WELLINGTON HARBOUR STATISTICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12759, 9 January 1905, Page 6

WELLINGTON HARBOUR STATISTICS.

[r.V TELEGRAPH. —fit ESS ASSOCIATION".] Wwxtxcjto.v, Sunday. Tin: accounts of the Wellington Harbour Board for the year ended .September 50 last .show that the net total revenue was I 5118,585. An analysis shows that £55.991 was derived from importers and exporter?, £56,085 from ships, and £6503 from all other sources. Inward wharfage yielded £51.992 from importers and £95 from ships, outward wharfage £6553 and £295 respectively, and transhipment wharfage £4279 I and £8778 respectively. The sum of £2282 | was charged to vessels for overtime labour. | Importers and exporters paid £271 for the j use of the Board's hydraulic plant, and ships j paid £2025. The cartage of goods between | wharves cost importers and exporters £169, j and ships £514, whilst examination of goods for Customs purposes cost ships £2 15s 2d and importers and exporters £684. The item, " extra labour," showed a cost to ships of £2741, and to other parlies £1580. The sum of £342 is set opposite the item, '" labour, receiving and delivering Government cargo." Following are other details of sums received, the amount stated first, { where two returns are given, being that derived from importers and exporters, and the ; second amount shown being derived from ? ships:—For pressing wool, hemp, tow, I hops,, paper, etc., £I*9 and £8939; wharf- ' age on ballast, £551 (ships); tonnage dues, ' £117 (ships); transhipping, booked through \ passengers' luggage, £120 (ships); rent and ! labour charges on goods in Queen's bonded warehouse, £1544 ; and weighbridge charges, £720 (importers and exporters). The following group of payments was made by ships only:—Harbour improvements rate, £4186; water supplied to shipping, £5175; pilotage, £454; port charges, £8397; harbourmaster's fees, £6018. The number of vessels arriving during the year was 2959, with a total tonnage of 2.220.514 tons, which is an increase of 33 vessels and 98,085 tons on the previous year. There is a decrease of 19 in the number of sailing vessels, but the steamers increased by 102. The exports show that there is a notable falling oft' in hemp and tow, which totalled 74,676 bales, against 84,441 bales in the previous year. Wool and skins show a falling oil' from 117.014 bales in 1902-1903 to 109,202 bales. This is less than in any year since 1897, excepting in 1898-1899, when the total was 108,988 bales. Wool and hemp received from the railways, 36,865 tons, shows a drop of 8706 tons, as compared with last year, but is an advance on previous years. The increase continues in coal, the quantity passing over the wharves (excluding tonnage of Government) being 105,501 tons, as against 100.481 tons in the previous year. Goal transhipped overside, 168,994 tons, shows a decrease of 7412 tons. With respect to the export of general goods, colonial and coastwise, the figure is 79,597 tons, an increase of 4741 tons. The export of meat, butter, cheese, and other goods, which amounted to 39,831 tons, shows a decrease of 2436 tons. Butters .shows an increase of 2341 tons, and cheese 2118 tons, but the decrease in frozen meat is 1548 tons. Goods received from British and foreign ports show a substantial increase. The quantity this year was 136,747 tons, as against 107,165 tons. The import of timber was a record, there being 10/121,846 superficial feet.