FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8837, 31 March 1909, Page 5

FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

A special meeting of the EWton. Har> ; boud. Board was held at, Foxton -*,on-. Monday,, for the purpose, of consider ing.a report submitted .by. Mr Hennessy, au-i general. Present—Messrs 8.. G. Gower . (chairman), J. A. Nash,.: P.- ;J: Hennessy, J. G. Wilson,. B. R. Gardener. W; T. Wood, and R. Moore (secretary pro tern.). Mr Edward Newman, M.P V was also in ettendance. Mr Wilson explained that the reason he was not present at the last meeting, or did not send an apology for absence was .that ; he. did not receive notice until after the meeting.

Correspondence was read from the Minister of Marine, stating that as the JFoxton Board now has control of the Foxton Harbour it should take over the control of the harbour establishment, and that the Department has decided that such control shall be handed over ,to tho Board as from the Ist proximo, and that the revenue derived from pilotage from that date will be pay-able to the Board, and asking the Board to arrange for tho collection of the pilotage from the date mentioned.

Mr Hennessy, in his report, referred to the enquiries he made prior to the constitution of the Board. Ho had then estimated that the approximate revenue from wharfages, rente, pilotage, and berthage, would total £3214 Is 4d, and that this would leave a credit balance of £1650 4s 4cl over the expenditure. The Government, however, did i.ot agree to these sources of revenue, except the foreshire and reserves, and ultimately passed a Bill with sources of revenue from wharfages, etc., deleted. The Foxton Harbour Board can, consequently provide no source of revenue at all, except the foreshore and the reserves? but we have in addition to these the general sources of revenue given to all boards by tho (general) Harbours, Act 1908, section 165. These are — 1.. Harbour dues and pilotage rates. 2. Harbour improvement rates. 5. Rents of tho Board's lands. 4. Proceeds and profits of Board's endowments. 5. Fines. Of these the only sources open to the Foxton Board at present are the first, third and fourth, that is pilotage rates, rents of board's lands, and proceeds from endowments. Against the-se the .liabilities of the Board at present are: — 1. Payment of pilot's salary 2. Stores for pilot's work. 3. Sounding and buoying the river. 4. Secretary's salary. 5. Members' travelling expenses. 6. Petty expenses for stationery, etc. , The recommendation which I make for the present is that tho revenue from tho pilotage rates be made ,to pay for the first three items of liability, namely, pilot's salary, stores for pilot's work* and- sounding and buoying the river, and that the revenue from rents of Boa rd's lands (if any) and from endowments be applied to payment of tho last three items of liability, namely, secretary's salary, members' travelling expenses and petty expenses. I wish it to be understood, however, that I believe this to be an improper use of the funds derived from the Board's land and endowments. These expenses ought to be paid out of other sources ot revenue which the Government refused to allow the Board to have, but my recommendation is that in the meantime we have no other alternative but to apply the revenue from the. lands and reserves to this purpose on the understanding that as soon as possible this order of things be put right, and the revenue from the lands.and reserves be applied for the improvement of the lands and resorvee from which they are derived. The present liability in connection with tho pilotage of the river is estimated at £250, made up of £210 for the pilot's salary and £40 estimated for stores for tho pilot's work. In addition tot this £150 has been paid to Levin and Co.- to sound and buoy the river. I do not recommend, however, that this agreement should be continued at present, because I think the work could be carried out by arrangement with tho pilot himself for, say, another £50 a year. This would make the totaJ pilotage and sounding expenses £300 a year. The gross receipts from tho pilotage for the last 12 months were £224. This was derived from 27,052 tons carried in by 18 ships, making 226 trips, at the rate of Id a ton counted both inwards and outwards. It will be seen that in order to make the receipts from tho pilotage sufficient to pay the pilotage expenses (assuming that last year's quantity of shipping will continue), the Board will require to _ increase the rate to a ton. I accordingly recommend that this be done. This would bring in £336 a year. I understand that the Marine Department made up the deficiency of £150 a year which they incurred after applying all pilotage receipts and rente of reserves for payment of pilotage and sounding and buoying (including £150 for Levin and Co.) out of the Department's funds, received independently of the Foxton Harbour. We, of course, cannot do this, and I think it better to increase the pilotage rates for the purpose than to .apply to the Government for. a grant. Our object should be, not to approach the Government for anything which they might put • forward as a substitute for the wharfage rates, which it should i be our object to obtain as soon as possible. If it should happen that the pilotage, sounding and buoying expenses should be more than the amount above eetimated, so as to make it necessary to still further increase the pilotage rate, then it will be the duty of the Board to make the necessary increase." Mr Hennessy estimated the secretary's > salary, members' travelling expenses and petty expenses at £75. Against this, the annual pertain source of revenue at present, is that derived from the Marine reserve, £40; and the minimum which , can be got for the signal station reserve, £35; total, £75. If these reserves should not realise this amount, any', deficiency must be made up out of" the small surplus, which, . it from the foregoing estimate as to pilotage receipts and expenses, we may expect to have from that source. In regard to tho signal station reserve, the Minister for Marine wires that it is not let. Mr Hennessy therefore recommended that they at once call for tenders for the yearly tenancy of the land. He had no doubt whatever, that at least £35 as above-mentioned will be paid for it, and possibly more. The further source of revenue, rents of the Board's lands, would require to be inquired into by the Board. They had been collected by the Railway Department and totalled £86. "These are for rent, of portion of the foreshore, and I think it likely that the Railway Department will claim them as their own funds. It should therefore, I think, bo the first duty for the Board to instruct is secretary to arrange wih the agents of the various shipping .companies, owning ships calling at this port, to collect lid per ton, inwards and outwards for. pilotage, and out of this to pay the pilot's salary at the end of each month." '

