New Plymouth Harbonr.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11658, 18 January 1901, Page 1

New Plymouth Harbonr.

THE CHAIRMAN'S ANNUAL REPORT.

At the Harbour Board meeting to-day (Friday) the Chairman, Mr Maxwell, submitted the following annual statement :—: — Gentlemen, — Accompanying this report you will find the annual accounts of the Board for the year ending 31st December, 1900, and it is satisfactory te note that they show a substantial increase in revenue, notwithstanding the large reduction made in the rate 'of wharfage. OVERDRAFT. The orerdraft, which was £3285 8s lid, on Ist January, 1000, tiow stands at £341g 16s lid, being an increase of £133 8s Od, which, considering the large expenditure on new plant, indicates that the cost of ordinary maintenance of the port is well within the revenueBREAKWATER. Under this heading I have great pleasure in once more reporting that the year has passed without the structure sustaining any damage, making the fifth year since any repairs have been needed. Consequent on the great increase in the depth of water in the harbour and proportionately around the wall, slight subsidences from time to time take place in the rubble wave-breaker, which require to be made up as they occur, and the sum of £191 Is 6d has been expended in procuring and tipping over stone where necessary. By arrangement with the Railway Department stone has been supplied by them at 2s per ton at the quarry. The permannent way along the breakwater, which has been laid for many years, is being renewed ; £311 14s 6d has been expended on this account. SAND. It is with extreme pleasure that I deal with the subject under this heading. Satisfactory as my report last year was, 1 the position at .present is not only better, but, considering past experience, beyond what the most hopeful could have expected, as practically the whole sheltered area has been dredged to its original depth. Whilst during the previous year the dredge Thomas King was kept working night and day, assisted by the grab, it is now only necessary to work the dredge during ordinary hours, and the grab work has been discontinued altogether. The following table gives the sand removed, total cost, and cost per yard during the last eight yean. The cost {>er yard for 1900 shows the extremely ow figure of 2'6d per cubic yard. Cubic Total Cost Year. Yards. Cost. Per Yard. £ s. d. 1893 15,800 794 1 7 12-06 d 1894 22,615 787 1 8 8-35 d 1895 39,680 853 19 0 516 d 1896' 67,136 1763 811 6'3od 1897 114,309 1877 15 10 3'94d 1898 135,290 2501 4 2 443 d 1899 232,730 2970 12 1 3.50 d 1900 134,278 1458 11 11 2-60 d NEW DREDGING PLANT. This is known as the fixed sand pumping plant, and has now all been erected at a cost of £3835 12s Id, and although worked on several occasions and reported on favourably by the Engineer as to capability and cost per yard, has not, owing to unexpected delays, been worked to that extent to prove by actual experience the effectiveness of the scheme. HARBOUR SURVEY. Monthly soundings are now taken by the Harbourmaster, and a chart for the same is laid before the Board at each meeting. WHARVES. This includes the main wharf and approach and the cattle wharf and yards. A continuous expenditure is necessary for the maintenance of these structures, £567 IBs 8d being the cost during the past year. Iv my last report I drew your attention to the condition of the wharf and the Engineer's leport on the same. 1 would now point out that these were erected in 1887, and have consequently reached a stage in which constant renewals and repairs would in any case be necessary, but I would more particularly point out that they were of a design, size, and strength no doubt suitable for the trade of the port at that time, and the small cla^s of vessels berthing at them, but are now entirely inadequate to the changed conditions. If quite new the main wharf might be equal to the strain, without risk, of berthing the heavier tonnage boats now trading to the port, but it is my opinion that in ilie present condition of the structure there is a continuous risk and that the Board i sh( uld at once consider the question of providing funds for strengtheningthe main wharf by widening. The cattle yard and j wharf are showing signs of decay, and they are being repaired as far as possible. EXTENSION. A contract has been let for the extension referred to in my last report for the sum of £2400. This will provide additional berthage space inward of 100 ft on each side of the wharf and will greatly facilitate the working of the railway traffic on the wharf. O.UAXXY. The removal of stone from the quarry by the Railway Department {the conditions of which are noted in last year's report) far exceeds in quantity the amount anticipated by the Board when making th« arrangement, and

