HARBOR BOARD FINANCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4733, 4 December 1917, Page 5

HARBOR BOARD FINANCE.

NEED FOR SERIOUS CONSIDERATION..

COMMITTEE TO MAKE INVESTIGATIONS.

Financial matters were dealt with at the meeting of the Harbor Board yesterday, when it was decided, on the motion of Dr. Collins, to hold a meeting of the Financial Committee next Monday to consider exhaustively this important matter. The discussion arose from the position disclosed by the cash statement. ' This showed the loan account to be cr £20,163 11s 2d, ordinary account dr. £11,981 Is 6d. This left a balance of £BIB2 9s Bd. There was outstanding: . Accrued pent Tauwhareparae £l6O, accrued wharfages £llß Os 6d; total, £27B'os 6d. The total received from January 1 to October 31, 1917, as compared with 1916, snowed the receipts f0r,1916 to have been £27,491 18 s 9d, and 1 for 1917, £25,179 13s 2d, a decrease of £2312 5s 7d.. . From November. 1‘ to November 21 t-he ordinary receipts were £ll6O Os 4d,«.and on loan account £23,000.

Dr. Collins remarked that It appeared as if the Board was working on loan account. Mr. Preston remarked that the Board Was about £15,000 to the badDr. Collins said the harbor was being run on loan account. There was a day of reckoning coming, and it would he a heavy one. He went on to ask whether the question of imposing a harbox* rate Had been considered.

The Chairman: We will . consider that later on.

Dr. Collins: I heard that five years ago.

The chairman: If we have been able to go five years without a rate we have been doing a good job. Mr Long said that at a special meeting a Special Committee had been set up to consider wharfages but that committee had! not met. He was prepared to take the matter in hand; and gave notice of motion that he pi-oposed to increase export wharfages by 2-5 per cent; also to increase dues on shipping using the port, whether the outer harbor or the inner harbor. He went on to say that the export rate was about Is and the import rate was ss. The chairman: On certain things. Mr Tombleson rose to a point of order.

The chairman ruled Mr Long’s remarks out of order.

Mr. Preston thought it would be more satisfactory to have these matters gone into. Mr Long: They should have gone into it two months ago. Mr Preston considered the financial position serious and he suggested that this should be gone into by the Revenue Committee; also the matter of wharfages. . Mr Long was quite agreeable to do that. He wanted to bring the matter to a head. , , ’ . Dr Collins moved that the Cash Statement be submitted to the Finance Committee, and the committee to report at its earliest convenience to the Board, and at the same time to consider any other financial matters that were thought necessary, Air Long said he was sure the Board was losing £3OOO a year in wharfages which they might reasonably get. , ’ Dr Collins put forward the urcrency of considering the financial side as well as the silt question, tor one can’t do without the other, lie su«-cv es ted that the committee should consider the state of the finances- of the Board; the capital account on one hand and the revenue on the other; also reporting on the best means to raise more capital were it considered necessary to do so. Mr Quirk seconded. Mr Wallis moved an amendment that the Board adjourn till next da> and then meet as a Fnanee Committee to go into the whole qtiestionMr Tombleson suggested calling a meeting of the Finance Committee to Mr y Wallis said: he was agreeable for he wanted the matter brought to a thought that it would he more advisable to have the meetin- a week later. There was some likelihood of more members being able to be present and they would be able to prepare data for the mee - ir *Mr Preston suggested that the Finance Committee should meet on Monday next after the Works Com mittee: He thought the position was due to the abnormal expenditure. Mr Wallis said was willing to withdraw his amendment. He vented: to have all the members together and the business not dealt w ith by one or two. . , The motion was carried.