TARANAKI COUNTY FINANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 28, 3 February 1903, Page 2

TARANAKI COUNTY FINANCE.

ABOLITION Or TOLLS, x OA.BRIJCRB LIOKKBBB. At the Oounty Council mettlng on Monday, the Obairmsn, Mr H. Okay, Submitted the following rep art, and ftugges'ions in relution to Oouaty Fiance. " As member* wi'l hare to decide at this meeting whether it is their intern- ' tion to collect revenue by way of toll* after the Slst of March rnxt. I hart prepared a statement shewing thepedtion of tLe Council at tlie preses»t «me,* v also the prospective position without toll revenue. To gat at this £ know of oo bther way tbsm to skew what ha* been the coat in the paet of keeping our roads and bridges in rtpair, To get at this I have taken the average coat for the past four y<srs. Membtrs will have noticed by referenoe to " previous balsnce sheets that the overdraft of the Council at its banker* baa inoreised during that tine something like £2OOO. This has been oauiei by ex>rioroi(sary expenditure which will not be recurring and I have no doubt will prove a valutble asset in the futur.-, for instance I have little doubt bus what the valuation that is own taking place in the district will show an increase of £30,000. This will return the Council £IOO a year extra rates or 10 per cent en the money ape it, besides the ratepayers receiving immtdi tte benefit from the expenditure. The other extra expenditure ha* been upon plant, which up to tkt p es nt has not been labour saving on account of a great deel of expenditure in getting places ready for breaking works that will be of benefit in the future. After these depdss are onoe the Oouaoil will have to tender for the stone being carted to the as pUces, put through the machine, alee the broken stone carted m to the roid, the Oouncil only doing the breaking. This will do away with a great d al of the day work that at present exists. The roads throughout the Oounty are in very good condition and compare favourably with tHoee in adjoining coUntifS. Another cause of the increase of the overdraft bat bees the groat blunder that baa been made by those responsible for the Egauaft Oounty Bill being unworkable, and without further legislation I anticipate serious results not only to the ratepayers in the JSgment Oounty on aociunt of the state ef the roads, bat itwitt alio affeot tha finances of the Taranaki Oouaty. Aa it is almest impossible for that Ooanty to strike a rate fer this year, a whole yeir's revenue will be los% possibly sufficient to bavemet their liabilities to the Taranaki OowntTt which has been making expenditure in tb«t locality wicheut receiving any • revefius" therifrtm. The amount anticipated to be forthcoming from thia Oounty sheuld go to reducing our overdraft. The yearly average oeel ef the upkeep of the roads and bridges has been as follows:

Waitara Ornate £2183 X 1222 XISOO or a total for tho Oounty of £4905, Add t j this £BOO for administrattoa there will be a mm of £5705 to meet during the next year. This eaa ba raised in the following manner: A £d rate over the whole Oonntjr on the prettnt valuation, prodnies <4780 Anticipated increase ef r*ifi on valuation now being made £IOO Miacell&neoni revenue estimated op* on previon* yeare ... £lOll Bring* »#r revenue for year 190Mte £BSSS This oan be increased by several hundred pounds a year by taxing the - heavy traffic upon the roada, whioh I should advise the Council to da if they deside to do away with the tolls, i.e.) by issuing otrriers licensee. £ I. J. A* for the overdraft, that steed at the 81it Meroh at 4510 5 0 With liabilities at that date amounting to 1711 It t Or a total overdraft end liabilitiei of £6266 18 6 A . this time <ve had liquid aweta such as c»sh in band, £175 13s Id; anvuraiates, £1149 2-i sd; rentreeervea, £53 7s 3d; toll rente, £197 10a 4d; Native rates, £100; Opunake T. 8., £lO3 15a 3d; Stratford Council, £2O 8-; 10 per ceu*. on rates, £SO; or a to'al of £1849 lOi 101; leaving adebil balance of £4417 2s Bd. To thow how thii deficiency hai 00curred the following figurta apply. £ s. d. Pitnt purchased (new engine) 818 0 0 Scarifier... 140 0 0 Ridiugi overdrawn, Uoa ... 1151 17 10 „ „ Onaata ... 298 16 t „ „ Parihaka 1908 10 O £I4OB 4 I The accounts at the present time may be summed up as follow* for year (o 31st March next ; £ Overdraft ~ .. ~ 6500 M.oi Riding, eipendituie 400 Waitara Riding, expenditure ~ 250 Omnia R&ing, expenditure .. 300 Administration ~ 100 £7550 Receipts, rates 1250 Rents 50 Tolls 400 Subsidy 700 iliecellaoesuß 125 2525 Estimated overdraft, Slat March, 1903 .. .. 5025

* £7560 0 Considering that the Council U able ' to f-how a small surplus of rtvsnue over 1 expenditure upon i«s g«i.eral revenue from rate?, etc., also that it has a con--1 -iderable turn coming from the adjoin* * ing county, which Kill go to (tarda reduotion of overdraft ; alao ike levying of carriers' licence*, which ooula go toward the same put pose; alao that our expenditure upon any no-v bridges in * the future will c:me out of the Bridge ' Loan Fund, I «ee no reason why we , should not ceaia collecting revenue by i vayof to'laafter the3la 1 -. March, 1903." - Or. Andrews suggested that the 1 q -a-turn should be de It with at a ; special meeting. The matter was of ' ' such importance that it should reoeive ' vviy careful ar.d i xhausiivo consideration. He moved that a special sifet- | ing be held. I o.'. Brown took the same view, Tho Chairman said there nutt be no del iy, as-the matter of the abolition of toll gves muit be settled. Or. Brown considered thtt by carrying tho special bridge loao, the tolls '"ere to be abolished. a Cr. Andrews mived, and Or Hopion" i'iondtd, that h cpecial mteviug be held to c msider the finances. Cr. Gny suggested hat the butiners take precedence at th.e next m~e:ing of (he Council, »s he obj.*cted to increasing expenditure by having a special meeting, lie inquired if the Chairmans proposal* involved dealing with a reduction is office expenses, The Chairman said that all expeisei

would be considered. With regard to oQics expenses, there was only the secretary and office rent, all being inclnded in & cum of £2OO a year. It was decided to hold a special meeting on Monday, 9th inst. A. formal resolution was pajwd authorising a special bridge rate of 1-12 of a Id in the £. .'ln reply to Or. Brawn, the Chairman stated that the question of payment of the insurance money in respect cf the lata Mr Glttdhill'* death was netyet settled. Or. Hopson urged that the scarifier 1 should bs effixed to the engine, and used instead of using pick and shovel work on the road. The Chairman s«id that the delays M aiisen through the engine having been sent without the fixtures fer the ■acrifitr, but the blacksmith at Ingleweod considered he could fix the scarifier, . Or. Brown suggested that th* advertisement as to dangerous bridges should be difontinued, and notice boards affixed to the bridges where necessary. It was decided that the question of carriers' licenses should be considered At the *pec : al meeting. The Chairman in twitted he would bring down proposals en the subject. Or Brown pointed oat that contractors and timber waggons weuld also have to be reached under the new proposals. The Ohairman agreed with this view, and further consideration of the subject was defered till the special meeting.