THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. WEDNESDAY, 31st JAN, 1906. BLUFF HARBOUR BOARD.

Southland Times, Issue 19728, 31 January 1906, Page 2

THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. WEDNESDAY, 31st JAN, 1906. BLUFF HARBOUR BOARD.

The annual address delivered by Air A. Bain at the meeting of the ['dull Harbour Board on Friday last was the third of the compseheusive reviews which have marked that gentleman's tenure of ollice as chairman. Air Bain s survey of the events of 15)0,") was as clear as it was comprehensive, and though much of it necessarily repeated the reports made to the Board from time to tilin’ dining the preceding twelve months, it was nevertheless valuable anti interesting as bringing within the immediate range of vision the events and transactions of the past twelve months. The address would satisly the public that under lh" present Board the administration of the affairs of Bluff harbour lias lost acme of the vigour and progressivetiess which have been its characteristics for many years past.

Very properly Mr Bain devoted a large share of his attention to the financial operations of the year, disclosing a position that may he accepted with confidence. True, the ordinary revenue lor 1905 showed a decrease of £1465 as compared with that for 1901, but slr Bain explained this retrogression by the collapse of the South African service. In iDOt seven sleamers trading on this route visited the port, paying heavy duties, in 190") the revenues of the Board were deprived of assistance from this source, and though the volume of trade passing over I he wharves clh| not seriously diminish, the fact that the produce and merchandise were handled by intercolonial steamers paying much lower charges caused the decrease in the Board’s revenue referred to. Again, the over-sea boats trading to the port are now taking advantage of the generous concession recently made by the Board in the matter of charges, and, as was expected, this is beginning to affect the revenue to some extent. 'Pile chairman s conclusion that practically the same amount of trade was transacted in 1905 as in 190 1 hut at lower rales appears to ho fully supported by the figures in the various accounts. Notwithstanding this shrinkage the Board was able to meet all the expenditure of the year, and in addition to provide for works lo the amount of £2,518. The ordinary expenditure was much in excess ol that of last year, the increase being accounted for mainly by the working expenses of the new dredge—£2U99 for about six mouths. This, of course, will he a regular and heavy item of expenditure, and it is a fortunate thing that the expenditure of thousands of pounds year after year on the wharves has put them in a position of such soundness and servieeahleness as to relieve the Board's income of all charges under this head except a few pounds per annum. With this revenue available for ordinary purposes there is every prospect that the Board will be able lo maintain the dredge in the harbour until the work for which it was procured is completed without going back in its accounts. The works carried out during the year consisted of reclamation operations to the amount of £lBlO and blasting £053. In connection with the reclamation it is of course understood that Railway Department intend to take over the reclaimed land and recoup the Harboifr Board for the expense onUiiled. Humming up the chairman pointed out that with receipts amounting lo £19,080 from dues, etc., and £10,002 from the sale of debentures, the Board spout £13,599 ordinarily, £2017 on blasting and reclamation, and £13,088 on the dredge. The debit balance at the beginning of the year was £2710 ; at the end of the year (it was £2918. Considering the extent to which the receipts of the Board have been taxed for the payment of the new dredge, the fact that the overdraft was increased by only £2OO entitled the chairman lo claim that the financial position received the most careful consideration throughout the year, and that the very best was done to maintain the balance between the Board’s revenue on (he one hand and the up-

keep and .improvement of the port ' on the other; The solidity of-the 1 Board's position’ is further demon- j sti%tcd. by its accumulations-, The Fire anc\ 'Marino Insurance Fund amounts to 111497. - which, set against the overdraft, reduced- th'iT indebtedness to the bank to £IO9O. The Sinking Fund in the hands of the Public-Trustee now stands n,t £27,171, and the statement o£ assets and liabilities shows surplus as-, sets to the value of £84,282. i The increases given by. the chairman in the figures for the exports of grain, merchandise, flax, choose., wool, and sheep show that the capacity of the district to supply the wants of others from its surplus is steadily enlarging, and that Bluff harbour has before jt a . future of great importance as an exporting port. On the siklo of imports timely reference was made to the efforts of the Southland Importers’s Association and to the success of the efforts of that body to secure delivery at the Bluff of goods intended for consumption in the district with n view to avoiding transhipping charges and reducing to a minimum the landed cost of the goods^

Naturally the arrival nivtl harness- ( ing to her work of the now dredge Murihikn was the subject of a fairly long paragraph in the chairman’s address. Tested by six mouths’ work the dredge lias proved herself, in the words of the chairman, “ on efficient machine at all classes of material which she could be reasonably expected to remove. Heavy boulders and reefs of stone have been met with in the course of her dredging, and she has tackled everything short of solid granite.” The dredge has removed 55,000 tons ,of stuff, and has very nearly brought llerth No. 3 into liu? state which is necessary to make it a first-class deep water berth. It is satisfactory to have the chairman’s assurance that the .Murihikn is proving hersoli an economical , worker. T his was expected of her, her 'powerful construction and modern design and equipment combining to make her one ut the most efficient machines in the colony. Thoroughly well deserved was the appreciative reference made by the chairman to the assistance rendered by the High Commissioner, the Hon. Mr Reeves, in connection with the construction and purchase of the dredge. The blasting operations, which are an essential part of the work of deepening the harbour, appear to be in eff'u-iont hands, mid with the lapse of another twelve months the chairman should be al.le to report that an undertaking of a valuable and permanent nature Ims been successfully completed.

Speaking on the subject of rcclam-

iilion the chairman offered an opinion that will be endorsed by till who have examined the position. “ It is obvious to the most casual -observer,” he said, ” that the area to which the Hoard has been tied down at the eastern side of the Freezing Works is inadequate, and incurs an expense for which a much larger atca could be enclosed.” It was never verv easy to understand why the Marine Department objected to the original proposals of the Hoard, or 1-ovv its objections were arrived at. It always seemed to us that the action of the Department in respect to this matter was a striking illustration of the truth of the uncomplimentary criticisms of the public service that arc occasionally heard from members of public bodies, and also from ” the man in the street. The Department seemed to illustrate the inherent tendency of the redtape official to do the wrong thing. U appears that the Hoard is again making representations to the Marini- Department "with a view to being allowed to reclaim to the limits originally specified,” and it is to be hoped that the Hoard s arguments will receive intelligent and sympath -tic consideration. Oilam it is. as the chairman poia'ed out. that for an expenditure praC ivaUy th- same the Hoard could n-cla.m a much larger area than that a.l'med bx the officials of th- Department. 'The address on the whole was a record o'' a vear of continued i.evelopnient so far as the .port is concerned, ami of continued .useful and honourable service on the pail. o' those who. as mendiers ot the I -mi", devote a large share of the.r time and ability to the service of the people.