WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1923, Page 1

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL

MONDAY, APRIL 30th. NOTICES OF MOTION. SPECIAL MEETING. (.To sit at 3.30 p.m.) I.—The Chairman to move:—"That the Council proceed to pass by special order, a bye-law as before the meeting for consideration, providing for the licensing of vehicles using the roads within the County, and prohibiting the use of vehicles using the roads without a license; also appointing fees to be paid to the County Fund Account in respect to the licensing* of vehicles as passed.” Treasurer’s report on Receipts and expenditure for 1922-23, and apportionment of Revenue to .Separate Ridings for 1923-24. Tho following report of the County Treasurer will he considered at AFonday's meeting of the above Council. Sir and Gentlemen.—[ have the honor to report in accordance with the resolution of the Council on tho finances of the past year, and to submit the following for your guidance in connection with the apportionment of revenue for the current limttteial year, in terms of the provisions of the Counties Act The tinaneial year which closed on .March 31st. last, gave the following general revenue, exclusive of special grants:—RECEIPTS. (Tenoral and Mining Kates tit record! £6,290 12 I Harbour Board Rates (137 7 2 Subsidy and Interest on Bates 506 11 S Goldfields Revenue 2.1)30 S 0 Fees, pines and Penalties 32 19 P Publicans’ Licenses 518 12 0 Rents and Refunds 61 14 9 Workers’ Compensat ion Act 3-1 0 0 Molor-Sln lighter Licenses Act 7! 5 (' Thirds, Laud Fund 263 3 II Halves. Royalties Fund ... 2.35!) 13 2 Contractors' Deposits -17 D 0

.41 tst. Ilanoous Refunds .... 71 6 o Rat epayers’ Contribution, 12 15 6 Clerical Assistance ...... 117 15 4 Sale of Hardwood 5! ]•> 3 Motor I.orry Running Fees 113 6 8 LI 3.-123 16 ( The general-revenue under the above headings for the previous tear w:i----£!2.752 17s 2d. Rates show a small in crease, due to the extra rating tor loan purposes. The receipts on account of road giants from the Government weft £1326 F), 3d and and to prospecting (Ml 12s (id. while local loans for road and bridge works went £3.342 8- lid. The gross revenue for the year was £lß,lOl 7s 2d as against £18.562 12s Id tho previous year. EX PEN Dll ERE. The following supplies an analysis ni the expenditure under the various sub divisions set out in the Counties Act: - (a) —General Debts and Liabilities. Repayments on Loans ,£4O, 0 9 Interest on Loans 2-13 1 / 2 Interest on Bank Overdraft 233 16 6 £BB3 13 8

The expenditure the previous year under the above headings was A72e o.x 6d. i h)—Contributions under Various Acts:— Charitable Aid Act £2.0-31 0 0 Harbour Board Rate Collections 637 , 2 Alcoholic Liquors Act I l ' 6 6 Workers' ('em |:eiisa t ion Ai t 82 .18 6 StiK-idv to Literary lustitutex ... 20 0 0 Rating Act 32S is 0 .Miscellaneous An- II!) 11 I Contractor.,’ Dejn-ir ao. .. -17 0 0 L'3.935 1 3 In the previous year £3.171 5s 9d was spent tinder the above headings: - (c) Counties Act Administration. Chairman and Members ... £26l* 8 0 Office Salaries 723 6 8 Office Charges I 7<> 16 8 Printing', advertising and stationery 51 15 7 Trap-hire 18. JO 0 £1.224 Hi 11. Tile previous year expenditure for the above was £1 327 15s od. (d) Main Hoads: Engineering charges £-28 5 6 Trap-hire 39 18 6 Printing, advertising and stationery 8.9 2 8 Railway bridges 1.02 13 8 Telephone guarantee I o (l Motor lorry account 71. 2 ■> Muintonanee and Salaries of road stall . 2cu 17 Excess imi Grants expenditure ... 2310 5 Pi £6.013 7 Last year's expenditure on the above servicer, was L 1.411 5s -Id. The Council has a very u.-elul a-set in the four-wheel drive motor tipping lnrrv as rt means for more economical read maintenance. The use ol the lorry enables road repairs to he overtaken more quickly and ensures a better supply of material for the reads.

