GREY HARBOUR FINANCES

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 July 1943, Page 3

GREY HARBOUR FINANCES

KETOKI TO FKEFAKED A decision that the Secretary (Mr. W. B. Gilbert) prepare a special report on the financial position of the Board was made by members ol the Greymouth Harbour Board, last evening, during a brief but animated dismission oh the situation, comment being made that the outlook was becoming increasingly serious. At a clifCerent" stage authority was given tc approach the bank to increase the overdraft limit by £2OOO to £7OOO. The discussion was initiated by Mr

J. Smeaton inquiring of the Chairman (Mi - . J* B. Kent) whether he had, with Mr. J. A. Murdoch (former Chairman) and the Secretary met Mr. O’Brien (Minister of Marine) with a proposal that the Minister 'press for a reinstatement of the subsidy previously paid to the Board in exchange for the endowment of the I G re y-Brunner railway. Mr. Smeaton I had moved to this effect at the preyiious meeting, when it had been stated by Mr. Murdoch that the loss of the subsidy was the principal reason why the revenue of the Board had dropped from £44,000 to as low as £22,000. Mr. Kent said he had informally discussed the matter with Mr. O’Brien, and had written him in reference to the payment of royalty on Dobson coal by the Mines Department, but had not yet arranged the deputation. He thought the Minister was well acquainted with the position nnri von 1 iserl the difficulties.

Mr. Smeaton said he hoped uidi when the deputation met it would be in the presence of reporters. He thought public business should be taken in public. ~,,,, ' Mr. Kent commented that he would be only too pleased to adopt such a course .He added that the financial situation had to be regarded in a pretty serious light, because we have "ot to get money from somewhere. Mr. W. Clayton said he would like to see a special meeting held to discuss the situation, because the position was getting worse. He moved that the Secretary prepare a report showing present receipts, what would be required to make up present exnenses and what they were losing. Mr. Gilbert explained that revenue was £BOO down compared with the same time last year. Mr. Clayton pointed out that estimated revenue was less than estimated expenditure. The money was bein« spent on the maintenance of the port, and it was his opinion that it should be met by the people who used the port. He would not like to see the Hoard strike a rate. Mr. Smeaton recalled that in May, 1941, the Engineer (Mr. D. S. Kennedy) brought down a plan of works, including the North Breakwater No 1 and repairs to the training wall. He (Mr. Smeaton) thought that work should have had preference. I do not blame Mr. Kennedy, the Secietaay, or the Harbourmaster. It is the Board’s fault,” he added, commenting on the heaw expenditure contemplated in the 'latest schemes. Mr Clayton commented that the cost of timber and other material had risen 300 per cent. Mr. Smeaion: I would not like to have Mr. Kennedy’s worries on my shoulders, with the rotten wharf. The Chairman declared that when the work referred to by Mr. Smeaton might have been done it could not be carried out because of lack of finance. “Mr. Kennedy was ready to go on with the training wall, but he was not told where he would get the money from,” added Mr.. Kent. Mr. Smeaton remarked that already £6OO was to be spent on the slipway, which could have paid for the punt. “If you had given Mr. Kennedy authority to go on with the training wall —without branching out he would have gone on with it.” ) Mr. Kennedy .explained that the work on the punt would have cos

£4OO or £5OO. Finally he could not get. timber, and the project was more oi’ less shelved. Then the labour scarcity came along. Mr. Smeaton remarked that it would not have been necessary to have a punt to build the training wall, which would have saved thousands of pounds. Mr. Clayton’s resolution was not formally seconded, but the discussion lapsed with general agreement that the report on the Board’s financial position should be prepared.