LEVIN'S FINANCES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 June 1910, Page 2

LEVIN'S FINANCES.

—, % ]i. SLIGHTLY INCREASED HATE. "A STRENUOUS YEAR." ■THE EUTUKE OUTLOOK. "> At a meeting of the Levin Rorough Council, hi.st evening, tins esL t: mattes for tin 1 ensuing year weirw considered. Tin- Town Clerk (.Mr P. W. Goldn* smith), a.s borough treasurer, read iiis report, which was a.s follows:— "GIONiERA L ACCOUNT. ! o- I ueomo.-- The income for tlu* yeai |f- in tlio genera! account showed (with a balance from Last year of £2l>) a. ■v. total ol C2IOO 7(1. This is £91 0 : !iss than the es-ii mates nf la.st year. An it-em from Lust- year's estimates, she-wing an income from the lninicij pal leases in Oxford street, did not eventuate, and this Largely accounts u ' for the difference between the antifiliate.l and tlx? realised. 7*' ndit in-". The expenditure foi l ;i ' year umouinted to £"2879 Kis 10(1, a. s-nn which exceeded the estimates by Clio I, and which leaves the ( ' ; general account with a debit baln a nee for the year -of £179 7s 3d. This state of the finances has been iV _ brought about by certain items of ( .j unusual expenditure, wliich were. 1 not provided for in the estimates. For instiiiee, the Rath street crosL i sing L' 10, offering municipal leases for sale L'lo, opening gasworks C2O, sfrndard survey of CIO; ~ in additii.ii a sum of Clßl lis (id ( , I:i s been pa.id out of the general -account on account of interest on. n _ the gas loan. The expenditure fon ii"'vnt;-'nance of streets, etc., has been unusually heavy, no less a sum ♦ |, :an C<l? 1? Kis Id having been , ( i -|> nl, being C 222 Kis Id above the ,/! estimates. A\ hen these figures are eoie-idered it is not hard to account for a debit balance of C 179 7s 3d. LOAXS. i- .During the year the following m amounts have been expended: — ~, Waterworks loans ... Clßl7l 12 11jf l":in ... |090 12 8 is Precis loe■! ... 190 3 3 t. Total £22-157 8 10 I'd! 1,10 DEMT. I lie public debt, ol the horough, at the close of lite year, amounted to the .sum of C 31.0112 12s Bd. A I! It (CARS OK RATES AND It KNTS. The amount of the former is £3-1 |:j ; v ''1 not a large amount, but si HI more than should appear, eon-■-i-ering the faor that some bor- ■ oughs have absolutely no arreal's of '.j rites at all. The amount of rent overdue and outstanding is also ar'- than it thould be. f CAS UNDEI'TAKfXG. i be had been csta.bli.shed i ! !* : t,, n ' K l !!t """d'll-s at the end ' ae lin:; im• ia I year. 'I he expen!i :!'ure fa the 31st. March last, shows if ;.s mi ier: 1' it!: ngs ]jiirelia.sed and i' - s ... ... £910 . 7 1 Fillings iusiallod ... 1(17 2 3 ; v ••! «.*•«•« purchased ... 127 8 0 Coal, management, la- '■ tour and sundries ... o()7 19 11 ; Departmental ... 87 11 10 £1830 7 1 I he receipts wore as under: — fas s:.ld £r,2() 8 0 • r;,s street lighting ... TI3 13 4 I'eke and far sold ... o3 U 2 :'oke and tar used by ' Council ... ... (i 18 0 i Stoves .sold ... ... 0 10 n Fillings paii! for ... 030 -I (1 billing.-; for Council ... 13 2 0 ' KeH of stoves .. 10 0 0 l : £1289 10 (i Tii l -; left a difference of £01l o,s "■'. but it mu.st, not be forgotten thai the outstanding 'accounts foi ;',a.s and residuals amount-'.., : in round figures to over £000, e ! the liMings in stock, tcgathoi "dli the .stoves were valued at over j(!0 t »'i the £397 Is 0d due fur inter"d and the redemption of one de-K-iilun: ol CI(10, on the Ist Xovemt hi re was eirouuh nionev in the !"".n to pay C".Mo <)s (id. The balinee li e; in Mi., meantime been paid oi geliei a! n'vau-nt. The unrl-er-'eking has every clmiee of paying is v/ay witlii/ul .any serious burden f " tli;' ratepayers, but the finances '."ould lie '"uisiderably imjuoved if he accounts for fittings weru more"eadily jn.id. CONCH'SIOX. On adic whole the year has been a:l minoiis one, in that a great deal d work had b.en done and large ; '- 1 pubjic money have been : P"iit. entailing a good deal of liion"'l .strain and thought which is m■l'dablo in carrying out matters ■juiiieeted with munif'ipal finance. Ifc 'h add l:e for the borough to rea>p '■e.' b. i;. ;iis of the conveniences a,nd •- s nt;;t! s (o the health and pro--■l't -s.s e,f the town which have been ■ ati 'Ured ; it is -il-o to be hoped 'hey will in every case -prove satis:aet'<ry, far the ratepayers will ■I it.iiely have to find the interest 'on ■ so leaes. and this lor another three years at least, is bound to prove somewhat heavy, coming as it r 'jl t'"' te.p of ihe ordimury I ho Mayer, mi coni-me'itf ing upon •-.'a 1 ' e;::) r f. said that they could not the b danee-slieet in deta-d '■•a! evciiinix. owing to the fact that 1 had ivf been before the audiit'jr. i rthoii'il;,;, probably .an explanation the Couneil w.as in debit C-179 | us vo ir was neeewarv. The first d■ in the question of th<' 'fhe s'reef, maiin-tenauee •va-- place:! on the estimates for '-000. but t! 1 -;- .airoiiii'fi actiMiUy 'peet was L' 722. Rath street ens- ■|! 'g end the. Malvoniako road eiasaue had been carried out. .and he , aeueei, tliey would a.'ndt Oxil, |.ho<-v "'' l been a gre-: advai-itage to the /• .Sevsral other amounts - '> erint'n.gencii'S, and th"«.;vce- ded. the by CI2. The 'e-oira.nec polieies cxce-eded the or. e.it.s by f.20. and ie-iving upon . t t.ui >J c<>-{, CIO /oi ro (.!<•»n wa.s M;'t down. In most of cawert "he money would undoubtedly he i ceo'ipc. I. Lpoa the re,:viiit. side e-t ; ! mat;<;] in'-oriM' fell stert of aiM'rtbing I'.ke CO! less t.hian the -ani'-d "nfieip.ted. ' The Fin-auee •a-e:i'it!ce he. ' then-lit fit to rev,'! •''» increase in tin. of •! (; : '"Ml!llLC f!■-)!•! l ]d <1 > r ]. T!'e •'r-'n-iprt-d revenue produced would 11 ; a'ai'v i'e -i r _ v j,,,,,] r: -<|nJ rt »_ nee", ( r , xv j n . '■n e.'e, had to a rate- of f'.i.hnig extra was I,tenure thev !V ' ' : » ■l'i'.bilitv of C'9o m-^re li!" n for Ibr the l':i' s Hriga:,e, while t-l,e street Wis _ 'in:! snme port, 'on of the water loan a iron „p to C-l-00. Tl.e-e would ue p-irl out i f tCe. gemu-al rnte «.f if- borough. ?da nv ratcpnvei-s had net tee slighter f idea how the mon-v wa« ox),ended. Fnr inf .<:v £120 .went to the Well in*, •on T-f-cspjif.nl n.iid Chariitible Aid '»« -H'd. _ A<rain. C 197 went in the : U1 - V /»'• Jr,, on former Jeans dm; tlm. County Council; £100 was >.need f.c.wn as a deiv-it fo-r ,a stou« That £100. in )m option, was n verv coorl thing to have >ren placed fj, r , Ex-ie-".s«s li-ad been incurred in put,n°; wily rubbish on. the •carj.s, and a st ol i 0 erusliißr, he was a f !stied, w-.T'dd repay its "If, n wl nv" t.he ixvidV re>id«. JJr. ird .'ili-i:n>]y tak"u st".ns t/> an to, the C'lverniment, fet ■ C t/*' P. s»hsidv to | v? ntwi he this. vr,.u- f.nwi,v(V. +1M ■ lativf.npninr.r, t l '? rnuntv oad. - Tbc Wwfc 'liinfl-'bpcii iiPiHTo:] were jjerfor'tly legitimate