SUMMARY OF GENERAL EX- j PEN OUTR E. ta’l General Debts £Bn' 13 8 (hi Contributions under Acts 3.935 1 3 (~) Counties Act 1.221 16 11 | (d) Alain roads 0.013 . .3 £12.036 19 1 The general revenue shown in the foregoing was £13.423 16s fid and the General expenditure in the preredn _ paragraph was £12.086 19 1«K leaving a credit of £1330 Ids lid. Of Cd. 800 allocated for district road-, the expenditure on roads in the Lidin.. totalled £2.323 13s lod. The surplus for the year was thus £9,6 6s 2d. The previous year there was a deficiency of £939 6s 6d. SEPARATE RIDING ACCOI M>FOR THE TWELVE MONTI 16 ENDED MARCH 31st. 1923. The following are the Separate Riding Accounts for-the past financial year : Riding Allocation Expendi. C’r. Bab Northern £423 264 10 1 TVS 3 1 Central 11S5 841 12 0 343 8 0 Southern 1092 121 i H 9 4.4 8 £3300 2323 13 10 976 6 2 Average expenditure per month available Average expenditure for month actual - n Riding average available Act " al ro- o £°4 0 11 Northern J 'I lr . Central 98 D 0 .6 0 Southcrn _UI Ojjl 0 13 U ' £275 0 0 211 2 H

THE ESTIMATES. AYitli regard to the estimated expenditure for the financial year, the increased liability with regard to the maintenance of the Kumara-Ross main road will have to he taken into account. Imt against tiiis it is anticipated that the general main roads expenditure which last year was unduly high owing to the excess on grants expenditure. will this year show a- substantial decrease. The estimated expenditure for the year for all works, including, district roads, is £12,000 which Ipractieally the same gross expenditure as last year. With estimated revenue of the year of £13,500. there will ho available £1,500 surplus for district roads, together with £976 carried for-

ward from last year. This will render available £2176 for district roads, while i lie expenditute under this heading last year was 1:2223. In c.,limaling the revenue for tbecoming year, an allowance of one farthing rcduei ion in the General Rate has been made Although the main road from Kumara to Ross involves considerable expenditure, and there is an increased payment in regard to the antecedent liability, there are several factors which count against the increased liabilities. First, there is the surplus on tile district road account : there is the spread of the reduction on the antecedent liability. There is the benefit derived from the new valuation in increased revenue. There is the reduction in hospital expenditure, arid which is expected this year to he further decreased, and there is the reduction of accounts of grants expenditure in sight. Jn reducing the rate from eight farthings to seven farthings theru will he some relief to the ratepayers. and hut for the fact of the Kumara-Ross road being handed over to the Council, more material teliei ..till could ho made safely.

In respect to the allocation of the £1.500 to the three Ridings, the proportionate allocation on rate receipts Northern Riding £220 Centra! Riding 580 Southern Riding 700 In addition to this, the Northern Riding Ins :• credit balance of £l5B. I he Central of £Ol3 and tie- Southern Riding of £-174. This gives the following amounts available for too coming year - Northern Riding £37 : as against the expenditure of £2Ol last- year. Central Riding: £923 as against the expenditure of £ tl lad year. Southern Riding £ll7-1 as against the expenditure ol £12:7 last year. Total £2175 as against £2322 la. t year. On the whole, the position for the year v. ill he regarded as fairly satisfactory. There has bee:; a large amount of permanent work done during the year by the use ui concrete piping to t’( place woo-1 -it boxes and entered culverts. A number of the prill! ipel bridges have been repaired ■gml strength, ned. ai d the running plank • w hich have been placed oil the deckin '' will minimise the damage to

the planking by tho heavier class ol traffic. The motor lorry has been ol great resistance in overtaking I'-utd maintenance works, and has been kept constantly employed. I lie lorry contin ires to run very satislaetorily and altogether has done excellent work. Mot,(iiiwn Robinson has given every satisfaction in regard to the care and cont ml of tlii : t'sel 11 1 machine.

ii , oiii'iii'inu. it v. ill lie tu fcssiu-.v no dunM io rain ally -.wi'-'li tllO expenditure :: t !,, . r, vord of Ml tlie expenditure ms the Ivutaartt-Rosw* main nml v.iil hr k; pi. Two omuls for the main navi ham heoil promised, and 11 ,i,a|,.|- (i.'ikl thr.i ollu-r money will he ear-marked f-r liiis road. Should the •I- Kill:, e \t lii. il the Cotim-il ha- he. it lead to ev ert Ire fori hrotni Up: ill thr Vl av of ii uiileiO'e Milisiily and izrali t< lor m ineral hi idL'.es ihe year should mu p., (iiiiil-uh fee i!.i‘ C'mi mil. and it i s d m i hose cir. niii-lan.-es that (hr rate of seven fertilities proposed "'ill he adeipmU- for the r.cpiitv Ms inr iii** ymr. V;. .1. KVA NS. '1 reas tin r. Hokitika. April titill >.