I whilst admitting that the purpose for which the stone is required is important to the district, it would be wise of the Board to conserve their quarries as far aspossible. A portion of the spoil from Mount Elic? Reserve has been removed. PLANT AX£> BriLDINCS. A water meter :»t a cost of £12w;s the only new pl:uit prcx nre . further than new parts necessary /or tlie reQcwal of existing works, T'iu o;ily plon^ disposed of during the past ytsr was a lathe for £50, aid sundries for £101 9* 9d. A windmill for pumping water iron* the lagoon to the reservoir has beta ordered through the Engineer. Water supply. The area of tbe lagoon having been I greatly contracted by the encroachment of the sand, a contract was let for the excavation of the lagoon to give storage for an extra 150,000 gallon*, and the work carried out for the sum of £140. As the Taranaki Freezing Company draw water from the lagoon they contributed half the cost of the work. As it is found that the shipping require more water than is raised to the reservoir ty means of the rams, the Board has decided to procure a windmill and pump for the purpose. BY-LAVP. A complete revision of the by-lav* was made and came into force on Ist November, 1&00. The most important concession of the revision was on general merchandise, which was reduced from 3a to 2s per ton from Ist Augaat, 1900. RAILWAY. Messrs Connett and King were deputed by the Board to wait on the Minister for Railways to obtain concessional affecting the trade of the port— the efforts resulted in the abolition of the redespatching charge of Is per ton, and certain arrangements for the delivery of goods to that part of the district not served by the railway.

WHARFAGE AND DUES.

The following iB a return of wharlaga and does for the past eleven yeara :—: —

SHIPPING, FoiK hundred and fifteen vessels entered »nd left the port during the past year, of the aggregate tonnage <& 177,221. Returns for th» past seven year** as pet harbourmaster's books :—: —

It will be satisfactory to note that there is a substantial increase in the trade of the port.

ENDOWMENTS. The Railway Department are removing: the spoil from Mt. Eliot Reserve on the Brougham - street frontage. The old buildings in Brougham-street adjoining the Town Hall having been condemned, ' were sold for the sum of £59 8s for removal. HARBOUR RATE AND LAND RBVBNT7E. Tke rate having been reduced in the previous year to Jd in the £, being only \of the original rate levied, no further redaction could be made this year. The farthing rate equalled £4994 3s 7d, the / actual amount received was £4845 12a 2d, and the land revenue was £6094 8s 3d, making a total with interest, &c.,'of £11,116 19s 2d. TABLE OF LAND REVENUE FOR THB PAST TEX YEARS.

Year. Amount. £ s. d. # 1891 7905 11 8 1892 7125 8 2 1893 6114 1 11 1894 7577 3 I 1895 8588 15 3 1896 6706 9 4 1897 4870 18 9 1898 5935 3 2 1899 6806 18 4 1900 6094 6 3 SINKING FUN P.

This fund now stands at £41,165 2s lid, the sum of £39,600 being iv the Board's bonds and the balance in the Bank of New Zealand at interest.

The Trust Commissioners have mad* purchases of bonds to the extent of Urn f unds in their hands at the time, amounting to £7050.

Year. BerthWarps. Water, Port Charges. Total. age. age. 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 . 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 £ 1621 1949 2105 1966 - 2922 2806 3242 3388 3824 3797 3929 £ 203 241 256 266 329 320 450 1159 1414 1549 1788 £ -237 218 '165 261 284 867 269 291 385 417 455. £ 17 63 93 61 27 16 27 22 91 117 128 £ 79 46 60 71 102 131 111 131 215 201 230 £ 2157 2507 2679 2626 3664 3540 4099 4991 5929 6081 6530

Vessels. _ • Tonnage Exports. Butter and Cheeße. Other Exports. Total Exports. Total Exports and ear. Imports. Imports. 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 372 362 SB2 410 .420 404 415 91,040 93,858 96,657 107,916 144,407 152,778 177,221 Tons. 18,885 20,386 19,657 22,277 24,298 25,994 Tons. 2191 1736 9384 4730 5615 7105 7733 Tons. 3826 3571 5284 4877 8710 3823 3949 Tons. 6017 5307 7668 9607 12,325 10,928 11,682 Tons. 24,902 25,693 27,325 31,884 36,621 36,822 40,408