinary revenue received in the general account by the Board for the past 16 years is as follows: Amount. Year. •' £ s. d. 1990 6,944 19 1 1901 7,560 13 5 1902 8,505 9 11 1903 10.225 1 II 1904 10,835 18 S 1905 10,760 11 5 1906 13,008 18 6 .1907 14.747 3 4 1908 15,466 10 2 1909 10,470 4 7 1910 12,677 3 2 1911 10,823 12 8 1912 ~ 11,503 0 4 1913 12,655 22 1914 13,240 16 5 1915 11,667 5 3

The balance of this account at December 31, 1915, was £3BOI 14s lid, which is on fixed deposit at the Board's bankers

Steps were itakcn during the year to raise the balance of the £300,000 loan, amounting to £25,000, and satisfactory arrangements have been made with the ißank of New Zealand for its flotation, and the thanks of the Board are due to the Board's treasurer, Mr. Newton King, who personally carried out the negotiations in connection with raising the balance of the loan. HARBOR WORKS. The breakwater 1 protection work lias stood splendidly during the year, and only the small sum of £5 14s 3d has been expended on it. No concrete block-3 were used during the year, and there are still 77 on hand. The Thomas King has worked continuously during the year, and, as anticipated in my last report, no repairs were required to the vessel. She has removed 125.040 tons of spoil at a working cost of £1626 8s 3d, giving an average cost of 3.1'2d per ton. In addition to the above work the vessel has also removed a large quantity of boulders from the harbor. The removal of these boulders enables the Paritutu to proceed with her work without delay. Particulars of sand removed from the ; harbor during the past sixteen years by the Thomas King:—

Total ' per Year. Tons. Cost. Ton. '£ <1 d. 1900 134,278 1,458 11 11 2.60 1001 95,380 1,453 15 6 3.52 1302 103,320 2,125 19 3 4.93 1903 153,190 1,587 12 1 0 2.48 1904 200,088 2,117 11 0 2.54 1905 203,042 2,805 19 7 . 3.30 1906 91,920 1,612 18 2 4.21 1907 111,900 1,506 16 11 3.05 1908 75,720 1,924 8 11 6.09 1009 87,840 1,542 11 10 4.10 1910 94,839 1,764 18 0 4.4G 1911 118,1,389 13 2 2.82 1912 82,100 1,050 I 0 4.82 1913 117,840 1,687 3 5 323 1914 91,680 2,702 11 11 7.07 1915 125,040 1,626 8 3 3.12 The Paritutu lias been engagec! during the year at the swinging basin and fairway, mostly with the buckets, as very little sand pumping has been done. Considerable improvement has been made in the depth of water, and there is little doubt that when normal trade conditions return direct liners will visit the port. The quantity of spoil removed by the vessel during tlie year was 239,000 tons, at a total cost (including the annual overhaul at Wellington) of £8142 13s sd, giving an average cost of S.lld per ton. Particulars of dredging by the Paritutu for the past five years:— -i ; ■ Cost Total per Year. Tons. ' Cost. Tou. £ r. d. d. 1911 155,260 £ 5,748 16 1 8.87 d 1912 279,200 £6,911 17 7 5.94(1 1913 256,C00 £8,128 2 8 7.60 d 1914 295.200 f10,33'2 17 9 8.40 d 1915 239,600 £8,142 13 5 S.lld WHARF AND PLAXT. During the year the Board imported a large quantity of piles and squared timber for the wharf, consequently the expenditure under this heading has been larger t'lan usual —£1426 8s 4d. A large amount of work lias been done to tlu- wharf, including several new piles,/ new braces, wailings and chafing pieces. The expenditure on buildings, plant and machinery during the year has been £982 3s lid, and includes a new boiler for the 40-ton crane, and also a new one for the 5-ton crane. Sales of old plant and material have realist £3l os for the year. During the year the board has had the borougli water supply connected •with the wharf, and it is now used entirely for shipping purposes. The cost of the connection amounted to £lO3 16s 2d. Five additional sections at the Kawau |Pa Reserve have been let at the original upsets during the year. Enquiries have also been made for Jit. Eliot sections, but so far without result.

The land revenue received during the year amounted to £0228 17s Sd, as against £4GSO 17s 3d in 1014, being an increase of £154*2 0* 3d. It will be noticed that this is the largest amount received in one year since 1889. Table of land revenue for the past sixteen vears:—

LAND REVENUE. Amount. Year. £ s. d. 1900 ... 0,094 0 3 1901 5,454 4 5 1902 3,417 17 7 1903 3,50G 0 11 1904 3,209 14 11 1905 2,912 1 7 11 1908 *3,799 7 0 1907 3,924 9 2 1908 3,15*2 10 II 1809 *2,009 *2 3 1910 4.851 10 4 1911 4,082 17 10 1912 3.12*2 14 0 1913 4.G37 13 4 1914 4,080 17 3 1915 G.22S 17 8 This shows an increase of £1542 Cte 5d for the year 1915. The balance in this account at December 31, 1915, was £20,008 (Is sd, of which £19,(i00 was on mortgage and the balance lying at the bank awaiting investment.

AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. A short discussion followed the presentation of the report.

