NAPIER HARBOUR BOARD

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2363, 20 January 1915, Page 6

NAPIER HARBOUR BOARD

VERY SATISFACTORY YEAR. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.). Napier, January 19. The'chairman's annual report presented at to-day's Napier Harbour Board meeting disclosed a very satisfactory financial position. In the course of his remarks, the chairman, Mr. A. E. Jull, said the board commenced the year with a credit balance of : £5252 ,os. 3d,, and , wound up with a small debit of £406 9s. 9d. "I purposely say smal£" he observed, "ror when we consider the large amount spent upon extraordinary expenditure, referred to in greater detail hereafter, coupled with a further decrease in the .harbour rate, I consider the record for 1914 to be far and away ' the best in the annals of the board, and something to be proud of. Such figures should inspire the general public with the utmost confidence in the great future ahead for our board. : ."The revenue in 1914, exclusive of rates, was £50,599 lis. 4d., or £4168 ; 16s. 6d. ahead of 1914, and £3273 10s. 1 ;Bd. greater than in 1912, which had ' previously held' the record. As indicate : ed earlier in this leport, there are some ' large items of extraordinary expendi--1 ture. Although the ordinary adminis--1 trative expenditure hue not materially ' increased, salaries are £400 greater, ana ' labour handling cargo about £200. ' The revenue figures were largely influenced by the seasons, and he gave 1 the following comparisons of exports:— < • ' 1913. 1914. Wool shipped (bales)... 83,922 93,904 1 Sheep, rams and pigs... 53,743 63,163 1 General goods (tons) ... 29,147 27,244 1 Frozen meat (tons) 16,994 32,548 ; "The pronounced drop in the tonnage ' of- general goods," continued Mr. Jull, ' ';is. due to the discontinuance of shipping shingle to GisbOrne, but apart ' from that we more than maintained our ' upward tendency."