CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 384, 4 September 1875, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL.

Friday, September 3

A special meeting of the City Council was held last evening to consider the balance sheet submitted on Monday last. Present —His Worship the Mayor, and Crs Bishop, let, Jones, Gapes, and Schmidt, The Mayor said an objection had been raised last Monday to the balance, it being held that the estimate of what would be received from rates was excessive. Since then another balance sheet had been prepared, in which the estimate of receipts from rates was fixed at £250 per week. With reference to the grant from the Provincial Council ho would remark that the Council could obtain the second instalment immediately, and the third instalment before the 16th November, provided of course that it could be shown that an equal amount had been expended in bridges and works of drainage. He had submitted certain figures to the Provincial Auditor, which shewed that £4719 had been expended in these works. He had received a letter from the Provincial Auditor, who said there was nothing to prevent the City Council receiving the remaining instalments from the Government before the end of their financial year. In the face of the memoranda from the Provincial Secretary, Secretary for Public Works, and the letter from the Provincial Auditor, he did not think there was anything to prevent the works now in hand being proceeded with. As he had before stated, the estimate from rates had been reduced from £3OO to £250 per week, and wages from £7O to £SO a week. He would suggest that they should allow matters to go on as usual for another week or so ; Mr Haskins, in the meantime, assisting Mr Tribe in collecting the rates, and if they did not succeed in bringing £3OO a week, it would then be for the Council to commence reducing the amount of the wages ■beet.

Ur Gapes did not think the staff should be cut down at all. There were several payments which might be held over until after the 16th November.

The town clerk explained that all the items appearing in the balance-sheet would hare to be met by the 16th November. Cr Bishop considered that strer uous efforts should be made to have the balance on the right side at the end of the financial year. It would, he thought, be exceedingly unadvisable that there should be'a debit balance, as if such was the case, a feeling might obtain that there had been mismanagement on the part of the Council. Strictly speaking, he felt they could not show that they had expended anything on drainage out of the general rates, as that work was done out of borrowed money. It had been suggested that two collectors be employed to get in thejates, and by getting them in in such a hurry it simply means harrassing the ratepayers, and to summon people right and left, as had been suggested—[The Mayor—l do not approve of that course] would not meet with his approval. He could not approve of such a thing being done even under their present circumstances. They ought rather stop some of the works and reduce their expenses somehow. Something must be done in this direction, as their expenditure must be reduced, and that was, he thought, the only way left for them to get out of the difficulty. He considered the recommendation ,of the report of the finance committee, that the block of the City Council over their advertisements should in future be omitted, was a cheese-paring pjolicy indeed. [Hear, hear.] This was too paltry a matter to receive a moment’s attention, as the blocks had done a great deal of good in directing public attention to the Council’s advertise ments. He believed it would be found advisable, under their present difficulty, to delay the erection of Madras bridge, and to reduce the weekly pay-sheet. He would move—That for the next twelve weeks the pay-sheet for labor be reduced to £4O a week.”

Or Jones said he should not, in collecting the rates, oppress the ratepayer;, and this was a matter they should first take into tfceir consideration. He did not, of course, object to a proper amount of vigor being shown in the collection of rates ; but the Council should not resort to the conrse of summoning the ratepayers indiscriminately. He begged to second Or Bishop’s motion.

Or Gapes would again oppose any reduction of the labor sheet: There was no reason why the Council’s account should be overdrawn on the 16th November, seeing that if necessary an amount could be borrowed temporarily to pay off the overdraft. The Mayor would not oppose cutting down the wages sheet, but he did not think they would be doing wrong in financing ■nder the circumstances the same as a private firm would do. The amount the Council had to receive from rates and grants was about three times greater than what they owed ; therefore he might with confidence •ay they were in a sound financial position. Cr Bishop said that though merchants financed their accounts, as remarked by the Mayor, he should indeed be very sorry to see the Council adopt such a course. Orlck,Jthough preferring the present sheet to the one brought up on last Monday, would desire, in the absence of several Councillors, that it be placed before the whole Council on Monday next. The Mayor said he would not object to this being done, and on the motion of Cr Jones, the Council adjourned, it being understood the. statement would then be submitted to the whole Council.