HARBOUR REVENUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16904, 17 July 1918, Page 6

HARBOUR REVENUE.

. ♦ — SIX MONTHS' INCREASE £21,150 DECREASED SHIPPING DUES. Tee Auckland Harbour Board met yester. day, the chairman, Mr. H, D. Heather . presiding. i The chairman presented a report ; showing that the revenue from all sources during the six months ended June _ 30, amounted to £99,021 16s, of which Waitemata Harbour contributed £96,557 0s 7d and Manukau Harbour £2464 16s sd. This showed an increase of £21,190 8s Id over the corresponding period of last year. The increase was due to the receipt of £9100 on account of the docking of an overseavessel, £1000 of which was afterwards refunded, and £13,595 14s 8d from the harbour improvement .rate. . As predicted at the beginning of the year, the receipts from shipping had shown a falling off, tha decreases being:—Pilotage £1725, port charges £1252, and shifting wharfage £322. In view of probable further decreases, it behoved the board to consider carefully every demand for expenditure and the exercise of the utmost economy. A letter from the Waitemata Chamber j of Commerce suggested that the fog-beU !on Victoria, Wharf be removed and an ! electric buzzer placed at the extreme I western end of the wharf- The harbourmaster's report on the question stated that the officials of the Devonport Ferry Company were quite satisfied with the Eressnt position, and, in his opinion, the ell was quite satisfactory. A reply was ordered to be sent accordingly. The curtailment of the time-table of the Devonport Steam Ferry Company, already sanctioned by the chairman, was approved. It was _ stated that the • now systein bad been in operation since the i beginning of the month, and no complaints had been received. It was agreed to undertake the work of alterations and additions to the Hobsonville Wharf, provided the settlers paid £50 of the cost, which was estimated at £117. Authority was given for the raising of the partitions in sheds 3 and 15, which divide the examination portion from the rest of the shed, so as to enable bonded goods to be seourely locked up by the Cus» toms officers each evening.