expenses, and lie was sn'tisfiod that tho gas management would ho ablo to pay I'or itself. Thoy liad now over 200 consumers, innd that, ini his opinion, wins very satisfactory for the first year. Tn conclusion. Hie Mayor moved the iuloption of the .. report, and re-coinnienifced upon the figures. Thero was ,-GIOO more to be spent upon the Eire .Hricade. £121) loir the Wellington, Hospital; I*loo towairds a crusher, ;CoO for a broom to clean the roads, ClO7 to pay on former loans, and 1:217 on proseiift loans. Cr. Mackenzie snail th.ii.fc he thought t.li.is coming year would be one of Hue hoo'viest the Coiimcil would have to meet for many years. Levin had undertaken many important iniprovcmcnts for so small a borough, ami those improvements had been carried out. successfully. Jn the fntiiro many other things would h.nve to lie done, such as lin re-making of Ox.fo.nl slfrcot to the station, so tlmt Hie street would not always require repat.clwng. The increased irafce could lui'b bo. avoided, but he believed that it was not improbable that later on the rates would ho reduced oven to a penny rate. (V. Palmer hoped (he Street* Committee would fake up (ho malfitoi of the street improvements, and see tlvaifc the streets were net i disgrace. lint, a credit, to the locality. Cr. Pro use advised caution, and saiitl that the rate last year wis 1 \\\ fliul now .it was to .nil inteults and purposes 'Jjd, including the watet " rate. They wanited the improvornenits, hut before they carried Hi em oiiit 'Hmv had to see how the financial position of the place stood. Of one thing he was satisfied — i:'o money had been injudiciously spent. The Mavor replied to the eriti- * cisms, and said tlialt although this year would be a hard one, next year would see ~a much more siatisfacfcii'v Jthing.q, and that an inee.ai? of .CoOO would be realised from the reserve. The met ion was then agreed to.