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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5289, 8 March 1878, Page 2

Thebe cannot be the. least doubt that the city of .Wellington is gradually continuing to progress, and .will, eventually attain that position which she is entitled to expect. We notice in glancing; oyer a printed return furnished to the? City Council at the meeting last; evening, at the ; instance ,of Councillor Hunter, who moved for it, that the statistics for the city in the shape of revenue and expenditure show a'very: healthy state of things indeed, and that no matter how much temporary dullness may afiectithe community ,at times, we have-estab-lished ourselves on a sound and healthy basis. The return referred to shows the total yearly income of the city during the past seven years ending, September 30, 1877 ; the expenditure during the same periqd; the amounts. raised for waterworks and already expended ; the amount for drainage, raised and actually ex pended, together with the am amt : authorised to be raised for extending and improving the Queen’s wharf; the amount expended, ..nd the amounts required to make good payment to the contractor, and likewise be available from all:sources , for further improvements after the wort now in hand has been completed. The return .which, as can be easily imagined, is a mpst important one, likewise shovys 1 theyearly amount paid for law. costs during the past seven years, together with an estimate,of the: cost of erecting and furnishing the new offices in course, of construction for | the City Council. With such, a comprehensive document, comprising information,important in the highest degree, we cannot pretend at present to do more than refer to a few of the figures which bear, witness to the position in which we are how placed by that undoubted progress we, have continued to achieve. In reference to the yearly income. of the city it is shown that for the year 1870-1; the total result, was £1562 10s. Id.; for 1871-2, £5058 ssi Id.; for 1872-3, £6337T25. Id.; for 1873-1, £9603 ss. 2d,; for 1871-5, £10,388 Is. 5d.; f0r,1875-6, £13,865 17s. Id;; and for 1876-7, 7s. lOd,. This pagein the return shows for.'itself, the enormous strides the city has taken in the way of progress, the increase for the last financial year of over £IO,OOO being sufficient to show that something' tangible has .really : taken place to bring about such a very substantial result. . With the steadily increasing,revenue, and which has now attained a position entitling the city to claim a premier position, in the colony, , the expenditure has been on a par, .those items in the shape of improvements, &c., especially showing Up .in the scale.: As for instance the wages paid in 1870 are sot down as amounting, to £l2lß, whereas during last year the expenditure under this head is set .forth as £6227 odd, and the expenditure oh streets and, roads at' £678 18s. 9d. during the former period, and £6292 odd for last year. Other items similarly show up in ’proportion, especially in . regard to the amounts authorised- to -be raised for water .works and for drainage, portions of which.havo already been expended. Regarding the waterworks loan raised in London (of £80,000) in March, 1877, a balance for further expenditure is shown of £11;051:14s. TOd.;-and as to the. £50,000 loan for drainage purposes,' a balance is struck for further, expenditure of £39,711 2s. Id. As to the Queen’s wharf expenditure, an estimated balance is set down to the credit of the Wharf Sinking Fund account, with interest to date, iof £2850; the estimate of the probable coat of erecting and furnishing the new offices in course of construction for the City Council being asl follows Contract, £5699; extras authorised, : and furniture, Ac., £SOO, making a total of £6269. As already said, the return appears on the whole a very complete one. I