COUNTY FUNDS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1837, 18 August 1906, Page 3

COUNTY FUNDS.

FACING THE DIFFICULTY. At the meeting of tlto Cook County Council yesterday it was decided to raise the rate to a penny, inclusive of tho charitable aid rate. The matter lirst came up on details of the requirements for the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board being mentioned, showing that L 1240 was required, entailing a rate of 1- llth of a penny, which would be lessened on the increased value

Cr Matthcwson suggested that the matter should be dealt with at that stage while they lmd he time, Tlie Chairman thought they should strike a rate sufficient to provide the L 1240. The Clerk said on the new valuation 1-lCth oi a penny would be sufficient Tho County valuation would be raised by LBio,ooo this year, so this year the County would be rated at over 1,1,000,000 In reply to Cr Ivon way, the Clerk said the had desired the subject of rating deferred so that the whole of the rate might be gone into. By striking a penny rate they would obtain Li 6,185, out of which the charitable aid requisition of L 1240 and L 402 for the bridge might be paid.

Cr Kcmviiv said tho Clerk’s reason forhaving the subject discussed together was a wise one, and'he moved to that effect, which was agreed to. On the subject of rating being reverted to Cr Matthews, moved that the resolution of May 4th be rescinded, stating that it would become ultra vires in view of the other resolution he intended making The revolution was: “ That

an additional rate of jd in the £ be struck all over the County, one-third of such rate to be set aside for the annual reduction of tho bank overdraft, the balance to be expended on necessary works in each riding from which it was collected.”

The m Dion w u seconded by Cr Kenway and carried Cr Matthews then moved that a rate of one penny in the pound be struck on the valuations for the year. He went on to

illustrate his arguments by a statement of the finances. The general rate in 1905 was L 9026 10s 4d, cost of administration L 1558 Is 0.1, expenditure on old roads L4OOO, on now roads LIOOO, surfacemen and day labor L 1521 13s Hd, bridges, drains and fences LlOl9 2s Gd, total L 9509 3s Hd, making a total expenditure in excess of general rates L 472 12s -Id That was, the Council went really to the bad to

the extent of 1*472 on the general rates. He had left out items that fluctuated a good deal, such as lintel and slaughter house licenses He had got the engineer to supply him with the total mileage of roads, and it was to ho noted that the roads formed and metalled had a total mileage of 142, formed roads 400, horse tracks NO, total 028 miles of roads that the Council had to maintain out of the general .rate, after deducting cost of administration. There were in addition 40 miles of horse tracks cleared, 91,000 running feet of culverts, 179 bridges from 12 to 00ft spans. The total general rate, if expended on the maintenance of mileage of roads and track's, omitting bridges and culverts, allows a sum of Lid 2s j.l)d a mile, and putting all bridges aside ’Where they had huge slips coining down in a bad winter that was an absolutely insignificant sum to meet the requirements of the Council Lie estimated the general rate with jd more on the yd would yield L‘looo. On July hist, 1900, the County portion of

the loans was 1 ~',2,Ht0, that was money borrowed under the Loans to Local JJodies Act. The Arai Killing had L UJbO, lvaiti LhyO t, Whataupoko LhOOh, total L 11.409,

making a grand total with the County of L 04,249 19s 4d. The interest for 1906

amounted to L279117s Kd, loans applied for 1.12,250 (including LifOOO bridge fund, 1.1907 8s) The interest payable for K.ljJ if all loans were granted was Lhoßd, of which land fund would pay 1,111, Tolago Bay bridge tolls Ll-tl 12s, special rates .1,2804 Bs.

"After viewing (ho whole po-il/ou,” said Cr Matthews, “ anyone going into it must wonder how we have done bb well bb wo havo wi'li the very email ameuat of revenue at command.” Ho omiraitod the coodi'.ion oi atfiirawith that at the

Waikato (rvh'oh ho bail recently vished

much to tho credit of the local Council Ho tl o ig'at they should try to encourage

the view that all now woiks should ba

audo under the Loans to Local Bodies Act, and tho whole of tho general rHes, loss co:t of administration, should bo devoted to the roads already made, and so improve them from lima to time, and a system adopted of allowing tho money raised io a ridmg to bo spool in that riding. Even with tho increaso this year—and tho Oounul's funds would benefit oonside-ab : y by the automatic incoase—they would not havo anything to spam. With she increase he thought tho obaritaVe aid and bridge requirements might bo drawn horn tho general fund, The ouLide public should know the position they were in, so that they jould see the Council wero not trying to oxtiact an extra rate without absolulo necessity,

'Tlio Ohairmau: You mean that wo etiika threo ratios amounting to tho ponny 2 Cr Mattliowa : No —thot it nil gooa into and oomoa from tho general rato. Tho Chairman : Can wo do that V Tho Oku 1;: Yes ; both ahenld como out of tho general rate. Cr Mattliowa said it wou’d bo a broach of faith to put on a spooial bridge rato, for j all along they bad stated it would oomo from thu gonorol rato. Tho Chairman : Only a distinction with- I

out a differcuoo. I thought i) might bo uocossary to ear-matk tkeso special sums. CrMattkows: I wish it oloatly understood that tho penny rato is fo covor ovory tiling. Tho Chniimnn : That is plant enough. Or Kouway, in seconding tiio motion, said Cr Matthews bad shown tho preeari ous position tho Oouno 1 had boon in, aud they all know that applications oamo up ovory meeting asking for grants for I roads and improvements, whioh woro ro-

