Borough Council.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 113, 17 May 1904, Page 2

Borough Council.

FINANCE COMMITTEE.

A meeting of tho Borough Finance and Estimates Committee was held in the Town Hail last eveming. Present Mis Worship the Mayor and Crs. Wood, ClilT, Brooking, Collis, Cartel', Browne, Ahier and .Medley. Mutters in connection with the loan debentures wore dealt. with in committee, some communica- ! tiona of a eoniidential nature bej ing discussed.—No report was made. ESTIMATES, In open meeting ehe estimates for the year 1904-1905 were considered. They were agreed to as follows : —Receipts.— Rates : General at Is 9d, £4400' apot'ial at lOd, £2IOO ; domestic supplies of water, £7OO ; extraordinary water supplies, £9OO ; ten per cent, penalty £3O ; Government subsidy £287. Licenses : Under Licensing Acts, £335 ; under borough live-laws', £4OO. Rents : Reserves £390. Reimbursements,: Streets, £IOO ; waterworks services, £3O. General : Bogs, £SO ; sundries, £2O ; rent Town Hall, £l2. Baths : £250. Taranaki County Council, ro Henui bridge, £IOO. Total. £10,129. On the motion of Crs. Cliff and Wood these estimates were adopted. —Expenditure.— Officers : Town Clerk £3OO ; assistant, £lO4.

The assistant's salary was raised from £7B paid last year, several councillors speaking of Mr Woodhouse's excellent work during Council hours, and also in the large amount of overtime.

A further item was added, the employment of a cadet at £26 per annum on the understanding that no further assistance be employed in preparing rolls.

Salaries thus showed an Increase of £B7.

The Mayor's honorarium was fixed at £IOO for the year. Printing, advertising, stationery, stamps, etc., were allowed £225, a reduction on last vear's expenditure.

Audit fed was again estimated at £2O.

For sundries £25 were allowed. In answer to questions, the clerk said "sundries" Included telephone, post office box, etc.

Streets: The labour item was estimated at £ISOO, as against £1562 lis Id spent last year. For metal and gravel £4OO was the amount allocated, as against £357 12s 9(1 expenditure in 1903-4, when much metalling was done out of loan.

Timber : £l5O, passed unaltered ; last year £l9l Is 7d was spent. Plant, material, and repairs, £2OO was the subject of discussion, several councillors urging that a new water-cart was required., Tha item was passed over. Forage : £IOO was passed, the same as last year. On the item asphalting, £3OO, Cr. Brooking remarked thgt. the expenditure last year was £lO6 6s sd. His Worship said that portions of the Devon-street footpath required making afresh. He had arranged with some owners to contribute towards the cost. On Cr. Carter's motion the vote was reduced to £250, and the plant vote increased to £250. For paving and curbing the allocation of £IOO was passed. Last year only £3B 8s 9d was expended. " Engineer £2OO on ordinary account, balance loan," was passed. Removal or earth from the harbour reserve £l5O and sundries £SO were passed unaltered,

Street-lighting.— On tho item gas £3OO " Cr. Ahier made some comment on the fact that the Cameron Street lamps were not ligiited that evening. This vote, and that of £25 for repairs, new lamps, etc., was passed. Last year the lighting cost £304 9s 3d. ... . ..

Reserves.—" Labour £lO6 " was altered to planting £IOO. " Town Hall, upkeep, etc., £150" was passed. Last year tho cost was £155 lis 2d.

Subsidies : Hospital £325 6s 9d aiid lire brigade £IOO were passed. On the item " Recreation Grounds, £100," the Mayor moved that no money be paid until the balancesheet be published by the Board. This was carried.

