THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1928. THE PORT OF OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20318, 28 January 1928, Page 10

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1928. THE PORT OF OTAGO.

The past year was not a very eventful one in the history of the Port of Otago. Consisting as it did mainly of a summarisation of business transacted during the twelve months that ended on September 30 last, the report which was presented by the chairman at the meeting of the Board last night covered more or less familiar ground. The statistical details were, however, as they usually arc, of public interest. They showed that the receipts for the twelve months amounted to £168,187 as compared with j;181,080 for the previous year, and £174,449 for the twelve months prior to that again. The expenditure, on the other hand, amounting to £136,110 apart from the expenditure on such objects as main sewers, roadway formations, and purchases of laud, which is not recurring and is to some extent in the nature of an expenditure of capital, was in advance of that of the preceding year, which had in its turn been higher than that for 1925, the increase in each instance, however, being inconsiderable. The revenue necessarily reflected the figures respecting imports and exports.

During the twelve months the value of the imports of the port showed a decline, as compared with the preceding term, of nearly £BOO,OOO, and to this was attributable a drop of £4733 in the receipts from dues. The value of the exports was nearly £19,000 below the figure for 1925-26, and the consequent shrinkage in dues was about £3OO. The effects of the coal strike at Home two years ago were very far-reaching. Among them were included the diminution of the external trade at the port of Otago during a period more than a year after the termination of the interruption of industry in Great Britain. In the circumstances it will readily be understood why no fresh records were established during the past year of the harbour authorities in the number or tonnage of vessels visiting the port. The million ton mark of registered shipping is again reached, but that is no novelty. The return of sh’pping derives interest, however, from the fact that a new draught record was made when the Norwegian whaler C. A. Larsen left Port Chalmers about fourteen months ago drawing 30ft Sin. The more achievements of that kind there are to be chronicled the better will be the reputation of the harbour. ' According to the harbour master’s report the channel depth from the Heads to Port Chalmers is 30ft at low water, while from Port Chalmers to Dunedin the least depth, contingent upon the completion of dredging operations at one point, is 20ft at low water —a useful but not particularly impressive figure. A considerable period must yet elapse before the new dredge, which is tq, be obtained and may be expected to be capable of improving the position, is seen on Otago Harbour.