HARBOUR BOARD FINANCES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 7, 8 January 1908, Page 7

HARBOUR BOARD FINANCES.

GREAT DECREASE IN INCOME.

In last evening's issue of the " Star" appeared a short article announcing that the total net revenue of the Harbour Board for the year 1907 was f92,956, an increase of £16,629 over that for the previous twelve months. In referring to this satisfactory increase of revenue, the Secretary and Treasurer to the Board, Mr. I J. Ivl. Brigham, gave an interesting report furnishing details as to how the increases ' were made. This stated that the largest I advance was in the revenue from wharf- : age charges on imports (£39,407), this having risen last year, as compared with the previous year (£34,955), by £4452. The Calliope Dock dues amounted last year to £3013, as against £1024 in 1906, thus showing an increase of £1989. The revenue from the storage of goods in- | creased from £2540 to £4265. Amongst I the small increases, rents rose by £724, I export wharfage charges by £296, ship's wharfage by £460, port charges by £554, harbour-master's fees by £235, pilotage . fees by £690. The only decreases last J year were Auckland Dock dues, which I were £253 less; cab tolls, -which fell by £16; and the water revenue, which was J £325 less. The revenue of the Board in : 1872 was £12,498, and in 1577 it was £15,415. In ISB7 it had advanced to ! £29,675, in 1897 it was £42,326, whilst last year it was £92,986. The revenue of 1 1907, as compared with that of 1872, thus I shows an increase of £50,485, whilst by I comparison with 1897 it shows an inI crease of over 100 per cent. Mr. Brigham I added: —Such an abnormal increase in the revenue of the institution speaks un- ] mistakably as to the advance of trade !in the port and to the administration of I the finance of the Board. When the I Board was about to issue debentures to ! provide for the works authorised, on I October 15, 1904, I made up an approxiI mate estimate of income and expenditure i until the year 1913 (for Parliamentary j use), making allowance for increases ; based upon previous advances in the , revenue of the Board. The income for 1907 was estimated at £85,525, but this ' amount has been supplemented by a fur- ] ther increase of some £7461, and the i total revenue now exhibited in 1907 at- | tains to the amount estimated as being I available between the years 1909-1910. Mr. G. W. Basley (acting chairman) said the report showed that the finances jof the Board were in a very satisfactory : condition. On his motion the report was I adopted.