BILLIARDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 134, 8 June 1910, Page 7

BILLIARDS.

The contest'for the. amateur billiard ch-ampionship of New Zealand was ad- ; γ-anced another stage yesterday, when two heats were decided, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. In the afternoon the heat between Messrs J. i Eyan and J. Kussell'ivas played, the former winning by 143 points after an attractive exhibition by both players. The winner made breaks of 23, 35, 21, 25, 33, 35, :i6 and 37, while the loser's best totaSa were 27, 22, 21 and 25. • In the evening- Mr H. F. Valentine met Mr J. L. Carl (Christchurch), and defeated him by 110 points after a splendid display. The winner compiled a beautiful S7, besides 50, 25, 24. 22 and 21 twice; the best efforts of the loser, who certainly had the worst of the luck, being r>7. 31, 30, 23 and 21. Tliis evening Messrs W. E. H-ackett and J. E. Cooke .meet. PORT OF AUCKLAND. HAB-BOTJR BOARD'S ANNUAL REPORT. IMPORTANT SCHEME FOR WHARF EXTENSION. At the meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday afternoon, the Chairman (Mr A. J. Kntricaii) moved the adoption of the annual reports, statements of accounts, returns and plHc-ers' reports for the year ending 31st December, 1009. The Chairman's statement was as follows: •■Though the accounts and vouchers were all ready early in January, there has been some deiay in getting the aecounls completed, owing to revaluation of properties. 1 have to congratulate the members on the balance-sheet, some features of which are very satisfactory. There has been a considerable shrinkage in one of the main sources of revenue —viz., import wharfage, which shows a shrinkage ■of £(i(js9; but the other sources of revenue have so compensated for this loss ■that it has been reduced by increases in other departments, so that the net decrease is only JJ33.SI. Members will, 1 am sure, consider this entirely satisfactory, when we remember the financial stringency of 1001) and the consequent falling-oil in both imports and exports from the Dominion. The wonderful increase in our exports for the year ending 31st March, 11)10, of nearly £7,000,000 is a guarantee that the present year will show a substantial increase in revenue. For the tirst live months of the present year the increase is ail that could be desired. The total receipts for the year wore .t:i4;j,:{B2. and the net income £08.338. In the forecast of revenue submitted to the Board by the subcommittee in March, 1008, the estimate of revenue for 11)09 was .€103,000, and for 1910 £.10S,000 and £2000 increased subsidy from the Admiralty. Though the 1009 revenue has nou come up to the forecast, 1 have good reason to believe Unit tho revenue for 1!)IO will be well up to the £110,000, and I may say that the Admiralty are now paying the full subsidy of £5000 per annum. The profit upon tho year's transactions on general account has been £32,269. Of this amount £28,427 has been -written oft" as depreciation, and tho balance— .t',3S41 —transferred to capital account. The Hoard's landed properties have been ■rn-valued by the Government Valuation Department, and show an increase of .€148,124 since the last valuation was made. Of this amount, £78.124 has been transferred to capital account; while we laave opened a new account, called the 'Renewals and Contingencies Reserve Account, , and we have carried to tho credit of this account .€70.000. The net capital value of the Hoard's land and other properties readies the grand total ■of £1,566,982. The credit to capital account is £500,808, to reserve account €70,000, and the excess of assete over liabilities £073,280. When we take into account the splendid position of the Board's properties, that we are yearly increasing their area by reclamation, and that they are rapidly increasing in value, the outlook from a financial point of view is everything th-jt could be desired. LOANS. "The first part of the £1,000,000 loan, as authorised by the Auckland Harbour Board Loan and Empowering Act, 1908 —viz., £250,000 —came into •credit during the year, and of this amount £92,700 was on hand at 31st December. There are contracts let and liabilities against this loan which will more than exhaust it before we can raise the next portion of the loan, but satisfactory arrangements can be made, so that tho necessary harbour works may be vigorously carried on. Your late chairman suggested that you should limit your works out of loan to £100,000 per annum, and while this is, on the whole, a wise arrangement, thore are, I think, special reasons why it is advisable to hasten wharf construction. When Mr G. Kiecol'e coutract is completed at tire top of the Railway wharf we shall have a valuable section, which I propose should be utilised for a modern warehouse for the dumping of wool. We can have a railway siding into the warehouse, while coastal vessels can come alongside and hoist their wool into the store. I am certain that by having such a facility we shall be able to bring a very largx; cjuan'tity of wool into Auckland that now finds its way to other ports. I suggest that the £10,500 coming from the Council for the section in Mechanics' Bay should be spent on this warehouse. THE DOCKS.

