LOAN PROPOSAL NOT FAVOURED

Southland Times, Issue 24109, 24 April 1940, Page 12

LOAN PROPOSAL NOT FAVOURED

BLUFF RESERVOIR CONSTRUCTION REVENUE OF HARBOUR BOARD

A proposal that a loan of £7OOO be raised for the completion of the reservoir on Bluff hill -was briefly considered by the Bluff Harbour Board last night. Several members expressed their opposition to a loan and the matter was referred to the Finance Committee. A decline in revenue, but an increase in trade was reported by the secretary (Mr R. N. Porter) for the month of March. The total receipts for the month were £4079/3/9 as against £6157/13/5 for the corresponding month of last yeai, being a decrease of £2078/9/8, stated the report. Under separate headings the receipts for this year and last year were:— 1940 1939 £sd £ s d Wharfage dues 2887 8 8 2311 8 6 Ships’ charges 701 19 0 3119 16 4 Miscellaneous 489 16 1 726 8 7 4079 3 9 6157 13 5 A comparison of the receipts for the first half-year this year and last year is as follows:— 1940 1939 £sd £ s d Wharfage dues 9857 10 2 9808 22 Ship’s charges 6630 3 2 9298 12 6 Miscellaneous 4055 7 8 4658 13 8 20,543 1 0 23,765 8 4 The expenditure for the month was £3449/13/10 against £4909/18/8 for March 1939. For the first half of this financial yeai expenditure has exceeded receipts by £7402/12/7 from which can be deducted £765/3/-, being the expenditure on the new reservoir construction which is a loan job, leaving a balance of £6637/9/7 over receipts. The balance of expenditure over receipts for the corresponding period of last year was £5232/10/3. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS For March 1940 the tonnage of cargo handled over the board’s wharves was 20,482 tons against 16,874 tons for the corresponding month of last year or at. increase of 3608 tons. The totals for March 1940 were made up as follows:—lmports, 2528 tons coastal, 781 tons overseas, a total of 3309 tons; exports, 2402 tons coastal, 14,771 tons overseas, a total of 17,173 tons; the totals being 4930 tons coastal, 15,552 tons overseas, a grand total of 20,482 tons. The principal lines of imports were:— Fish, frozen and fresh 53 tons, fruit, preserved 29 tons, sugar 576 tons, timber 360 tons, wines, spirits and so on 139 tons. Exports were:—Tallow 259 tons, wool 3893 tons, butter, 57 tons, cheese 2562 tons, frozen meat 7654 tons, frozen and fresh fish 43 tons, milk products 504 tons, oats 85 tons, oat products 207 tons, pelts 69 tons, skins 34 tons, seeds 61 tons, timber 525 tons, hemp 32 tons.

The following are the total of imports and exports in the first half of the last three financial years:—l939, imports 41,627 tons, exports 40,108 tons; 1938, imports 42,631 tons, exports 34,151 tons; 1937, imports 44,023 tons, exports 39,112 tons.

As compared with last year there is a decrease in coastal imports of 2433 tons and a decrease in overseas imports of 12,339 tons or a total decrease in imports of 14,772 tons There is an increase in coastal exports of 1569 tons and an increase in overseas exports of 4465 tons or a total increase in exports of 6034 tons. Total cargo shows a decrease of 8738 tons in comparison with the 1939 totals. The number of vessels working the port for the month was:—Coastal 32, overseas and intercolonial 6, a total of 38. The figures for the same month in 1939 were:—Coastal 38, overseas and intercolonial 12. a total of 50.

A grant of £5/5/- was made to the Jubilee Institute of the Blind.