WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 688, 22 July 1914, Page 6

WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

CHAIRMAN'S ANNUAL REPORT To the Members Waitomo County Council. —I have much pleasure _in again submitting you a report of the past year's working 1913-14. The County is to be complimented on the wonderful progress it haa made. You will note the comparison during the last four years; For instance, the General Bates in 1910-11 at a penny in the £ on tho ratable value, viz., £512,702, amounted to £IBB6 8s 4d. The General Rate struck in ,1913-14 at five-eighths of a penny in the £ on the ratable value, viz., £2,005,424, amounts to £5226 6s 2d. Our total receipts and expenditure have . increased likewise. During 1910-11 our expenditure from Fund Account, Land Fund Account, Government Grants and Loans, amounted to £8127 12s lOd, as compared with 1911-12, £15,208 7s lid; 1912-13, £25,471 3s 4d; and during the past year Fund Account £4944 18s lid. including a debit balance last year of £223 4s 2d; Land Fund Account Thirdß £2599 9s; Government Grants Bnd Subsidies on Loans, £20,062 16s 8d; from Loans, £6921 12s 10d; Interest on Loans, £1396 fis 8d; Sundries and Deposits. £433 Is 3d, making a total of £36,358 5s 4d. Receipts for the same period 1910-11, £9579 6s lOd: 1911-12, £20,784 13s 4d; 1912-13, £31,854 7s; and 1913-14, Fund Account, £4309 6s 6d; Land Fund, Account Thirds, £3353 Os 8d; Government Grants and Subsidies on Loans, £12,799 14a 6d; Advances on Account of Loans, £7455; and Special Rates, £270 fss 6d, making a total of £28,327 7s 2d. From the statement of receipts and expenditure for the current year we have: Rer ceipts from Fund Account .Rates including £73 15s 9d; 10 per cent, penalty amounts to. £3809 0a lid; Government Subsidy on Rates collected, £500; Licenses, including Dog Registration £135 12s 6d, amounts to £232 2s 6d; Sundries,£l7B 18s 7d; Land Fund Account Thirds, £3353 0s 8d; Government Grants and Subsidies on Loans, £12,799 14s 6d; Advances on account Loans, £7455; totalling £28,327 17s 2d. Expenditure—Road maintenance, formations, bridging, metalling, engineering and surveys, £31,925 83 4d; Administration, including clerk's salary, assistant, printing and advertising, bank interest, and charges, office expenses, stamps and telegrams, £752 IRs sd; Insurances, Fire, Fidelity and Employers' Liability, permanent and casual employees, £47 9s 4d; on Contractors' Employees, £l5O 9a Id; Waikato Hospital Board levy, £443 4s 2d; Legs.l expenses, £lO7 6a sd; additions to buildings, £ll7 63 lid; stone crusher, engine, tools and implements, £247 17s; travelling expenses, councillors attending meetings, chairman and staff, £279 18s 2d; contractors' deposits, £419; sundry other expenses, dog registration, revising valuation rolls, fees and contributions, £247 18s 8d: debit balance March 31st, 1913, £2?..'* 4s 2d; interest and principal on Leans, £1396 6s 8d; total, £36«35S 5s 4d. Land Fund Account.—Receipts: Credit balance at end of last year, £2345 8s 9d; thirds received during current year, £3353 0s Bd, making a total of £5698 9s sd. Expenditure road maintenance and improvements, £2599 9s; hypothecated thirds transferred to Interest Account to pay in terest in lieu of Special Rates, £SBB 3s lOd; transferred to Hypothecated Thirds Account, £268 10s 4d (this item represents thirds in excess of Special Rates credit to afferent section in the various Special Rating areas); balance to credit Land Fund Account March 31st, March, 1914, £2242 6s 3d; total, £5698 9s sd, Government grants during the year —We received from the Treasury grants (including an amount of £2103 on account of the Kawa bridgu), amounting to £2910 3s lOd. We expended on account of Grants (including £2840 on account of the Kawa bridge) £4266 Is sd. Subsidies—We received from the Treasury on account of the various £ for £ subsidies: Punearehu road £l3O 19s; Mairoa road, £767 3s 2d; Ngapaenga roads,£ll2o; Arapae road. £2186 14s 8d; Te Kuiti-Te Kumi road, £157 10s; Fukearuhe (Mairoa end), £l5O 4s 9d; Otorohanag-Pirongia road, £B4 3s 9d; Te Raumaku, £359 17s 9d; Totoro road, £733 sa; Potaka road, £834 18s; Caves road. £293 15a; Hangatiki-Waitomo road, £1995 19s 7d; Waitomo Vsllsy road, £1075; total, £9889 10s Bd, making our total receipts, grants and subsidies, £12,799 14s 6d. Expenditure—Subsidies: Pungarehu, £IOB 16s; Hauturu to Otorohanga, £177 83; Mairoa road, £419 lis 8d; Ngapaenga road, £1643 10s; Arapae road, £4125 fis 6d; Te Kuiti to Te Kumi, £217 7s; Pukearuhe, £232 10s; Pukearuhe (Mairoa end), £3OO 9s 6d; Otorohanga-Pirongia road £lO2 4s 6d ;

