The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1929. COUNTY FINANCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 April 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1929. COUNTY FINANCE.

At tlio County meeting this ;ift•• rliouii, members li;i< 1 before them I lie 1 Treasurer's stal<.•lllont for the fi 11.-;in-oi 1 year which closed on the .'(lst .March. It is a very interesting statement am! should all'ord a good deal ol intere.-.i to the ratepayers. The statement reveals it handsome surplus tor the yen", combined with the. pleasing tact Unit the year dosed without a bank o er- , draft. It must bo many years since that condition was possible. I'ntVr the In-ill body law nowadays. : t is not permissa bio for local antiiorities to have itn overdraft over and above revenue for any year outstanding. The icgislaLnre hits decreed that local bodies must live within their immiie and individual members are primarily responsible if the local bodies fail to do so. On Unit account a strong lina.iiee is necessary. In the case of the Westland County Council it was able to balance accounts -most satisfactorily, and the tact that there was a credit in the bank account is certainly worthy of special notice. The revenue for the year showed a general increase. Th report refers to the help from secondary highways in account of which £IBB7 were .raised. Coldfield* revenue assisted by royalties in timber made a handsome increase of £l*soo. a fact which justifies the past agitation of Councillors for an equitable review of the rove,mu* due under the heading of royalties. These, extra sources of income were a welcome addition, and while expenditure was well maintained,' the increase was not abnormal, and enabled the year to close with a. surplus on the general account of £2878. while on ihe Separate Hidings Account there was a surplus of £lo7. The total surnlus was therefore £BBBO. Some details are given of the expenditure on roads which total £10.1)88. equal to a percentage of over 72 per cent, of the total expenditure on County administration. The satisfactory results of tlir? year are emphasised by the I reasurcr’s proposal to nav oil during tieveilr some £lO-12 of the public debt if the Council. This will effect a saving in interest of £'lßfi. and give relief to the ratepayers now charged vitli special rates. It appears to he •ii economic step and will lie dealt with by the Council to-day. 'Hie very suggestion of the proposal is a plens■ng indication that the surplus claimed is there in fact. After providing for the reduction of the public debt, the Treasurer lias allocated available funds in such a way that the separate Hidings will not he reduced in expenditure for the year. The amount for district roads will he greater than the previous year, so that no general hardship will be experienced by curtailing funds through debt reduction. Tbe Treasurer pays a tribute to tbe road staff, for tbe good workin handling tbe plant. The Council now has considerable road plant at its •onnnand, and it appears to have •aimed in hire over £IOOO during the year, besides attending to the ordinary road work. The results as manifested by the condition of tbe roads, indicate that good use was made of the plant, and the Council in securing the plant appears to have taken a "very wise step. This experience, however, seems to he in keeping with that of other centres where road •ilnnt is wisely used. The mochanic.-A limit if operated effectively must be more economical both in saving time and in the quantity of work perl drilled, A much greater area can ho covered in a given time, and this saving permits revisits within a limited peliod and before the road has a chance to go back seriously. The growing volume of traffic nowadays calls Toi constant attention to the roads, and that can be given saisfactorilv onl\ by mechanical means. Judging b.\ the experience, as circumstances warrant, more plant would he worth procuring so as to give facilities for better distribution and more economy in working, it is not. necessary to refer to the Treasurer’s statement in amgreater detail to-day. 1 lie report "■ a clear exposition of tbe finances mid it will be of interest to the ratepayers to have the review before them at this juncture when tbe time is approaching for the biennial election of members. It is evident the present [‘ouncil has done well to enable ho dcasing a report to he produced at I,lie end of its term, and the electors dionld he glad to see that their choice if three years ago has had such satisactory results.