STATE GRANTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19994, 20 July 1939, Page 4

STATE GRANTS

LOCAL BODY VOTES DISTRICT EXPENDITURE WAI A IN’S l)|s< I,AIM EW RE-VOTES N'QT QUOTED (Special to tlie Herald.) TE PUIA, this day. Figures relating tc State grants to the Waiapu County Council, recently published in the Herald, have given concern to members of the council lest they should be misunderstood by ratepayers of the county. The figures indicated that the Government had voted for the county a great deal more money Ilian was actually expended, and councillors expressed a wish that the matter be cleared up for the benefit of their ratepayers. It- was pointed out that the figures for each year shown in the analysis supplied by the Public Works Minister, the Hon. R. Semple, to Mr. A. G. Hultquist. M.P.. and through him to the Herald, contained re-votes from the previous year to cover expenditure authorised but not actually undertaken. In each year, the council finds it impossible to carry out its full programme of subsidised work, and in respect of uncompleted works, it is the practice to ask for re-votes of the necessary money.

A .statement has been prepared by the chairman of the Waiapu County Council, Mr. D. W. W. Williams, showing that the actual total of State subsidies made available to the council over six years is £45,909, and not £8C,743, a.s was indicated in the figures published recently. Of the £45,909 available, the council spent £36,826, -this figure representing more than four-fifths of the available grants. £40,834 Represents Re-Voted Money The real effect of the public works grants system, as it has applied to the county during the past six financial years, is - .shown in the following tabulation, which quotes the total amount voted in the year’s Estimates, the amount which represents re-votes from the previous year, and the net new money available to the council: Total Amount Net new Year vote -re-voted money

"Including flood damage The rate of expenditure in the county is indicated by tire following figures:— 1933-34, £1595; 1934-35, £2341; 1935-36, £6415; 1936-37, £8654; 1937-38, £5021; 1938-39, £12.800. From the foregoing, it will be noted that of the £86,743 granted for the six years to March 31, 1939, £40,834 represented balances unexpended, and carried forward to subsequent years. Duplication of votes ■'boosted”’ the actual grants to nearly double their real value.

The Waiapu County Council has not neglected to spend its votes as speedily and to as good advantage as possible In each year, however, there is a hold-over of work from the previous season which needs attention, and moreover it is not possible to secure spending authorities early enough to take full advantage of the season’s good weather.

This feature is particularly noticeable in respect of the year 1937-38, when £22,679 of new money was granted to deal with flood damage, and only a little over £SOOO could bo spent, leaving a large balance to carry forward. The council is still endeavouring to overtake arrears of work, and last year there was a balance of £11,350 to carry forward to the financial year 1939-40.

£ £ £ 1933-34 3,140 2,207 879 1934-35 11,050 1,551 9,499 1935-30 .. 14,012 8,709 5,303 1936-37 10,180 7,597 2,583 1937-33 . 24,205 1,526 22,679 1938-39 .. 24,150 * 19,184 4,966 86,743 40,834 45,909