On the motion of Mr Nash, seconded by Mr Wilson, the report was received. The mover stated that the members wero under a debt of gratitude to Mr Hennessy for bringing down such an exhaustive statement, and he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for same. On the motion of Mr Wilson, seconded by Mr Wood, the chairman was authorised to call tenders in reference to leasing the Omarupapaku reserve. In reference to the appointment of the pilot, Mr Wood said it would be necessary to ascertain what funds are actually available before & permanent appointment could be made. At present the estimates wei-e only approximate, and the Board was groping in the dark. He then referred to the necessary worke which tho Board would bo called upon to undertako at some future date, such as improving the river, but they must havn Something tangible in respect to revenue. . . . : Mr Nash said that • according to the statement .brought down by Mr Hennessy. after meeting necessary expenditure, tho Board would have, a small surplus. It was no use quibbling. Tho

Board; must get to 'wdrk andi; ! inak& -tife: best of, Hits present position. The- Board' . must ■ iake,! up its' ..responsibilities;as from ■ April Ist, , and gc-! ; on .for twelve "morithe. In :the meantime' they. :would Have tofight the Railway! Department in order, to! , obtain; wharfages. The Board must-not-take, up attitude. , : Mr; Hennessy, 'referring , .to the question ;qf revenue,: said it was unworthy, of to take wharfages as, was being done ; in.' reference to the Foxtbh, port.-." did ! not think .Sir (Joseph Ward understood i the position in reference to the revenues. ■;■■' ,

'..' After, further > discuesioH Mr ;'"■ Wilson moved, arid. Mr Wood -seconded, that the present pilot be re-engaged' till next, meeting, when he be asked to. .attend in order to further consider th6.,que3tior.-— Carried.' . ■ .

.It, was to ask Mr Newman, M.P., to ascertain all particulars in reference to land leased, including, foreshore by tlio Marine Department. On the motion of Messrs Nash and Hennessy, it was deqided to call appjications for the position of secretary, "to close on Wednesday, the 7th prox., at a remuneration of £25 per annuo\. It was decided to hold the next meeting on April 19th, at 11.30 a.m.

Mr Hcnnessy mad-j application for nine months' leave of absence. . This was granted, Messrs Gardner, Wood, Nash, and Wilfeon' speaking in eulogistic terms of Mr Hennessy's work for the Board. '