ARBOUR BOARD ACCOUNTS

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 136, 9 June 1909, Page 9

ARBOUR BOARD ACCOUNTS

COKGBATULATIONS AND QTJESr mom

TO BEFEB BACK UOST.

.it, figfrman's remarks respecting * TTartwnx Board's financial positieß *"; responsible for some discussion ye* Board had been fiercely as•i.rf uiion its effort to eliminate cerf , »Se services, said Mr Napier, *? D t ° h en went on to point out the W's complete subsequent justification f n f its action. In the pilot service, for vtance. instead of having to pay out 'fAiS only £140(5 had been expended, "» f}6io" 10/6 received for pilotage. jftpr*the £1112 15/10 for running the "K-hich was not used exclusively £ pilotage, had been added to the .rtffid sen-ice cost, there remained r actual profit of about £350. They Zα a i=o made a profit during the past f!, r of nearly £2000 on water supply, Uile the explosives magazine, for the I'truction of which the Board had ■Lea bitterly assailed, had produced i?3B the payout being only £133, injritoe depreciation. Respecting Dredger v 0 ill he heartily congratulated the * rieer, who should receive the Board's Wt thanks for his very able report and J-rhis excellent services to the Board n a to the public while in Auckland. The total cost of dredging by No. 121 W'been threepence per ton, including g]] charges except interest, and the taction dredge had been an unqualified piccess. Again, the total cost of the Bangitoto Beacon was £85 12/3 for the war, after allowing 10 per cent for deweciation. This., and the luminous 'taojs. had been greatly appreciated by flip" captains. During the year 26 more of the largest class of steamers entered jte port than in 1907, and the 151,000 tons they represented proved that the part wss "leading the Dominion in proper. Mr Ganson questioned the sufficiency tf tie amounts •written off for depreciajioa. Three-quarters per cent., he tigued, was too little to strike off the i] 99,645 down for docks, machinery, cottageSi etc -' k p desired to knew sir only i per cent had been written off the £ 100,000 for Oalliops Dock emiipment. Eight per cent depreciation for the Quay-street No. 2 jetty, which «s in his opinion an absolutely rotten fimeture, and five per cent off the Qaeen-street wharf offices, did not coincide with his idea as adequate. He also thought that the Board was going too fist with its progress policy and questioned the wisdom of undertakings sßOttnting to a total of about £750,000 on an income of £150..000. He moved that consideration of the assets and asnual reports be deferred a fortnight, mi that the Board's assets be referred to'the consideration of the Standing Committee for a special report. Mr Bradney seconded. She Chairman remarked upon the extnSrdinary departure in proposing such a course. The right time for the Board to have taken the question of assets iiS valuations into consideration was Wore they -were audited and printed. ilr Gunson: I never had an opporteity. The Chairman: Then I hope you will live an opportunity next year. Your present attitude is a reflection on the Sard and upon the Board's officers. ""Mr Nailer Tecommended Mr Gunson to look up the valuation of the Board's lands, and went on to say that land of the Board's at Shoal Bay, valued at '£866, was worth £3000- He was satisfied it would fetch £2000 at auction, leckoning at half the price of adjoining land. He went on to point out that the Board debited all repair.*, maintenance, etc, to working expenses, and not to capital, and contended that assets like Calliope Dock and concrete works depreciated but to an infinitesimal extent in ttrolve months. ilr Gunson's amendment was then put md lost, the mover and seconder being tie only ones in its favour.