WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 64, 16 March 1915, Page 9

WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD

- A DECREASE IN REVENUE. DUE TO STRIKE AXD WAR. -; (By Telegrapa.—Press Association.) : WELLINGTON, Monday. 1 At the annual meeting of the WellingI -ion Harbour Board to-day. the chairman. 3&. B. Fletcher, M.P., stated that the ' .total gross revenue of the Board had deceased from £237.293 to £220,744. This -.was due to the dislocation of trade and the shrinkage oi traffic during the strike period. At the beginning of the financial -rear the profit and loss statement showed § >ci deficit on the working account for the . of £3549, as against a credit '.balance of th? previous year of £13,5"L :The decrease in revenue* was due to the loss of trade caused by the strike, the decline in the hemp market, competition £ jn the dumping of wool and hemp, the extra cost of working cargo hy inexperi- . enced labour during the "waterside trouble, the exemption from the payment of harbour dues of vessels engaged as Government transports, and other causes. TJnder the -extraordinary circumstances 'the board had come through the storm rjsiriy well. '"•• The value of the assets of the hoard -as, at September 30, 1914, -was estimated :"«t £1.307,243. and the liabilities at £855,654. The estimated balance of -assets over liabilities at September 30. .was £543,559, as compared with £535,303 the year before, an increase of 7 £13,256.

■:l For the twelve months -ended September 30 last the goods passing inwards - and transhipped totalled 502,559 tons, as -.against 535.040 tons, a decrease of 32,451 tons, equal to 6.0S per cent. General .'cargo transhipments amounted to 160,046 -tons, a falling off of 8786 tons, or 5.20 per cent, from the previous year, which was a record year. The coastal and

imports had practically the previous year's figures, the 'totals being 176,522 tons, as against '1 176.61S tons. The general cargo import* I from English and foreign ports decreased jby 23,569 tons, this being dvre to the ..strike and the war. The exports of "\ general goods over, the wharves for

colonial and coastal ports totalled 115,403

"tons, a decrease of 6826 tons, due to the I 6trike. The exports of frozen meat, "butter and cheese exceeded all previous • -records.

The tonnage of vessels entering the port for the year amounted to 3,059,073, as against 3,148,667, a decrease of 87,614. Future works, for which arrangements ehould be made as soon as possible, including wharf extensions, reclamation, etc.. would total £315,000.