FORTUNATE KARORI.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 802, 27 April 1910, Page 5

FORTUNATE KARORI.

MO OVERDRAFT. ■ V■ BOROUGH FINANCE REVIEWED. i The fortnightly meeting of borough Council was held last! evening, there being present: The May or (Mr: C. I. Daserit),..-., and Councillors Gathie, Standee Walmsley, Welling,; Hildteth, Burn, Wedde, and Raine.•'•'. ' ■ "" x THE BOEOUGH'S FINANCES. ■■■■_■ lln a statement'"of the borouEh'ef finances 'the Mayor eaid that'' '• total indebtedness of the borough with respocr to ! its loan accounts, after allowing, for accrntd sinking funds amounting to U&5308, spread, over the whole of the .borough, including Northland, part of Kelburne, and part of theMakara ■County was .£58,691. ■ The borough,receipts :■ totalled JE9467.1 .including from the general rates, and from the tramways. General rates outstanding, totalled £59 lls. 3d;; special rates (Karbrin proper), £41 Is. 3d., while! the r 6]it : slp.hding rates for. this*y.ear were'set dowii at £3b'. "'" ''~'•'.'"' ,'l'he expenditure amounted to, JEWB4. The credit balance was v 'therefore £1183, in which was included; i£Bl7-for tramway replacement fund,- the '-■ net'' credit ; being £365, with £59 outstaridiiigin respect of general , rates; ••■ ": >" : : ..;''•/; '■'•' ; : : .. ■■■ ' 'An analysis of the tramway finances disclosed [ receipts totalling ' -£4913, • and expenditure £3926, leaving-a credit balance' off £987..'■■■;■; "'a- ■'■ ■'■ ■■'■■■■ -; On the running of the borough's omnibus system there was shown >a debit balance of £473. Last year' the debifc was greater. The total number of passengers carried was 41,966. . - ' During the year permits representing in value £11,832, were' u»ued for thd erection, extension, and alteration of buildings. ■••.' '■ ' : ; :. .'On tne year's working""of ths boreogh tramways there was a profit of £514, an advance of £200 on the previous.year's figures, despite the fact that fewer ' passengers were carried. The inoreased pro; fit,;under the circumstances, was explained' by the fact,that there had been . a considerable saving effected, in'the working of the-omnibus service, and a reduo- ■ tion in the car mileage. The number of ■passengers carried over the borough tram-' ways. totalled 765,342, as compared with 772,757 for the previous year, while .the car mileage was 71,543, as : against 73,67* for the previous. year.. The revenue de-. creased by £95;. but the expenditure also decreased by .£llß.' The oost•'.. to the , borough of 1 arc lighting,- renewals,; etc.', amounted to £275. '■■. . ■ : ■■,- .

The position, considered his Worship, was very satisfactory. ' He believed that Karori was the only borough whioh .had i no. overdraft.. Some of the other boroughs • had very large overdrafts. The financial : condition of the borough, h« stated,; was;, due to the polioy,: adopted 12 years ago, . of .living within .their • means. ■ He had • never'regretted the adoption of the.polioy. ■ ' Councillors agreed.;- . : : .'.■.'■: :■ , , BOROUGH WORKS. ' ; ,-/ i The engineer reported that the work of *" installing tho council's stone-crusher was being pushed forward; part of the plant had arrived, and the crusher was ex- ' pected from Melbourne shortly. JoURoad was expected to bo finished within f the next fortnight More than -half of' tho concrete kerbing and channelling had ' been completed on the Lancaster Estate , streets, as well as storni-water piping, . metalling, and installation of sumps. Huia aud Russell Streets, in the Golf links Estate, were ready, to/take over,'; and ■ other works in Evelyn Road and ' the. Recreation Ground pushed forward.'. ! ; y ''OTHER MATTERS. . L; On the recommendation of the Recreation Reserves Committee, • the Wellington - Hockey Association granted the use of two grounds for the season, for .£ls, on condition .that a reasonable number ofsenior matches be played thereon. It was also decided that the quarry and all crushing plant be fenced off from the reserve, at a cost estimated £12. , .•. On the recommendation of the Reserre : Committee, it was decided to negotiate with Mr. I. Ward with, a view to securing the unsubdivided portion of land bo- . tween the Karori Main Road and Evelyn Road for a publio reserve. . ■.'■■• - An application from the Discharged, Prisoners' Aid Society for a donation to th« society's funds was considered. It t was agreed that the council had no power to make donations from its funds, and the application was, therefore, declined.