ferred io tho ouginocr to report on, councillors well knowing they wou'd bo uoablo to do tho work ‘ I uni tick of it,” said Cr Kenway with emphasis; “ tho Ojuucil is boro to maintain roads end do too brat I ii can with money at its disposal. Wogrt I gtumblod at bconusa uver.yihiug nppiiod for is not granted. Counciilois oil bavo to pay protty heavy rates, and it is notlilso as if wo two indicting on others a rato in which wo do no! share, Looking at it I from all poiuts of view I cannot eoo bow

wo oan oscapo having an inoroasod rato.” They mint, ho said, havo money avuilablo instead of wondering what tho position of tho overdraft wns next meeting. There woro a largo number of things to attend to which they should do it' the Council had tho mauey. Ho was rather in favor of striking Id rato clear, ovoa in fnoo of tho new valuations, but ho would support tho motion. It was absolutely necessary to etiika an iuoroosed rate. 11 I rise fc.r oppoeo tho motion,” said Cr Lysuar, who added that Cr Matthews’ figures woro not correct. According tu Or Matthews’ own showing tboro was no occasion fo: the motion Or Matthews said as long as tho Council had an r.xt-a £2OOO to carry on with it would bo all

right. His figuios wore made up on tho old valuation, acd cn the now the i icroaso in tho rovenuo would bo £2OOO. Was it fair to st iko an extra farthing rate o.a seme who woro paying on tho now valuation, while others woro only paying un ior tho old valu ition 2 Too old valuation was £2,490,000, and with un mc.oaso of £S2O,COO, it would bo £4,310,010 This, with the extra j 4, wou'd bo £16,435, and with £1240 (1-1 Gd in the £) of! for charitable aid, £402 (l-40d in tho £) off for biidgo fund, a ba'nncs cf £14,812 would bo left. Tho full rato for 1906 was £10,626, and tho inorimso in tho valuat ons would give them £2562, or roughly £2IOO, which Cr Ma thotvs said they would bo able to c irry on will). Why should some people hato imposed cn them a rate which they did n .t share in ? There would not bo so much olj otion if tho ra cs woro rpmS in iid:ngs where they

wero raised. There wsa no ressou for tho r-itr, Crs Matthotvs ai d Kenway admitling £3OOO extra would bo enough to carry on with.

Cr Matthews : I did not. Cr Kcnwuy : Nor did I. Cr Lysnar : Cr Matthetvs' figures are entirely wrong. We have tho amount on the notv valuat'o 1. Cr Kcnway : Wo want £IOOO extra. Tho Chairman said the question was one on whioh they ought to bavo tbeir minds very e'ear, and ihoy should arrive at facts eoneerning whioh thoro would bo no depute. It would havo been much better bal rhr-y Load ths pcsiiim two years ego, but unfortunately the Council had not t-ken that view. He agreed with C: Matthews that it was wonderful they had produced such results with their blender resources and their hampered position. It r: fleet d great credit on their engineer. Cr Iv nway : Hear, hrar. 11 Considering all the eircumstsnocs,-’ said the Chairman, " wa do not have to reprcaah ourselves, having made tho best use of our resources. As to the difference becau-e some rates are on tho new end some on tho old valuation, wo cannot help tba', and until Iho legislation is altered it always will bo so. Tuo method tf the Valuation Department seems to be to take districts ict detachments, so that you will cover have one level value.” In any esse it was only a temporary inequality which would work its owa cur-, "I shad,” ho continued, ” vote as I would always have dono any time during these threo years.” The vote was against bis interests, for it would not matter a scrap to him if iho county traffic woio suspended, as he bal the railway to his doors. Ho votel for ths inoreu3o, because ha perceived that is wss needed to carry o i in the public interest, They bad managed to got n'ong and just keep their ncs:s above water

Cc Ma thews : With occasionally a dock under. (Laughter.) The Chairman, in conclusion, ovik=d some discussion on tho subject as to whether ridings that had paid hoavily in t‘io past should not have some consideration.

Cr Harding warmly supported tbo rmtion as-being necessary, and compli-mo-'ted tho Engineer on tho wo k dono.

C.' Macdorald, whilo supporting tbo motion, said ho would go even further, and havo the penny made clear of the ohati table aid ratp. Even tbc-n ho did not thii k they would havo nearly sufficient for all tho work there was to do. Or Mat' thews B3id it was marvellous they had done so well, but the fact was they had done so well beoausa they had done nothing at all. During the nine montbu to had been on the Council, ha had cot been able to ask for a tingla thing txc pt maintenance men, and nearly ail tho othtr ridings were tho earn?, the cry ever being 11 no funds." They had been paying to the Binkof New Zialand four or five hundred pounds in inlorest, and he thought a sufficient rate should be struck to wipo out the overdraft and to devote to County works the money usually paid in interest. Now wa3 the t'mo whon they could Btrike it. In looking over tha balance-sheets for tho past ton years, ho found thrro had always been a dobit and always the same cry, ,l no funds,” Ha gave the engineer every credit for tha efforts he had mado to keep open the roads. It wou'd tok9 moro than a quarter of the rate to put the roads in bo same condition as they were in fco'ora the flood. He proposed an amendinonC that the charitable aid rate be struck eoparat'ly, the Id rute to inolude only tbo biidgo rato It would only bo for one year, and could then bo reduced if they thought DccO'Sary. Cc Kenway seconded tho amendment, which he said met hia views better than tho motion.

Tho amendment was lost, the mover and pocondi-r supporting it.

Too motion was Ilian carried. For: Crs Matthews, K/mvay, Macdonald, Harding, and t'no Chairman, Against; Crs Lysnar and Carmichael.