BLUFF HARBOUR

Southland Times, Issue 18938, 11 May 1923, Page 8

BLUFF HARBOUR

SUCCESSFUL FINANCIAL YEAR. CHAIRMAN’S REVIEW OF YEAR’S WORK. The annual meeting of the Bluff Harbour Board took place at the termination of the ordinary monthly meeting when the chairman (Mr Andrew Bain) read the following report of the year’s operations:— “From the statements of accounts,’ said Mr Bain, “you will observe that the year 1922-23 was financially the most successful that the Board has yet experienced, the income exceeding that of the previous year by over £BOOO whilst the shipping returns uh owed an increase of nearly 100,000 tons. I am sure that this is a matter for congratulation and it indicates that our port is steadily coming into its own, notwithstanding the endeavours of rivals to detract from its reputation and to divert the trade which should come to it, and that the natural advantages it enjoys of deep water and the background of a fertile district are asserting themselves and we may look for a period of steady and lucrative expanaion.

“The Board has been alive to the necesaity of meeting the times by providing for wharfage extension and in June last the work of widening the main wharf by 20 feet outside to secure the extra depth prepared by the Board’s dredges was begun and is now approaching completion. When it is finished a uniform depth of 30 feet at low water from the western end will be provided deepening to 34 feet at the eastern end. The Invercargill Chamber of Commerce recently advised the Board that one of its members had drawn attention to the fact that in endeavouring to secure some steamers to leave Bluff as the last port of call for London he had been informed that the Overseas Committee considered Bluff was only suitable for taking in small steamers. For many years past as a matter of fact large steamers have been making their final departure with deep drafts, and representations have been made to the Committee quoting instances of the kind, as for example—in June, 1920, the 8.8. Opawa left Bluff direct for London drawing 28ft 6in, and in December the Port Caroline left drawing 27ft sin, whilst in the Board’s records there are a number of instances where a large number of steamers have left drawing 28ft 6in. If it was safe in bygone years it should be safer still when the wharf has been widened and an increased depth of from 3ft upwards provided. The Board feels sure that when the Committee becomes acquainted with these facts it will see that Bluff is a port from which final departure fully loaded nay be made by large steamers and it trusts that the interests of Southland exporters may be no longer prejudiced by an embargo which is not justified by the circumstances.

“In addition to the widening of the main wharf plans have been prepared and forwarded to the Marine Department for a wharf to be erected along the foreshore in front of the freezing works and cool store and to be 1200 feet long, and estimated to cost £50,000. When the approval of the Marine Department is received it is proposed to arrange for the erection of this wharf as soon as possible. Besides providing for an increase in berthage accommodation, it will offer special advantages from its position.

It may also be mentioned that the Board’s works have very considerably relieved the position as regards unemployment at a time when work was scarce and there were a large number of men anxious about providing for the support of their families. “The buoyancy of the Board’s revenue has materially assisted its finance with the remit that although about £16.574 has been spent during the year on the widening of the wharf it has only been necessary to oorrow £6400 for that purpose. This was fortunate as early in the year the market was full of debentures offering higher rates of interest than the Board was giving (54 per cent.). However, there has always been a local demand for the Board’s debentures and it has always been equal to rhe Board’s requirements. “Apart from loan moneys the Board began the year with a debit balance of £9793 and closed with a debit balance of £6192 so that its position improved by £3601 in addition to which £10,174 spent on wharf widening is added to £7190 previously spent on the wharf out of revenue, making £17,364 recoverable when loan moneys are available.

“Following on my recommendation of last year the Importers Committee of the Chamber of Commerce has taken up the matter of direct shipments heartily, and a number of steamers have arrived with direct shipments at main port rates from Home. There is every indication that if followed up this policy will become permanent and the consumers of Southland w’ill receive the benefit of the saving thus effected in transhipment rates. “During the year negotiations have been proceeding between the Board and the Special Cool Store Committee appointed oy the Dairy Association on the subject of leasing or selling the stores and they are not yet completed. I have been at some pains to show the directors of dairy factories that there are many difficulties attendant upon the shipment of cheese and butter at a distance from the port while at the same time there is not room or occasion for two store? at Bluff. The Board is open to negotiation on reasonable lines either to transfer the stores to the dairymen at a fair price or to provide further plan: for cold air at reasonable charges and I trust that some common ground mav be found upon which an agreement may be come to. "In conclusion I am pleased to say that the year upon which we have entered is proving, as far as revenue goes, as satisfactory as the previous one. The elections are in progress at the present time, and it is certain that there will be some new faces at the Board table. I can only express the hope that the relations between the members of the Board will be as amicable in the future as they have been in the past. I have to thank the members for the confidence and attention they have given to the business of the Board which has made my position as chairman a pleasant one, and I have also to thank the staff for the very satisfactory manner in which they have carried out their duties during the year.” SECRETARY’S REPORT. The annual statement of the secretary and treasurer to the Board (Mr G. R. George- sets out that the total receipts exceeding loan moneys were £44,415 3s, being £8237 9s 3d above those of the previous year. The increases mainly are berthage dues, £1309, pilotage dues £1747. port charges £ll2O, towage £123, storage £706, and wharfage £3131. The net increase from shipping charges was £4303 and from goods £3131. The receipts from the cool stores, including refunds for railage to ships and handling charges thereat, were £8630 13b 9d, as against an expenditure of £6300 5s 9d, which, with a suitable allowance for interest depreciation and insurance, left a small balance in hand. On rhe other side the expenditure was set down at £40.815 13s lid, as against £41.275 8s for the previous year, a decrease of £459 14s I I. but of this amount £10,174 19s 7d was - ent on wharf widening in addition

to a further £6400 for this purpose being provided out of loan money. The estimated assets of the Board are £215,307 which, with the cash assets of £39,288 Is 4d which include the sum of £17,364 advanced in ant e ; ation of the issue of a loan for wharf widening, make a total of £254,595 Is 4 The liabilities stand at £50,256 4s Id. leaving an excess of assets over liabili-

ties- - . £204,388 1/s 3d. The value of’the imports at Bluff, according to the Customs retur s, was £621,577, showung a decrease

;omp: red with 1921 of £9669. The exports were valued at £2,392,770, being a reduction of £173,340 compared with 1921. The figurt showing the volume of shipping at the port was as follows:—Coastwise, 276* vessels of 71.790 tons; intercolonial, 49 of 84.080 tons and overseas, 36 of 163.766 tons, making a total of 361 vessels of 319,Sl6 tons net. This was a decrease of 7

vessels engaged on the coastal trade, but an increase of 13 inter-colonial and 14 overseas vessels, the total being 99,803 tons.