GROWTH OF THE PORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14644, 1 April 1911, Page 8

GROWTH OF THE PORT.

*» — REVENUE OVER £120,000, ANOTHER BUSY YEAR/ INCREASED WHARFAGE. The administration of .the port of Auck- j land was reviewed at a special meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board yoater-' day afternoon by the chairman (Mr. A. J. Entrican). His report for tfie year ended December 31, 1910, showed that daring the year there had been a steady j expansion in all departments of the harbour. The Chairman said that the estimated revenue for 1910 of £110,000 had been exceeded by over £10,000, and the net increase in the revenue for the year, after deducting the Admiralty subsidy, had been £19 000. The revenue from rents had increased'by £2164, and that euro would be further increased during the present year by £1100 per annum from a small portion of the Freeman's Bay reclamation. Wharfages showed an increase of £6448, and there had also been increases in port charges, pilotage, towage, crane dues, weighing fees, storage, and. water supply. There had been decreases in cab tolls, which had been abolished since July 1, and in some other sources of revenue, and it would be the duty of. the Board to give those items its consideration. The profit upon the year's transactions had enabled the Board to write about £30,000 off the plant for depreciation. , , The area of the Board's landed properties had been increased during ■ the year, he said, by reclamations, which were still unvalued. The Board had taken over the property known as Comisky's in St. George's Bay, at a cost of slightly over £10,000, with a view to extinguishing the riparian rights, and a handsome profit would be realised from the resale of the land, which would be put on the market at an early date. Legal notice had been served upon the Auckland Gas Company that a portion of the company's land at Freeman's Bay would be taken over by the Board in order that the riparian rights might be extinguished. Further .Loans Proposed. The balance of the first instalment of £250,000 of the million loan, the chairman continued, had been expended during the year, and satisfactory arrangements had been made for the raising of a further loan of £100,000 for the prosecution of harbour work 6. That amount would be expended before the end of the year, and a further instalment would be raised at an early date. During the next two or three years the expenditure could not be limited to £100,000 per annum if the Board decided to secure the early completion of some large works that were urgently required. The balance of £150,000 of unissued debentures should be issued, and the proceeds used lor the installation of the new pumps at the Calliope dock. The two large sheds on the Queen-street Wharf, were, he went on to say, completed, and the roller shutters would be available in a month. The berth on the eastern side had been dredged to a depth of 33ft at low water, and two berths would shortly be ready. The outer eastern tee was being removed, and the shed on that tee would be re-erected on Quaystreet Jetty, No. 4. In less than six months, the eastern portion of .the eastern extension should be carried to its full length. The contract at the Quay-street, No. 4 Jetty, had been completed. The solid portion had been filled in with very little cost to the Board. By accepting the recommendation of the engineer, a saving of over £6000 had been • effected. The extension of the jetty in ferro-con-.crete was being carried on with all speed, and in a few months accommodation would be available for a fleet of small steamers. As soon as the 80-ton floating crane was erected, the proposed reclamation wall in Mechanics' Bay should be proceeded with, as it was in Mechanics' Bay that there would be the best accommodation for deep-sea steamers of large tonnage. The vehicular stages at Auckland, Devonport and Birkenhead had been completed during the year. Electric crane?, and capstans had been installed on the Railway Wharf, and were gradually coming into use. Similar appliances had been ordered for the Queen-street Wharf, and when they had been erected the wharf would be well equipped for the speedy handling of cargo. Dredging Operations. Excellent work had been done, be continued, by the dredger Hapai since her arrival in April, and the new suction dredger was also giving satisfaction. There were now seven dredgers in the harbour, and all were fully and profitably occupied, and the Board could well use all the material they could lift during the next ten or 12 years. A Morse signalling apparatus was being installed on the Queen-street Wharf, and the harbour lighting had been greatly improved by the installation of electricity. Wans were being prepared for the erection of the police building on the Queenstreet Wharf. It was decided that the abstract {statements and returns of the Board's affairs should be printed and published in the usual manner.