LYTTELTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4869, 7 February 1894, Page 3

LYTTELTON HARBOUR BOARD.

I, • i- Annual Meeting. : ! * The adjourned annual meeting of the ■' Lyltelton Harbour Board was held at two k o'clock this afternoon} present— Mr IL (r Waymouth (in the chair), and Messrs J. *• Joyce, J. Thacker, E. Westenra, H; W. k Peryman, J. Thompson, W. Langdown, P. ia Cunningham and I. Gibbs, Hon J. T. Pea--16 cook, and Captains Parsonß and M'Clatchie. *- chairman's statement. 18 The Chairman made the following !< * statement :— I regret to have to say that 16 the results shown in the accounts laid before you to-day are not bo satisfactory ]£ as in previous years, Theoe results are iii attributable to two causes— fitßt, the 9 1 Bhortage of grain during the past year, "' and secondly, the reductions which the m, Board made in wharfage and other charges en in July last. It is true that we have r*J ,£lll6 more in hand than we had a year ago, but the fact remains that the

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g receipts for the year were £2847 let** l tha >f the previous year, while the expendJtur n on ordinary working account was £if> it more, the increase in funds being cauße( n by a decrease in expenditure of £3976 or g harbour works and dredging. Ourdecreas< >- in revenue haa been principally in— I- Wharfage £1413, pilotage and port charge: [. £1445, towage £149, warps £74, etoragf a £500; the quantity of grain and agri cultural produce exported having been 9 33,409 tons lesa in 1898 than in the j previous year. The Board's Treasurei '. has made the usual estimate of rea ceipte and expenditure for the present 9 yeir, per return No. 2 on general i account. This shows an estimated deficit • for the year 1894 of £739, but I would } point out that thiß return does not include i the expenditure of about £3000 to which - the Board is committed for widening the • screw-pile jetty; nor is any provision made for expenses of the dredging which 3 is in contemplation, the cost of which for - six months would be about £5000. In 1 view of these figures, as no immediate ■ increase in the trade of the port can be I looked for, it will be necessary for the I Board to take an early opportunity for I revising the scale of wharf and other : charges. The increased dimensions of [ vessels now trading to the port, as comI pared with those of a few years ago, i renders the matter of wharf accommodai tion one which will require early atten* > tion. I think all immediate require--1 ments would be met by lengthening • . No. 7 wharf by about 50ft. Members will • ; notice a great falling off in the nnmber of i i men that have used the Sailors' Home 1 during the year. This haa been caused by ; no fault of the Horne — which is well and economically managed by the Superinten--1 dent — but by the decrease in the number 1 of Bailing vessels visiting the Port. As 1 this will continue to be the case owing to the increased use of steam, the falling off must be looked upon as continuous, and I think the Board should consider whether the sphere of usefulness of the Home canuot be widened bo as to counteract ! this. It is with pleasure th*tl record my appreciation of the manner in which the I whole of the members of the Board's staff \ have carried out their respective duties I during the past year. I On the motion of the Chairman, seconded ! by Captain M'Clatchie, the accounts for j the year as audited were passed.