OPERATIONS OP THE YEaR,

At tho mooting of tho Harbour Board yes terday, fclio Chairman (Mr T. J. W. Gale) said it was gratifying to find that there had boon an increase in the merchandise trade of the port during the year. There had been a decrease in wool and hornp. An to those articles ho pointed out that last season was early ami light, while this season was late, ito was, however, hopeful that the January trade would bring the shipments up to a satisfactory figure. Coal had increased. The aggregate tonnage of vessels inwards and outwards for the year was 1,044,043. The facilities provided must bo of an exceptional nature because there had been no complaints of the detention of vessels for want of ac commodation. They had reason to be proud of their port seeing that with such a small population the tonnage should bo over a million, while the tonnage for greater Lon don witli its population of 5,033,338 was only fourteen and a half millions. Ho then gave the details of the trade for the year as fol lows

Arrival of vosseds : 1895 1801 VosHols. 2,233 2,284 doorcase 51 Ton Hugo... 1 ,044,040 1,023,008 increase 18,038 Revenue from pilotage, port charges and harbourmaster’s fees : 1805 *£0533 3 8 1891 3020 5 3 Increase ... ... X 503 IB 2 Goods passing over the wharves (excluding Railway Wharf;: — 1805, inwards, foreign ... 54,300 tons 18'Jii, inwards, foreign ... 53,205 tons Increase 1,101 tons Inwards, colonial and coastal • 1805 73,12'! tons 180! 71,008 tons Increase ... ... 1,123 tons Goal, inwards : 1805 44,303 tons 1801 40,731 tons Increase 3,830 tons Transhipments, general goods : 1805 ... ... 52,370 tons 1801 47,823 tons Increase ... ... 4,853 tons 'Total goods handled over wharf, ip wards and transhipments, foreign, colonial and coastal:— 1805 180,400 tons 1801 173,023 tons Increase. ... 7,383 tons Total goods handled over wharf outwards. Foreign, colonial and coastal : 1895 49,454 tons 1801 47,797 tons Increase ... ... 1,357 tons Wool, skins, hemp, &c., handled over wharves; — 1805 91,857 bales 1804 114,023 bales Doorcase ... ... 22,709 bales 1895. 1894. Export cargo. Tons. Tons Tons. Frozen meat ... 3108 4143 decrease 733 Preserved moats... 982 582 increase 400 Tallow and pelts... 