AFFAIRS OF THE PORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16202, 12 April 1916, Page 9

AFFAIRS OF THE PORT.

THE PAST YEAR REVIEWED.

SATISFACTORY POSITION,

REDUCTION IN TONNAGE.

Thd chairman's annual report was suT>mill ed at the statutory ■ annua! meeting of the-Auckland Harbour Board yesterday.

As was anticipated in the amended estimates ' submitted in May, 1915, the port is feeling the reduction in shipping tonnage," says tho report. "The assets of the board amount to £2,722,221, and the liabilities amount to £1,661,494, leaving a surplus of £1,060,727, The revenue for tho year amounted to £175,392 and the expenditure was £129,546, leaving a surplus of .€43,846. Tho amount written off for depreciation was £30,329 and tho amount transferred to sinking funds and insurance reserves £20,380. The differ-1 once between tho surplus, £43,846, and the depreciation, sinking funds, and insurance reserves, £50,709, was made up l by transferring from the renewal and contingencies reserve the sum ol £6863, leaving the rcnowals and contingencies reserve with tho substantial credit balance of £209,576. Patriotic Donations. " The board has had heavy calls upon it for patriotic purposes during the year. An additional sum of £1012 was voted to the Auckland Patriotic Committee, £300— n aking a total of £550— donated to the Belgian Belief Fund, and £250 to the Hospital Ship Fund. In addition to these amounts tho sum of £1136, representing half wages to tin* employees of the board on active scrvico, was paid during tho year. The amount written off for bad debts was only £16 18s 9d.

"Under tho harbour improvement loan, 1908, an issue of debentures for £100,000 was authorised during the year, of which it was decided to sell only £50,000. The board has still in hand debentures for £50,000, and has authorisation to borrow a further £150,000, which amount is allocated to the completion and equipment of the Central Wharf. This will absorb the wholo of the £1,000,000 loan raised for harbour improvements in 1908." Under the circumstances of the present war, said the chairman, there was every reason for satisfaction that the business and revenuo of the port had been so well maintained.

Progress of the 'Works.

During the year tho following works had been brought to completion or were still in hand The 600-ton patent slipway was finished and opened on February 19, 1915, and had given complete satisfaction. Reclamation of the Auckland Dock site was completed and 1.17 acres of land made available for leasing. The launch landings and shelter-sheds had been completed, and had proved a great convenience. The reclamation of Mechanics' Bay having been completed, arrangements were made with the Railway Department to carry out the reclamation of St. George's Bay under practically the same conditions. This latter work was now in progress, and the sea-wall up to Campbell's Point had been constructed. The work on the Quay Street landing was almost completed, and considerable progress had been made with tho pile-driving for the Central Wharf. Shipping Dealt With. The total number of vessels entering the port during the year ended December 31, 1915, was 7017, of 1,810,832 net registered tonnage. This shows a falling off, compared with the previous year, of 159,976 net tons. The goods imported '•.pre 817,488 tons, as against 913.21 t > tons f i'< previous year, a shoi't;,;- >•* ••'v,7ET'

'!!«. r-W. i ■' » . .r. M.u:,?. -i." .i'v!!'!: '• ■ r: /;CK- ><• re..-. u ' :.n '.n N.t j' ti.'- i'"»: ur.ouni ing to roughly half a u< io.. oubi?- yards. Bp-tH.?* accommodation was v s' availi<io; v-c-.fu-* .i::*.. ■.$ t.j> < j [• -.t at >w iii', 1 v --JVM ' i'th ■ '

P'-jc.t aimed at u: '.be ->v.< ■< •"'-eater depths couM bo . r !u."">id 'viicr <equired. The board had entered inly . agreement with the city which, if carried out, would mean the throwing of several allotments facing the main road into Victoria Park. This, with the three acres on the north side which passed over to the city by arrangement with the board, would go a long way towards affertinjr t' 1 -- de. ied object of having the park vi-.'- ■•.« own road frontage on all sides.

Employees at, t

Seventy of llio boarr •• sim-'cju-volunteered for «orvire in the Expedition ary IVc- .. 0" these four had beer; led or had died of disease.

Another mattor of interest had been the 'docking of tho R.M.S. Niagara in the Calliope Dock. The Niagara was the largest steamer trading in the Pacific, 13,415 tons proas register, and tho successful docking and handling of this steamer was no mean achic* ement. The Manukau Harbour revenue showed a surplus over expenditure, but the necessary maintenance required for an old wooden wharf carrying such heavy traffic as was done there must obviously be considerable, and the time is not far distant when the board would have to seriously consider the advisability of erecting a new wharf and equipping the harbour with a dredging plant." , Tho accounts submitted with tho report were Adopted, and ordered to bo open for inspection at the board's office.