HUTT RIVER BOARD ELECTION.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 31, 9 January 1930, Page 7

HUTT RIVER BOARD ELECTION.

~ The retiring members of the H^t River Board who aTe seeking re-election ■submit, for the information, of, ratepayers a Consolidated General Account for the last 'three years. This account includes all income'and expenditure of t^e Board, with 'the: exception of Interest- and sinking fund on the various loans raised in the past. CONSOLIDATED GBNBBAL ACCOtraSTT ■- '- • , ' -■::.-■■'•■ / '■ ■:■■: •■..-£ ■" Balance at-1/4/1926 .......... 252 Rates ........;........ 3,494 Royalties ........... „.......... g^67 Rents ....................... 3,097 Miscellaneous .....-........... g 638 £17,748 • " . .. ." • -£■ ■ River Works and Maintenance 10,067 Administration Engineer, etc ' 5,656 Land Purchase ........-...... 1,991 Balance at 31/3/1929 .......... 34

£17,748 It will Be seen "that the rates coir lectel are only about one-third of i:he expenditure on River Works and Maintenance, and less than one-fifi>h of the total expenditure of the Board. In other wards> the ratepayers receive five times the value of the rates they pay, the balance of_ the cost-being met by shingle royalties and rents.from land purchased by the Board.Not only are the rates very light but there has been a gradual reduction in the rate struct on. each £1 of rateable value and the present members if re-elected> will continue to watc3i the Board's finance cs carefully as they, have done in the pastr It should perhaps be explained here that during the present year the rates have had to be increased slightly, the reasons being partly th> necessity, for more protective work in the upper reaches of the River, but mainly toe necessity to deepen the-Waiwhetu Chan-

nel in ordeT to enable the flood waters from the Moara area to be carried away as quickly as possible and so minimise any future damage to the properties of these ratepayers.

T»he Board has followed the policy I of pur chasing land wherever, it has been recommended by the -Engineer that'such land -will assist the protection of River Works, arid also wherever by reason of the Board Js operations, t,s»cretion of land results. The jiemb?rs of the Board are. unanimously of the -opinion that such accretion, instead: of benefiting private individuals, should accrue to the Board as Trustee for the whole of the ratepayers in t&e District. The Board has fdsteTed the establishment of Shingle Companies operatingin the Biver, as is evidenced .by the fact bhat in the year prior to the last general election, the "income from royalties on shingle amounted:to less thayi-. 4400," whereas during the last sevenyears'the income has ranged from £2,----500 to:£3,000 peT annum. Finally, during the seven years in question, the Board 'has never had: to approach the ratepayers for a loan and by careful finance the whole of- ihe existing indebtedness can be gradually redeemed out of the revenue .7 Signed— . y ■■■;■'.' C> <3©STEJiOW, ■'■'.! •"■ ' " P. 8. BTEWEB, - | J. MITCHELL, W. H. SMITH.