Borough Finances.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 July 1913, Page 2

Borough Finances.

CONSIDERED BY THE COIWCJI;. A special meeting of Levin Borough Council was held last night to consider the Borough Treasurer's. Town Clerk's annual- reports: also the estimates for 1913-1-1. The Mayor (Mr 15. 11. Gardener) presided, and there were also present Councillors'ft. S. Lancaster, H. 15. Franco !?. IVouso, A. Dempsey. 1). AV. Matlie;on, I). S. Mackenzie and C. Blenkliorn. The estimates, also the reports oi the Town Clerk and Borough Treasurer, are set out below. After the reports had been read, the Mayor commented that the balance sheet, geenrally, showed a satisfactory result (if the year's working. He had noted a tendency in some boroughs to increase their debit balance. He thought that Avas a bad practice; he thought every borough should endeavour to decrease its debits. Theiefore he took : t as very satisfactory that Levin Borough had been abb; to reduce appreciably its debit balance during the year ended 31st March last. Touching on the matter of a general rate of Lid in the pound, Mr Gardener explained that Levin Borough mad.' this rate cover expenditures for interests on loans, etc. As a matter of fact, he said, si rat<- of :{d in the pound would suflice for Levin's ordinary lnrcugb expenditures. Mr Gardener went on to congratulate councillors and borough on the good financial position occupied by Levin Borough ; the original council had raised its loans on a highly satisfactory basis, and the burgesses to-day owed a good deal to the early councillors for the business ability they had displayed.

15ALANCF SIIFKT AM) FINANCIAL ACCOFNTS OF THE HOHOL'GH OF I,IOVIN FOR THF VIOAR ENDING .MARCH 31st. 15)13. Treasurer's Report. "I have the honour to submit my .seventh annual report and t-lie. balance sheet .and 'borough accounts herewith, <as prepared for audit, for the year ended 31st March, 11*13. ' 'Tile year has been a quiet one as lar as the operations of the council are concerned, for no public works of any magnitude were undertaken. (Jcneral Income. "The total income for the year' aim tinted to €3031 13s -Id. including the sum ol Cl'OO received from the Hoys' Training Farm, for work done in connection with .supplying the farm with high pressure water. The receipts from licenses amounted to €200, and is a smaller sum than th.'it received in previous years because less is received from building perln is than formerly, and in the previous years an unusual number of auctioneers license lees swelled the income under this head. Rates produced about CIOOO and rents just .€<oo of the general revenue.

(leneral Rvpenditore. ••'l'lils iuiiiiiinted to €3112 12s (id. and the debit balanco n this account is reduced from 1707 17.s ]j<| on the 3l.st .March, 1012. to £ol,*"> 17 s at Hiend of the present year. In the expenditure. the balance ol the cost of the Coronation .Swimming Raths is included, viz.. €80 Jos. " For a new work - Princess street extension -the sum of CB.~> lias been expended. Ihe chiel item ol expeudituie in the years operations 's the amount spent in crushed metal •'or street work, and screenings for lootpallis. The cost under this head is considerable, but the advantage ol crushed metal over what lias boon previously used should soon show results in - tin? improved coikli'"'en of tlie streets. (bmd workhas been done on the footpaths with screenings.' tarring S „ K I sanding, also making a cycle track, and the total expenditure on streets, paths, ami waterraee.s amounted to ClOfi-l. from which Mini Clil must be deducted !<>r refunds for work done. A\ater Accounts. I iie icceipts Irom the water ralo totalled €88 J. and ainouUts raised l"om outside tlu. borough and other sources totalled £217. alK l t | l( , ac _ count clones at the end of the year with a credit balance of €<)l(i, which is di signed to meet the interest on 'he waterworks loan due in t| JO " ll " lth J'mi'. The maintenance and upkeep <,f the vwaterworks for Hm year aim.u'nts to CIO 8s Id. The smallness ol ibis amount testifies to the laithluinc.ss wit!) which the original scheme was carried out.

'!:is Department. "I he Imal receipts from all source.', amounted to £2201 10s 7d lii( ' "'.Npendilure to ,CJo2I 17s H'd. Iho balance provided for the Ji'ivuient of inleivst. etc., £.53(j JQs "■"'l minced last year's debit balance in tnis account from £2l(j ]'\s Bd to tioii i lfl . The year was'marKed by steady progress, and although nothing unusually great was attciiipIcd, yet L'JOIJ nas spent in new .service connections and £(■>() in meters. As illustrating the gradual progress "I the undertaking, two items, one from (he revenue side and the other 1,01,1 ilk ' expenditure side, may l"' ovo 111 ' crest.'.ig. (|) Take the «>'.s si.ld to consumers on the ono p.'irt. and the figures are as under:— £1078 8s 4d. 1!J11 " ;| - t*12.)2 13s 3d. CI 377 2s Jd.

<$)• Un ||j(.. other hand the ;imoilnts paid f<„- coals at the works niiiy be taken, .and they arc «s follows : isno-ll JU32 Bsll<l. 1911-12 mi 5* Od. 9s sd. ".Naturally the price of coals is a considerable factor in the success of the gas undertaking, and unfortunntcl.v for the greater "part of the year we have had to pay an advanced price of over 13 per cent, on the prices paid in previous years. The

bulk of the coal now used cost 27b 0(1 per ton landed Jit the works. Tlio automatic controllers for lighting, made by Alder and have been installed during tho ycar and on the whole are workifig factorily. They umoubt-edly reqtiiro considerable attention to kce/f'. them perfect, tout the advantage of having the whole town lit up-ironic-diately and at the timo required, ' . puts the gas once again on an equal- _ ity with the electric light. I'ublic Debt, Interest, and Sinking Fund. ''The public debt at the 31st March. 191 -i. amounted to £38.381) 8s lid. "With the exception of £00 8s Id in tin. l waterworks loan. . and CIO in the streets loan, all loan monies have been expended. Tlio gravel and rubbish reserves loan has been reduced from £7-30 to £.>lO, -m and of the £10,000 gas loan, £100 has been paid off. Tho sinking fund " in connection with the waterworks loan of £18.000 now amounts to £711 19s 7d. ' -> - Outstanding Accounts. >- "The rents outstanding amount to a large sum. although not so largo as the previous year. There arc -nl.'o more rates outstanding than is desirable, viz., £30(5 lis Gd. It has been customary bv most ratepayers not to pay their rates until the penalty is just about to be (Inforced. The result is that payment is not made until the end of tho year, and who will prove defaulters is not known early enough to niako any serious effort for recovery before the 31st of .March. '"1 lie accounts furnish other items of interest, which can be seen in referring to tlu' balance-sheet itself, and in this brief report 1 have only touched upon some of its features.'"