" Library £l5O " was paßsed, as in the previous year. Cr. Carter wished the could have a better reading-room. A sum of £SO was allocated to the Western Park, on tho motion of Crs. Brown and Carter, the understanding being that this would be a £ for £ subsidy on the amount collected from tho public. General.— Cr. Wood moved that £2O be granted to the bands for open-air concerts during the coining year, with a strong recommendation that the bands select their nights better. Counting the money already due the item read "Bands subsidy, £40." 1 he cost of collecting last year was £29 2s sd, and the amount collected £46 10s. For this work the sum of £25 was allocated for 1904-5. On the item "Licensing £35," Cr. Brooking pointed out that last year the amount spent was £147 15s 2d on account of the Licensing Uommittoo election. Tho item was passed. Law £75 " was passed unalter'vear 1,10 expenditure was £79 Us (Id. Public health, £lO " was passed as against £0 7s (id spent lust year. " Elections £25 " was agreed to. Last year they cost £Bl lis 7d—an exceptional sum. Bank interest. and charges, £350," (£72 4s 6d spent in 1903-4) was passed. At " Fire stations, £3OO " Cr. Wood said this sum had been promised.—Agreed to.

For the protection of Woolcombe Cliff Terrace £IOO was scheduled. Cr. Brooking said he would like to see it increased to £3OO, at the expense of the fire stations. Cr. Carter said he understood the engineer was an expert in this work. The vote of £IOO was agreed to.

At the item "General Inspector, £IOO " the Mayor read an application from Mr F. Stohr, the inspector, for an increase of £25 in his salary, owing to considerable increase in his duties.

Or. Wood favoured the amalgamation of the ollices of the general and sanitary inspector. They were not getting value for their inonev as breaches of the bye-laws wero constantly occurring.

Cr. Ahier said it was only fair to the inspector to state that ho had asked the inspector to see to certain nuisances and these had been attended to. He honestly earned his salary, carrying out his duties satisfactorily aftd tactfully " without 'bounce iipd \vith' excellent results."

Or. Collis thought the inspectors were overlapping. Tfrp solitary inspector got £l2O. The Mayor said tht* £l2O was for two years salary to the eauitary inspector. Mr' Kendall had to visit l)nglewoQd, Stratford, and klthani, and was a Government official. Cr. Carter : llow many ollices does Mr Stohr hold ? His Worship couldn't tell, and the Council smiled. Crs. Ahier and Curler moved that the increase of salary be granted, holding that the Council had a good servant, whosy time was fully occupied by his duties. Cr. Brooking'warmly eulogised the inspector's work, saying that the Council had no complaints about him. The motion was carried, and the item increased. "Engineer's office fittings, £10" was passed. The sanitary inspector's two years' salary was passed at £J2O. Bye-laws £25 " was passed. J!n 1903-4 this item cost £1.74 6s 7d. " Western Park purchase, £2OO " and " Advance to baths account, £IBG " wore passed.

'•'lnterest on Town Clock account, £ls" was passed. On the item " General expense of baths, £175,"

Cr. Collis suggested tliut. a fireplace should be provided for the convenience of the caretaker at the baths.

Tiie vote passed unaltered. " Advance to abattoirs, £SOO " passed as read. At " Proportion oP interest on loan, £1750,"

His Worship explained the position. The first year's interest on every debenture 'has been charged to loan, except of course the £29000 raised for paying oft' the old loan.

The item was passed , as against £95(3 5s spent last year. " Engineer's instrument!), £OB " was passed unaltered.

Waterworks.— "Salaries, at present, £585 " evoked discussion. Last year the amount spent under thin head was £385.

The Mayor explained that the en,f>neer had asked for an increase in remuneration. His present salmry was £l2 10s a month, free house, and paddocking for three cows. Cr. Clifl moved that the engineer receive an increase of £1 per month. Cr. Ahier thought it wus a firstclass job, and he was well paid. His Worship seconded, and tho motion was carried on thy Mayor's casting vote. " Casual labour, £IOO " was passed. Last year £212 13s 2d was spent, but since then casual hands had been made permanent.

" New mains and fittings, £591," and " Upkeep, £2OO " passed unquestioned. The total estimated expenditure was £10,712, or an excess of expenditure over revenue. Last year's estimates totalled £9314, and tho amount actually expended was £9585 Is sd. It was decided to place on the estimated receipts an item o! £SOO anticipated loan making tlie total receipts £10,629.

Cr. Carter moved that the £ISOO vote passed for labour be now reduced to £l4oo.—Carried. An item " Contingencies, £23 " was added to the expenditure, making both sides balance. The Council then met and confirmed the estimates as decided upon, and the meeting closed at 9.40 p.m.