Teßaumaku road, £449 2s; Totoro road, £l6ll 6a 3d; Potaka road, £1201; Caves road, £Bl3 10s; Hangatilu to Waitomo, £3239 5s lid; Waitomo Valley road, £1155 6s lid; totalling £15,796 15s 3d, making a tctal expenditure under the heading of Grants and Subsidies of £20,062 16s Bd. The Council were particularly fortunate in being able to spend; this amount of money seeing that the Department did not issue authorities for new money until very late in the year. All the subsidy money, viz.. £15,796 15s 3d, had been previously voted and re-voted from time to time, consequently the Council held authorities for the majority of the work. Every effort has been made to complete the works in hand, as is evidenced by the fact that the expenditure under the heading of grants and subsidies exceeded the receipts by £7263 2s 2d, thus showing we were considerably in advance of our finances.Loans—During the year we received from the Treasury on account of the various Loans: Honikiwi loan £3BO, Mairoa Loan £llBO, Cavea £2OO, Aria Loan £1670, OtorohangaPirongai £7O, Hangatiki-Wnitomo-Ruakura, £IOO. Mangarapa £1250, Mangapu £6oo,Pungarehu [£2ooo, totalling £7455. Our expenditure in formation, metalling, and bridges was £6921 12s lOd. Accident Insurance refunded to General Account £l2B 19s 8d; advanced to Interest Account to pay first year's interest and principal on Loans £536 3s 7d; Bundry items, £l4 Is 3d; total, £7600 J7a 4d. Interest Accounts —For the purpose of paying interest and principal on twevls different Special Loans amounting to £1396 6b Bd, our receipts were: Specia' Rates, £270 15s 6d; hypothecated thirds £SBB 3s lOd; advanced from Fund Account, £179 4s 3d; transferred from Loan Accounts, £536 3s 7d; totalling, £1574 7s 2d. Expenditure: Interest and principal on Loans paid, £1396 6s 8d; refunded to Fund Account, £lB4 4s; total. £ISBO 10s BJ. Aabuts and Liabilities —At Mirch 31st, 1914, the Assets of the County amount to £10,916 lis lid. Liabilities, approximately, £1502 5s id, a position both sound and satisfactory. Public Debt—Our total Public Debt amounts to £34,860, of which the amount of £676 18s 5d has been repaid, leaving a balance on March 31st, 1914, of £34,188 2s 4d. Rates—ln October last a General Rate of five-eighths of a penny in the pound was levied on the Capital Value of all ratable propsrty within the Waitomo County, amounting to £5226 6s 2d—Aria Riding £1456 12s 6d, Te Kuiti Riding £420 18s, Hangatiki Riding £SBO 10s 3d, Otorohanga Riding £732 8s 9d, Te Rauamoa Riding £427 9s lOd, Waitomo Riding £520 Sa 3d, Paemako Riding £502 7s 3d, Mairoa £585 lis 4d. Of the total ratable value of the County, £2,005,425 about 153,905 acres, valued at £336,686, is owned or occupied by natives. Their names appear on the County rolls as owners or nominated Maori occupiers, and their rates amount to £877 12a Id. Of this amount 78 natives, representing 9101 acres, have paid rates to March 31st, 1914, amounting to £7l 8s sd,leaving 625 native sections, representing 144,803 acres, owing £BO6 3s 8d for the year 1913 14; also £323 5s 7d for 1912-13 and £l9B 19s2J for 1911-12. The collection of native ratea has always presented a difficulty to the various local bodies that have any great extent of native land. The Native Rating Amendment Act, 1913, gives pawer to the local bodies after the expiration of nine months to register liena against the title of the lands upon the payment of 5s with the District Land Registrar or Registrar of Deeds. This certainly is an improvement on the 1910 Amendment as the amount can ba registered without, having to sue the native. Still the position presents many difficulties, more especially in the case of large native blocks. There may ba a considerable number of owners in the blocks and orders have to be transferred from the Native Land Court to the Land Transfer Office to establish a title against which the liens can be registered, as 5s each has to be paid in respect of the transfer of each order, and there may be many of thesi orders it would probably be a costly matter. ' The Council would, in any case, find other expenses over and above the registration fees, such as searches, while agents' fees and solicitors' fees, have to be met. The matter of registration \ alone amounts to a considerable sum. For instance, in our case wo have 625 different sections with certainly 625 titles, and probably many more. At 5s each this amounts to £156 ss. The position might be simplified if tho Act made provision for registering against the present or future titles of these lands. It would do away with the expense of the local bodies estub-

liehing these titles. It may bo that these expenses in ea<:h case can be registered with the liens, but the Council have to stand out of the expenses paid in advance for some considerable time. It is questionable whether any local body has attempted to put the Act into operation, and until that is done it is perhaps unwise to forecast any difficulties. However, it does not get awuy from the fact that the amount of £BO6 3s 8d arrears as well are owing by natives in rates to the Council, and it remains with tne Council whether or not they intend to proceed further. Special Rates—To my mind the urgency of collecting native rsteß in Special Rating Areas to pay interest and sinking fund on loans presents the greatest difficulty. For instance during the paßt year Special Rates Ilm _ Continued on pago 7.