THE BOROUGH ESTIMATES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 28 May 1907, Page 2

THE BOROUGH ESTIMATES.

T'l' Iv. 1 ial.ii" . C, 1111 la il (aa of Ilia h.il'i.a;:li ( 'olliail di'livoi'.'il ii ; l'a|iori, and l'.'i oiiniu ndalions on Monday nialil. Ilealin;; irilli ivtminaralioii of olli.-ns. Ilia

• rt.iimiiiliv i.-iiiimiwiiiM I lull .Mit.* \\ hi- | Isik'-r* Kilnr.v be raised lo C.'l!) jmt hii

nam (increase ci:fJ: thai I II!' mil.ir,v «r 111'' sanilaiy cn^im-cr. Ilr. Kendall'. he iiiareas.-d 111 iivt per iilunint; ami llni, I lil: ' *alar,v »f llw ••ii»Mitlii al ||i>' Irillk be iiivi't'ii s"il la vjlon per annum ( i„.

crease C3II); Hint Ilia cladrienl eiigii jbe iuioriucd lhal under Ilia present circumstances I lie nuiiinillca i-< unalila In | iiiriyaw his salary: llial Ilia walei-uorkr. engineer (Mi-. Hodgson) be siinilaily in-

termed; llial .Mr. |)j xl , n |„. jnfo'rnr'd llliil Ilia Council cannot set' i|s way 111 igi'.uil. liiiii any increase oyer ;md nhnye Ilia till provided in Ms condilioiH of ■ ij'jiiiinliiirnl. |,„l will consider (he >111,.,

Ii" 11 "I a la, nils during 11,.. year; anil lhal Hi.' coiiiinille,> lias no ra,',,llllll.aula ■ liun In make as (<i bicycles I',,r engineer or allowance for bicycle repairs.

KSTIMATKI) I (KIT, I ITS. Ilia estimated rceeipls lor Ilia year wara adopted, n.s follows: Covernuien! Slill.-ddy, !::t.'ill; litollses lindtT Ilia Licensing .u-l, L'.'J.jri; lloi'(Hii;li lly-lau';! anil Aufliimwrii' Aid. Clllil; ran'is of iv-

ivrvtv., CS3U; rainliiii'sanianls ■ Slraals, C7II; walarworks sarviccs. CH!). (lanaral raaislralion. .C 120; vaul Town Hall, till; suiiill'ias, rail; lialhs. c10(1; alialloir, 115111); library, .L2(l{). Hlaalric li-lil m«!|its (im-lndi'iia xm) slrwl lialuiua-), SJ2OUI); comotary, ,CKJO; s]w-c-ial rale of 10J in lln> ,c, :)•>-,() ; wiilov

ate, :C?a(l; extra water supplies, ellol); 10 per cent, penalty 011 rates, ifl); aenarnl rate, .I'lTi';; total.

EXI'ICXDITURK. ! ",Salaries, Cr. Hills moved tli.it the item lie reduced by ,t25, that amount to be deducted from the Town Clerk's salary.—Lost, only the proposer favoring it. Cr. .Mills said he lutd been through the liK'ures, and wislieil to reduce them bv about .e.'iOO, which he thought could be better a]i)ilied. 'The (,'oimcil owed two

duties to lli." ratepayers—to gire them good streets, and to keep down the overdraft. 11 is proposed reductions were: .Mayor's honorarium £25, Town C'lerl;

£25, reserves (planting and upkeep) Li"), Town llall upkeep, ete., £3O, I ire brigade £25, Recreation Board £25, library £25, Western Park £25. general expenses on 1 iut lis £45, promotion of ■ classes ;i t technical school £SO ; contingencies £225.

The items: "Advertising, printing, stamps, stationery, etc.,£2oll; new typewriter, £25; audit, £2O; sundries, £ls, passed unaltered.

Streets: Labor and metal, £201(1; concrete kerbiug and channelling, £400; asphalting and tarring, £150; forage, etc., £120; water cart, £35; repairs to bridges, £25; sundry repairs, tools, etc., £33; County Council re Devon road, I £lO, passed unquestioned.

