HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 486, 20 April 1909, Page 6

HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

INCREASING COST OF CHARITABLE' ' : AID. ' (by teleobath— special correspondent.) 'i Naplor, April'l9. - An- interesting -statement of the financial •position of-the Hawko's Bay County. Council was submitted" by tho chairman (Mr. T.- M. Chambers) at a meeting of that, body today The ; chairman t stated that the ,year; ending March 31, 1909, commenced with .a credit balance of' £899. .16s. 2d., and closed with a debit balance of £3922 19s. lid. ' This balance, however, had to be reduced by £2000 as the general. fund advanced that amount to . •the, Mangahohe : 'lban;. account,,.owing '.to: the. loan monov not being available until tho year had closed,' sft -tbait' .the council's real debit balance stood at £1922 19s. lid. On paper the position was not : as . good as last year, but rates had ;,been much lighter than before, and the yearbad -, soon many largo works carried out. , The . expenditure- for the year amounted to £28,619 17s. 9d. Tho total estimated expenditure' for the coming year was £29,048, and if the proposed works were all carried out the council, would be about £1500 'in. debit. In the course ; of bis remarks, the chairman' increase in the ■hospital . and charitable aid levies year; 'by year had bccome a heavy charge on the council's revenue. the amount will be £1154 in each case, or a total of £2308. For the eight years ending March 31,- 1902, the charitable aid'levy averaged £380 a year. It. isnow £1154, or an increase of 300 , per-'cent. Taking into account. the' existence of old age [ pensions, this incroase seems excessive.