The question of the renewing of the pumps and the docking of tho caisson of .the dock imzst be attended to in the near future, and will probai>ly require an outlay of some £S,OOO to £10,000. The question of the exteifsion of CallioJHFDoek must be faced as in 1&12; 'Auekiland. becomes tliie head Haval Station of the Pacific. It will be neces : eary for the Board at an early date to make the necessary arrangements with the Admiralty. WHARF EXTENSION.

I need not point out, it is absolutely necessary that we should complete Queer street "wharf at the earliest possible moment. The increase of shipping which we have every right to expect, demands further berthing accommodation. It may be possibly urged that from our experience of last year, we may not have the anticipated increase, but I am justified in hoping that the shipping of the port will keep pace with the increase of population, and the marked advance in settlement in this province. As you are aware, we cannot complete Queenstreet wharf without taking away the outer eastern and western tees, and the inner western tees, which now provide us with three berths for large Home steamere, and two or three berths for steamers of intercolonial and island type. We hope in three months 5 time to have one shed finished on the eastern berth, and -a. second in she months,-so 'that bj November ■Wβ ibope to lsy&vtTß<<»«l>erfhS:

vessels. But even with this addition to our berthage, it will be absolutely necessary to provide further berthage before removing these three tees from Queen street wharf." The Chairman discussed three proposals to get this accommodation, and recommended the following:—

'"The basin or wet dock in Mechanics' Bay. To get the berthage here, it will be necessary to proceed with the reclamation of the western portion as shown on the plan. TJie building of the wall from King's Drive round until it meets the corner of the Freezing Co.'s reclamation, will cost about £73,000, and the cost of reclaiming by the dredging plant we now have, would be about £45,000, estimating at Gd per yard. It would take about 3 to 4 years to finish 'this whole work, but I think that by two to three years we could get some berthing accommodation near to King's Drive. This proposal is to my mind the best, and should be set about at once. In the first place, there is deep water. This will give us 4 berths, and it will best of all put Uβ in possession of 30 acres of land, for which there is an immediate demand at a payable figure. 1 believe that the value of that land to the Board will be at least twice the cost of tbe reclainatiion, including the wail. We will then ■be spending money which, will in a short time be reproductive, and at the same time giving us such increased berthage that we can finish Queen-street wharf without feeling the loss of the removal of the tees. The Engineer proposes to use the new floating crane in the putting in of this wall, and expects to save £ 10,000 by having this appliance. The question,of being able to use these berths in all weathers will at once suggest itself, but 1 may point out that three of the berths would be fairly sheltered by putting out the parallel wall, and tiiis would cost about £50,000. in the meantime the cost of finishing Queen street wharf without sheds, will cost £ 00,000, tho dismantling and re-erection of sheds £10,000, and some of this work (about two-thirds of it) can be gone on with without interfering with the usimj of the three tees mentioned, and this should be put in hand. The proposal I have just suggested will mean, as soon as the wall .in Mechanics' Bay is completed, that all our dredging plant will be engaged there, and that Freeman's Bay will be postponed for a time, as far as filling by silt is concerned. In the meantime we are proceeding with the finishing of the western portion of Freeman's Bay. and hope to join up the western end of the wall with Beaumont street, so that thn north wall may be used as a wharf and approaches made to the sre-bions now almost ready to offer by auction.

f now beg toniove:--l. That the accounts submitted bn approved in terms of Section 177 of the "Harbours Act, 100S,"a.nd 2, that abstrn-ct statements nnd returns be duly printed and published in the usua.l manner." !Mr W. J. Xnpipr seconded the adoption of .the report. lie said he agreed with the Chairman that it was desirable lo pet the Queen street wharf proceeded with as soon as possible. Ho was slad to ccc the Board now appreciated the value of reclamation. Years ago hn brought up ft report to the Board. showing the value of reclamations, based upon what had been done ,in Dunedin and America. He believed the scheme would be a splendid one for the city. He considered the Board should be congratulated on the position. Mr J. H. Gunson said it appeared the position was better by £250,000. Thn excess of mssets over liabilities showed «n increase of £155.000 for the year ending December, 1000. In connection with new works lie thought the construction of thn pastern railway wharf would be productive at once.