Reserves: Planting and upkeep (including £3O rates), £Bo.—Cr. Mills moved to reduce by £25. The committee had been voted £SO last year, and had spent £BB. The .Mayor' said the item could not bo reduced. Or. Collis said that only £22 8s had been spent oil upkeep last year. The leasing of sections (survey and legal charges) had been charged to this account, and this year there would be the legal charges on the lease of the storehouse reserve. There was a fair amount of property to supervise, including Kawaroa Park, Woolcombe Terrace, Waterworks Reserve, Toko Reserves, the borough paddocks on Avenue road, qtc. There was no seconder, and the, item stood.

Town Hall upkeep and electric light,

£135. Cr. Mills moved to reduce by £3O. The Mayor said Cr. Mills seemed to have overlooked the fact that if the money were not required, it would not be spent. On the other hand, if the vote were reduced and the expenditure exceeded the revenue, there would have to be money found somewhere. Item retained.

Subsidies: Hospital Board, £3OO. The Mayor remarked that, whilst the Hospital Board was reducing rales, the Council's contribution was increased by 25 per cent. Retained. Fire Brigade, £l5O. The Mayor said the Council would have to pay the levy made by the Fire. Board, whether greater or smaller. Cr. Mills moved to reduce by £;>s, on the grounds that this was another instance of giving away the ratepayers' money for superfluities. If the finances warranted it, he would gladly vote £2OO. Last year the Council was the only contributing body. Now the insurance companies were going to contribute. The Mayor replied that the brigade had been working on straitened finance. Cr. Collis said that, under the changed circumstances Captain Bcllringer had assured them there would be "no taking the hat round," so that all would contribute alike. Cr. Hellringer said the utmost assurance he could give was that he would not support taking the hat round, lie had onlv one voice in the matter. Passed unaltered. Recreation Ground, £IOO, Passed unaltered, Cr. Mills dissenting. Library, £SO. Passed unaltered. Western Park, £SO. Cr. Mills moved to reduce by £25. No seconder.

I Abattoir, general expenses, £1500; [library, general expenses, £200; cemetery, £IOO. .Passed unaltered.

The following items, under the heading of "general," passed unaltered:— Dogs, £4O; hank interest and charges, £400; engineering, £250; engineer's assistant, £2O; Waiwakaiho Bridge, £100; interest on loans, including sinking fund, £1400; elections, £35. Cr. Bellringer moved, and Cr. Boon seconded, that the "whole of the items under "general" stand part of the statement.

At ''General expenses on baths. £193," Mr. Mills moved to reduce by £45. (A Councillor: "You're dirty.") Cr. Collis. chairman of the baths' commit!ee, said that if the Council was going to look at the baths from a financial standpoint, the vote might be reduced. But if the baths were to he kept and conducted so as to he a credit to the town, there was not much to "come and go upon." Item retained.

"Promotion of classes at the Technical School, £50." Cr. Mills said the £SO would not afreet the efficiency of the classes, and the money could be far better spent on the streets for the convenience of the public. It would be a different matter if the Council was contributing towards the erection of the building, or anything of that kind. The classes were amply provided for by the • Education Department. Cr. Beliriuger seconded. The .Mayor said that about this time last year the Kducation Board asked for a grant of £IOO towards the cost of the erection. The Council had no legal jiower to give that money, but it was quite within the, function's of the Council to grant, L'oO to encourage the classes, lie understood that the "Board was still expecting flic Council's assistance. Shonlit the classes not be encouraged. the. youths of New Plymouth district must lag bchiu the youth in other places, lie understood that the Board had not enough money to finish paving for the building or to properly equip it. Cr. Mills said there was no necessity for the money. r J lie Mayor said the Borough (ouiieil ought to take some interest in the education of the children. The vote was retained ou the easting vote of the Mayor. Crs. lloom Bellringer, Mills, Moray, and Cattlcy voting against it. Cr. Mills then moved that a special contingency fund of £225 he set apart lor streets. No seconder, and the vote •■contingencies £437" was adopted. The remaining items were passed unjpics! ioned: Waterworks salaries, casual labor, upkeep, and material, l.'7:!0 : street li-hiing. Town Hall, c(c„ UitiM; electric ■'.W maintenance, £1075: Mayor's lion•'ill);}, i: ] 150 ; hrin-rh)/.- |j,.. 0( ' ..... tinned expenditure to UU T.'lli the estimates weie the, adopted as a whole.