GOOD PROGRESS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3276, 16 June 1943, Page 6

GOOD PROGRESS

COUNTY COUNCIL AFFAIRS FINANCES IMPROVEMENT ANNUAL REPORT OF CHAIRMAN That expenditure had been kept below the receipts, thus improving the financial position of the council and reducing the bank overdraft while the standard of road maintenance had improved was disclosed by the chairman, Mr C. C. Rae in the following comprehensive report to the annual meeting of the Coromandel County Council.

The report read as under: — “The time has almost arrived for me to vacate the chair at the end of another year of office but before doing so I would crave your indulgence while I very briefly pass over 'the activities of the year and perhaps make a comment or so on the finances etc., as we pass.

“You, gentlemen, are all well aware ■of the difficulty of carrying on any organisation or business during the period of war such as we are at present with- the Allied Nations engaged in; during the past 12 months great things have been done overseas and in North Africa in particular our glorious Bth. Army has driven the enemy before it and finally with the assistance of the Ist. Army and our Allies that phase of the war has come to a glorious conclusion; the war position reflects on all our undertakings and by the timely assistance of the United States of America the Japanese have been halted in the Pacific thereby improving our position here, that the black-out restrictions have been lifted

Since the end of the financial year the county clerk has prepared the balance-sheet which he presented to you at the last ordinary meeting and to-day I have sets of figures before me which he has extracted so as to compare the position with the two previous years.

Expenditure Kept Down

“On perusing these it shows that again the expenditure has been kept below the receipts thfis improving the financial position, of the council as has been during the past few years. The ordinary revenue of the council has kept up. remarkably well, being only £3BO less than the previous year, revenue other than ordinary shows a considerable drop the amount under this heading being only £3340' 5s 8d in 1943 as against £6481 in 1942 and £7973 in 1941 this is accounted for in reduction of amounts from Main Highways Board and Public Works Department consequent upon the completion of the tar sealing and other constructive works.

The item bank overdraft shows a reduction being £3875 in 1943 as against £4160 in 1942 and, £4757 in 1941, this item of course reflects on the other side of the statement by lessened expenditure the bank interest item having reduced from £259 in 1941 to £253 in 1942 to £167 in 1943. Other items of expenditure show reductions the principal item being under Main Highways, only £633 18s 2d spent in 1943 as against £1795 in 1942. “The total expenditure from ordinary revenue, Government grants, subsidies, etc., amount to £13,064 8s 4d, being £905 15s 5d less than the receipts under this heading. Improvement To Roads “In looking at the other statement where certain items are shown in more detail we see improvement in practically every instance. The past 12 months has seen a further reduction in the labour available for country works and consequently the outside work has been confined principally to maintaining the existing roads and bridges. Not withstanding this shortage of labour the standard of our road maintenance has improved throughout the county as a result of the constant use of the grader which has permitted use of minimum quantities of maintenance metal. “The cloud burst which occurred at ■Colville at the -end of July last caused an unforseen expenditure of labour and. money, but the council is to be congratulated on the manner in which the roads were opened to traffic and in obtaining financial assistance from the Government by way of £1 for £1 subsidy on the cost of the repairs. “Although there were no direct Government grants available for expenditure by the county, .Hedges’ and Topp’s roads, each a mile In .length were constructed and metalled- ; .by this council the whole cost of which. was borne by the Public Works .-iDepartment. ’ •

“During the year the department completed the erection; of the . Kennedy’s Bay and Whareroa stream bridges in the Colville riding, and the

Graham’s creek bridge near Tairua. The construction of the Waiwawa river bridge at Coroglen, which was let by contract, has been taken out of the contractor’s hands and is now being built by the department’s own bridge gang.

“Several bridges throughout the ■county have had to be temporarily repaired and new timber superstructures were erected the bridge on Ngamane’s wharf road and the Hahei quarry bridge the latter being done with a £1 for £1 Government subsidy. After considerable delay most of the material for Hare’s bridge is on the site and tenders have been called for the erection. State of Bridges “The past year has emphasised the very bad condition which the majority of the bridges throughout the county are in and although the present time is inopportune for big capital expenditure, this council should prepare for a reconstruction programme to be undertaken immediately the war is over and men and material are available.

“It is pleasing to record that the power grader is now fully paid off and this last year has seen greater results from it than previously. The total working hours charged up being 1137 showing £216 earned over and above running costs. “After innumerable difficulties in regard to construction and supply ’the council has at last taken delivery of the angledozer which was ordered 18 months ago. Just as the grader was subjected to much adverse criticism when it was first purchased, so has the angledozer been criticised and I am sure that as time and practical demonstration silenced all the critics of the grader, the use of the angledozer will prove its purchase to be in the best interests of the county. “A further piece of plant, the 1ton truck obtained during the year, and the figures submitted by the engineer at last meeting show that it has more than justified its purchase. Wharves On Peninsula “As will be seen from the financial position reported, the whole of the wharves on the peninsula are now vested in the county, and in this connection I think it will be agreed that our engineer did a good job of work in his negotiations with the Minister and the Marine Department in Wellington. Since this vesting of control improvements have been carried out to Port Jackson wharf, storm damage repairs carried out at Port Charles, benzine loading platforms erected at Coromandel and Whitianga ■Ferry wharves and loading pens put up at Te Kauanga. “Taken altogether *the council is to be congratulated op the progress made and ‘ the steady improvement shown in its finances over the past very difficult years. , “Of the less visible activities, I would briefly mention that the final formalities in connection with Long Bay Domain, Hot Water Beach Domain have been concluded, the revision of the council's by-laws has been put in hand and the council has kept the question of rehabilitation to the forefront. “The success of the publicity campaign initiated by the council before last Christmas was more than sufficient to warrant a continuance of similar advertising before next summer. Public Works Dept. Thanked “That we have made the progress recorded is to a certain degree the result of the very cordial relationships that have existed between this council and the Public Works Department and for these I desire to tender thanks to Mr Thomas, the department’s engineer at Paeroa and his staff, as well as our own executive officers. “Again I must thank the member for the district, Mr J. Thorn for his undiminished efforts in the council’s interests. “Before concluding I wish to take this opportunity of referring to the excellent work done by ex-Councillor Whittle during his term of office and whilst expressing regret that his services with the Armed Forces caused him to tender his resignation I look forward to the day when we can again welcome him to this table. , In the meantime this council is to be congratulated in getting Councillor Geard to fill the vacancy. “My thanks are due to you, gentlemen, for your assistance and collaboration and to the members of the staff, both office and outside for their willing service during a difficult period.” Chairman Congratulated Cr. E. M. Minifie congratulated the chairman on the bright report. The bank overdraft had been reduced and the roads had improved in spite of the reduction in Government grants. The financial Side ‘ was encouraging, the debits ’ in all cases were diminishing. He thanked the chairman for furnishing this report for councillors’ information.

Cr. A. Watkin said that the chair-

man had mentioned the councillors’ support. The chairman, too, had helped and his job had been a difficult one. He has far more responsibility than councillors and he thanked the chairman for his co-operation and help. Cr. T. E. Simpson in supporting the remarks of the previous speakers added that though it was a strange thing to say, it was true that the council had benefited by the war. In the main the roads were better and the reduced traffic owing to wartime restrictions and two good seasons had done much to bring this about; also a great amount of credit was due to the increased use of the grader. He suggested that there was approximately 75 per cent, less traffic on the roads than in pre-war days and it had helped in a big way to keep the roads in good condition in spite of the reduction in maintenance and scarcity of labour.