CITY COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2836, 29 July 1916, Page 14

CITY COUNCIL

FORTNIGHTLY IIEETIXCI. The ijla.vor (Mr. J. I'. lute), Councillors W. Hildreth, T. Bush, M. J-'. Luckie, W. H. iSeaiiett; G. ¥rust, J. Uodbor, .1. Hutcheion, A. J'. Atkinson, \V. J. Thompson, W. H. I'. Barber, J. B. li'it■/.gerald,' and 'L. JL'Kenzie were present at the I'ortnightlv meeting of the City Council held ii 'luiiistla.v. The finance ;iwl Properly Committee reported that they,have received the following statement of facts from the city treasurer in connection with the letter from the Greater Wellington Town Planning and itmiieipal Association with regiini to the levying of rales-.—'"With regard to the above, ! have to state the loilowing lacts: (1.; Thcgeneral rates collected ill 1911 amounted to .«j",swl, and m 1015 to ,C95,'20(i, showing an increase of iCTTOG. ..(2) The reuto collected in 1911 amounted -to £27,05(1, and in 1915 to •E3B,G7G, showing an increase of -CU,G2G. (3) The capital expenditure in 1915 was ■£26,536. Out of this sum necessary works, such as drainage in outlying districts (JC43Gi) and new engine and incidentals for drainage power-house (.£3300) and reserves formation, work to which we were committed (.C4029) were provided. Day's Bay 'Reserve (.£10,903), net, was also purchased this year.. During the year a sum of J:]o,o{K) was repaid to the general account by electric lighting account. (■!) The increase in rcvenuo has not been very great during the years referred to .by- the association, as will be ,6cen by the figures herein. The requirements of the'city in regard to ordinary upkeep have grown out ol'» proportion to its revenue - increase."

The City Council should be in position .In' raise a 'loan' to : carry-on (lie work of the • improvement and' expansion of the city, instead of going tD the ratepayers' for small, loans, with a chance of them, being thrown out. He referred to the'po'wcr given to the Harbour Board a'few 1 years ago to raise a million pounds for. harbour improvements." In referring lo the matter of expenditure out of revenue, Councillor- Hutcheson isaid that' one of the most glaring cases of misspent money was the ,£II,OOO which went" to subsidise a local body on tils other side of the ■ harbour, an expenditure into which tltey were absolutely bull-dosed, for it was of no more value to the -citizens than if it was at the top of the .Tlimutnkas. Councillor Luckie: Nonsense." Councillor Hutcheson said that tlie.y might as well buy a section at Cloudy Bay for a summer residence. As a matter of fact, the council had been bluffed and bull-dosed into buying the property in a most foolish and improvident, way. Then the Greater Wellington .Association .comcs in and objects to works being done out of rales, when there has been such a squandering of money. Councillor ;L. -M'Kenzie said that the Greater.;3Vellington Association had nothing to do with the Day's Bay property. He pointed out that the sum of iliG.OllO had been .spent on new works out of revenue, and it was too much. If the council were to go on in that way 'it would be bleeding the ratepayers at both ends. He quite agreed that "the City Engineer must have certain money to cleanse the city, but there should be some limit.to the amount, to be spent out of revenue on new works. The effect of the increase of rates was to harden rents, lie thought the Association mentioned had done good work, and its critic-ism was justified, if it had.had a steadying effect on the council. The Public Health Committee reported:—"That the milk inspector has commenced taking, samples of milk witliUi the city and outlying districts, and judg-. ing from the reports received from the Dominion Analyst, on the samples submitted to him, good work is being performed." ,

On the'"recommendation of 1 lie T!cserves Committee it was resolved: "That the Trades and Labour Council be informed that the it>s of the .Newtown Park will"l,c"granted for their sports on Labour Day, October !tO, ■ upon the usual conditions; that, in lieu of tenders being called for the execution of the work as originally recommended, the City Engineer be now authorised to proceed with the erection of a .wooden fence with moulded concrete piers round the reserve."