The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, MAY 3.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 122, 3 May 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, MAY 3.

The annual statement of the receipts and expenditure of the Cook County Council for the year ending March 31st, 1881, is now before us and shows a most satisfactory state of affairs. The first thing which claims attention is the fact, that whereas the last financial year was commenced with an overdraft of upwards of £1,333, and outstand cheques amounting to £3OB, making a total cash indebtedness under this head of £1,641, the present year is commenced with a cash balance on the right side of the ledger of nearly £lOO, an improvement to the extent of £2,011, between the two years. The marked increase in the general rates is attributable to the new method of taking the capital value of property instead of rental value, a plan which has had the effect of saddling the rates in a far more proportionate ratio than hitherto. Previously the main burden fell upon the small holders, whilst large holders escaped much of their responsibilities; but the reverse is the case now, and small holders escape very lightly. Another matter worthy of notice is that the new method of valuing will give Tologa and Waiapu Hidings with their united 80 large holdings a great advantage over the Gisborne Biding w.th its 200 small ones, the disproportion being very marked. The increased taxation under the Roads and Bridges’ Act has a corresponding advantage as shown in the larger expenditure on public works. The last item under receipts is the sum of £l,llO Crown rates, which have taken the place of the Government subsidies under the first constitution of Counties. Had not this change been made, together with the wise provisions of the Roads and Bridges Act, Counties would soon have been entirely defunct. The total revenue under this head is £4,578 as against £1,579 last year. Under the heading of Government grants the Council has received but £3,041 for this year as against £4,473 for 1883. But the last payment of the special grant for the Wairoa road has now been made, and although the grants for this year show a deficiency of some £1,432 in the total, yet we shall derive more general benefit from the smaller sum than we did from the larger amount last year, inasmuch as £3,100 of the previous year’s grants was for the Wairoa road. Under the heading of receipts from miscellaneous sources will be noticed an increase of £4G for slaughter-houses, caused by the addition of two, and the more prompt payment of licenses. Dog registration shows the large increase of £l2O over last year’s returns, which is owing to the extra time and attention devoted to the subject by Mr Warren. On the other hand, pound fi es show an apparent decrease of £l3O, accounted for by the fact that last year the whole monies derivable from this source was paid into the Council which then returned half the amount to pound-keepers, whereas now the latter deduct their own fees, amounting to half the gross total, and pay the balance into the County fund Tho item Penalties shows a great falling off, this being mainly owin<» to the difficulty experienced in obtaining convictions for breach of by-laws, &c., or substantial fines. We note a new source of revenue in the shape of ferries amounting to £5B, a more than doubtful advantage when we turn to the expenditure on the same and find it amounts to £502 for the year. The truth is ferries arc a great drain upon the Council, both in time ami attention, no less than upon its revenue, and every care should be <aken bi erret them in places where they wdl meet the requirements of the many, and not the convenience of the fo.v. It will also be seen that the Council has been repaid the sum of £266 odd as an equivalent for their engineer’s services whilst engaged on the expenditure of the Government |

grants, this materially reducing the cost of Council management. The total income for the past year is £8,975 as against £7,129 for ihe previous year, or a total increase for the past twelve months of £I,BIG. Turning to the year’s expenditure wo sec an increase under n< w roads of £330 and £5O on old roads, the former amount being mainly extended in the Mangatu district. Drains have cost £lOO less last year, whilst ferries, as before stated, show the large increase of £l7O, the principal outlay being at Pakirikiri and Tologa Bay. The former is now yielding a rental of £74 per annum, whil-t the latter continues a source of dissatisfaction and expense. The total amount expended on works out of the ordinary revenue for tho year is £2,617, as against £1,900 for 1883. The expenditure on special works shows a decrease of over £l,OOO, tho Wairoa Road being the heaviest item in last years expense. The cost of management shows an appreciable general decrease, the most noteworthy item being “ law,” which figures as £9 for the present year, as against £5l for the previous one. The ratepayers are to be sincerely congratulated on the reduced expenditure under this heading, as it tends to show a due appreciation of the dangers attending litigation in Gisborne. The total is made up under this heading by the encouraging items of “ Balances in hand £397.” Before dismissing this subject we are constrained to call attention to the manifest injustice which prompt paying ratepayers suffer at the hands of those who refuse to attend to their obligation in this line until compelled, and are brought into Court. Not alone is the Council compelled to pay interest on overdraft, which has the effect of absorbing the ratepayers money, but the whole work of the Council is materially retarded and expenses increased, and a corresponding amount of usefulness lost. In the list of assets will be seen the alarming amount of £1,409 for outstanding rates. In justice to honest and prompt paying ratepayers the most stringent means should be taken and the surest measures resorted to with a view of compelling these delinquents to meet their obligations and at the same time to give them a proper idea of their responsibilities. On the whole, taking the Council’s financial statement as a measure of our prosperity, we have great cause to congratulate ourselves on the rapid etrides which our flourishing district has made during the past twelve months, showing as it does that in the general rapid development of their splendid colonies the County of Cook has every right to be considered and ranked amongst its most promising and progressive branches.