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Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1922, Page 2

Tub Treasurer’s report to the County Council to-dav, published in this issue, gives a tabloid reve.\v of the finances as a result of the year’s operation which closed on tlie 31st March. This information being available so readily is interesting as giving an up-tc-date review of the finances, which would not he possible by waiting in the ordinary course for the publication of the annual balance sheet. Owing to delays in audit, the annual statement is often a year or more late in publication. and then for practical purposes of the' ratepayers is out of date. The statement published today also supplies a synopsis of the accounts more readily taken in by the average reader, than the usual mass of figures necessary to compile to set for the various separate accounts. On the year’s transactions the accounts show a deficit of £939. This was more than accounted for by the excess of expenditure on district roads, which was £1457 above the estimate, and the amount allocated. The ratepayers will appreciate the cause for the deficit, which was brought about by the large expenditure involved in the upkeep of the roads, to carry the heavy lorry traffic. The heavy traffic was mainly in the Central Riding and there the excess of expenditure over the allocation was £J336. The sum of £B7 per month was provided for the Central Riding Yf>*»ds, and the actual expenditure was Tfie genera] detfiils pf flip yjg

venue and expenditure will supply n. good deal of iilfortnntioh, aMI the figures Spettk for themselves. The remarks iii regard to future ratiiig will be tend with interest. Apparently there are hopes of reducing the annual rate if the new valuation is available and tiie hospital levy is not unduly burdensome. The Council is offered ways and means to meet its obligations under the Local Bodies Finance Act by paying off the overdraft in a stipulated term at a reduced rate of interest, making a saving to the accounts. Hi s should be appreciated end will no doubt he taken advantage of at today’s meeting.

Although the year’s accounts show in figures a. drift- of £939. the Council acquired out of general revenue during the year, an asset which is more than a set off to tile deficit. The motor lorry account for the year stands at. £1425, but. the capital cost was so mo £309 less. In the lorry, from nil accounts, the Council lias a very useful asset, and the means whereby a material saving can be effected in the general cost of road maintenance. The lorry is proving very adaptable to the work it lias to do. It (low the work (Illicitly and well. In a comparatively short time it should he ahead of its present task, which is n-tin-ally considerable, because at the time the machine was acquired eoiUpiffints about the state of the roads were being heard on all sides. However, the lorry is overtaking its task, and once it is ahead of its work, road maintenance. will show a substantial decline. Tim statement of the district roads expenditure for the year show where the money has been going. The expenditure on the district roads was £4,357. while including the purchase of the lorry, £4,411 was expended on main roads. Tin's is a total road ex- , penditure out of the Council’s funds of £8.768. This is far in excess of the rates collected. £6IBO. and is upwards of seventy per cent, of the Council’s total income. Having a road expenditure of the amount stated, it , is apparent there will be plenty of i useful work for the lorry to do, and . as this mechanical appliance is piov- j ing of such practical value, the Council might consider further the advisability of acquiring other Useful plant to , assist in reducing the cost of the up- ! keep Of the roads which with the iti-. creasing volatile of traffic entail greater expenditure to Maintain tliS thoroughfares in a state of conducive to safe and comfortable travelling.