WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1920, Page 4

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 13

TUBAS UJRKR’S RETORT.

With regard to the finances for the past half year, I hog. to report that th e accounts disc,lo.se hut little variation for the six months. The debit balance increased*from £4048 to £4157, which latter amount is below the average at tliis period of the year. The 'estimate receipts for the full year were £11,500, and for the past six months have approximately £6,000. This is an average improvement, particularly as only two months’ collections of the new rate came into the period. The goldfields revenue showed a. substantial increase, the amount for the six months, exceeding the total for the previous twelve months. , Timber royalties were above the average, and are lilceiy to maintain their higher increase for some time. As the bulk of the new rates lias still to come in, the year’s revenue should exceed somewhat the estimate anticipated in April last. While this is so far satisfactory, an increased expenditure has to he faced also. The substantial increase in the Charitable Aid levy lias necessitated already mi. increase in the rates. The added cost of material and the advances in wages and salaries will also increase the burden of the cost of maintenance and administration. The increase in wages and material is having its effect on the district roads expenditure included in the separate Riding Accounts. The volume of expenditure is grentenacthnn the allocation, as the following summary of the six months’ accounts shows for the six monthly period ended September 30th.:

'Hiding. Allocation. Expendture. GY. Bal.. Dr. Bal. £ £ s. cl. £ s. d. £ s. d. Dill mans 354 85 7 7 268 12 5 Stafford 231 168 5 1 62 14 11 (Arahura 149 94* 9 0 118 5 4 Kanieri 206 87 14 8 54 11 0 Kokatalii 356 431 16' 2 202 9 4 ■■■Kim ii 300 97 11 8 . 75 16 2 Totara 200 87 8 8 112 11 4 . Okarito 354 232 15 10 121 4 2 Okuru 159 79 6 4 79 13 8 2309 1364 15 0 1020 1 2 75 1 6 2

Net credit balance £944 5s Od. Average expenditure for month available £192. Average expenditure for month actual £227. As this period of the accounts closes the term of the Council it will be of interest to record the debit balance over the past three periods, each of three years’ duration, namely : 1914 £3301. 1917 £3500. 1920 £4157. The average debit balance over the nine years’ period lily? been £4,346, and the administration lias been kept well within that amount. Actually the position is better than it appears, for the the reason that at the date of balance there was a considerable amount of cash due on account of grants and loan expenditure, as well as goldfield and other revenue in transit. The net debit balmee to-day •A'-'r allowing for September accounts n,,,. ia.ssed by the Council and credits actualy earned and now receivable, is under £3,000. It is worthy of record also that during the past halfyear the final amount on the Overdraft loan, which has been current since 1905 was paid off. The original amount of this debt was £4,788 and in the fifteen years, by half-yearly repayments it was discharged. An important. matter effecting the finances of the Council ,is the great need there is for revaluation of the County. The present valuation was compiled in 1914, and at best it was a very inequitable valuation. The Council at the time objected to the valuation and--experience has borne out that the Council was right and the Department in the wrong. The valuation on which the Council lias to rate now is full of inequalities, and the position is not fair either to the ratepayers as -a whole or the Council.

The Government lose largely, also, through the defects in the valuation. A revaluation has been promised and will be necessary when the change to throe Ridings takes place next April. It is hoped as soon as the new valuation comes into force to reduce the general rate to six farthings, that is provided the Charitable Aid levy is then reduced to a less abnormal sum than^that now demanded.