The chairman observed that his re-1 port touched on a falling-off in imports, but everyone expected that this would bo so. A falling-off in exports was also shown, but this was only an apparent falling-off, for a quantity of cheese was left behind in store every time a shipment was made, and if all the cheese had gone forward when it was ready j the total exported would have exceeded that for the previous year. He was informed that more and more cheese was left behind every time, owing to the dearth of space on the Home steamers. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson said everything at the port was in better order to-day than it had ever been, and but for the war he had no doulit Home liners would have been using the port by now. The chairman said the harbor now provided '2l feet at low-water and 33 feet at high water, and would accommodate asy of .the steamers that load in the Waitara roadstead. Mr. E. Maxwell said the port was undoubtedly able to accommodate ocean liners now. The steamer with the largest draught that visited New Zealand was the Athenie, and she frequently went to Timarit, where the extreme depth was 27 feet, while New Plymouth could give 33 feel. Further, they knew that the harbormaster was prepared to berth a Home liner at Moturoa any day now. Mr. X. King moved the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Mr. Wilkinson and carried

PAST MONTH'S WORK.

REPORTS OF OFFICERS. Tlie harbormaster (Captain W. Waller) reported that for Ihc five weeks ending the 15th inst. 21 steamships and one sailing vessel, aggregating 19,133 tons, arrived at Motliroa. The imports amounted to 5231 tons, inI'ludii'" '2O tons of coal, 500 tons being for private. us», »"<' the balance for the Railway tapnrbnefrf. The exports for the same . amounted to 2021 tons, making of 7252 tons handled. Tii.. joßcrintendent of works (Mr. F. Henderson), reporting on the work done at the harbor during the five weeks ended the 15th inst., said: The iParitutu dredged on 2l|/i days, the net time being 215 hours. Fifty-nine loads of spoil, equal to 23.600 tons, were removed. At the mid-fairway cut 42 hours were spent witli the buckets in removing 10 loads. At the third basin cut 1I5 1 /; hours were spent with the buckets in removing 20 loads and 58 boulders. At the western side of the fairway 57% hours were spent with the sand-pump in removing 29 loads. The mid-fairway cut has been carried outward 50 feet, and is now 100 feet outside the breakwater. The third basin cut has been advanced 375 feet, and is now completed at 640 leet seaward from the end of the wharf. Five days were observed as holidays, and half a day was occupied in eoaling. The Thomas King worked on 22 davs, net time 197 hours, of which 159* hours were occupied in pumping, 132 loads, equal to 10,500 tons, and 38 hours were occupied in lifting 105 boulders. A new set of landing steps has been made for the wharf. Seven concrete blocks have been placed on the apron at tlio bend of the breakwater. The diver and crew have been engaged on 18 days ; n removing boulders from the swinging basin.

pi Exports Other Total Total Exports Year Wharfage Berthage Warps Water, &c Port charges Total Sear Vessels Tonnage Imports Batter & Cheese Exports Exports and Imports ft 3' =r *«* =r Hf ik n ° 1901 £3835 £2180 £508 £120 £295 £6,938 OQ *" p § 3* Tons Tons Tons Tons Tons 1902 4,239 2554 560 48 209 7,610 - g tn Z.~n 1903 482 201,323 4,7,342 6.705 4,408 11,113 58,455 1903 4893 2997 572 53 246 8,761 l! >- > P 3 » 1904, 47C 228,743 50,970 6,890 5,050 11,940 62,910 SJIIPP lire J and svnd left their agg tons. ov the pai oft 1904 5200 3242 672 53 277 9,444 g agg 190-5 500 245,4,73 4,9,044 0,953 6 511 13,464 62,508 05 0 1905 5019 3551 684. 54 295 9,603 ° is; 1906 546 264,757 50,471 7,624 7,086 14,710 65,181 1906 5302 5437 . 732 53 335 11,859 S S ' 3 1907 553 281,528 57,246 8.615 6.335 15,010 72,256 rjg1907 6061 6338 759 48 407 13,613 p r 1 1908 535 273,462 63,294 8,414, 7,526 15,910 79,234 «S?8 E JO 1908 5971 6658 76S 62 337 13,796 = ET £ 1909 447 213,124 61,926 8,360 5.124 13.4S4 75,410 a tz< p 1909 5927 2960 595 63 355 9,90(1 "3 W d 1910 389 186,830 72,567 9,240 5,04,2 14,282 86,849 s S s! »• 1910 7504 3155 656 132 475 11,922 la § HI 1911 367 172,517 71,675 7,737 7,773 15,510 87,185 - o 5 1911 6576 3008 593 144 405 10,726 1912 376 180,486 78,260 9,423 4 257 13,680 91.940 -a i glg. 1912 6953 2991 604 15-1 744 11,446 " » 1913 33 i 183,715 77,040 9,145 6,282 15,4,27 92,467 a « s-s i' 1913 7608 3198 717 233 899 12,655 s t 1914 304, 166,816 90,783 12,552 4,935 17,4,87 10S.270 » rat/, TO 1914 8193 3234, 690 296 827 13,240 1 as. 1915 278 145,682 75,277 11,155 5,675 16,830 92,107 r 1915 7467 2693 535 239 733 11.667 s