OMATA RIDING FINANCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 38, 25 May 1910, Page 3

OMATA RIDING FINANCE

STILL i> A BAD WAY. DRIFTING FARTHER INTO DEBT. About a year ago the finances of the Omata riding of the count}' were subjected to a good deal of criticism, and with a view of reducing the heavy indebtedness a. toll-gate was erected at Puniho and a separate rate struck over the whole riding. At the end of the financial year Mr. Ellis, the county clerk, issued statements of the county tiiianuca, taking out separately the figures of each riding. At yesterday's meeting Cr. Carter sat through a discussion on some little details of the riding, and then rose to point out that there were matters more serious than the little suie-winds that had just cropped up. He Had experienced a ' certain amount of disappointment; upon' ■perusing the accounts 01 the Omata riding as shown on 31st March last. He had hoped that with the levying ot the special rate and the collection of tolls they would have found the Omata riding in a much sounder financial state. He remarked that this riding had been having ''the heavy end of the stick" for some time, and*that every councillor Md been actuated by a desire to help in the reduction of its liabilities. He pointed out that the separate rate had produced £755 3s Bd, and the tolls £352 lis, making a total additional revenue of £llO7 14s Bd. The expenses attendant upon the establishment of the toll-gate had amounted to £175 IDs lOd, leaving the nett extra revenue £931 14s lOd. Cr. Carter then pointed out that at April Ist, 1909, the riding .had been overdrawn by £l9ll 14s, and at Ist April, 1910, the overdraft was £1717 Is 3d. So that, despite the increase of £941 in tne revenue, the indebtedness had only been reduced by £194 12s 9d in the year. That meant that the riding, on Its •ordinary account, had gone back by £ 737 | 2s Id*, and entrenched to that amount upon 'the specially raised money with which it had been hoped to reduce or wipe out the indebtedness. He wanted to impress the seriousness of the position upon the people in the Omata riding, so that they would shape the coming .year's policy upon the experience gained. He would very much have liked to say, "We will reduce your rate," but he could not, as the ratepayers would see from this summary of the figures. There had been no extraordinary expenditure other than the charges in connection with the establishment of the system of tolls.' Cr. Carter referred to the large quantities of stone swallowed up in the riding. During the year there had been 1910 yards from Stony' Kiver, 11021 from the fimaru, and 702 from the Tapuae, a total of 3633 yards for only a portion of the main road in the riding. Reckoning that at the low average cost of 6s a yard, it cost £IO9O. exclusive of the cost of spreading, supervision, etc.; and this out of a revenue of £1665 -is lid from the general rate. He said th-.it if better metal could be found the cost of metalling could be greatly reduced. Cr. Carter pointed out that last year the Omata riding received £l5O in subsidies •on rates, and of that £B2 came from the Barrett road district. This year that would go into the coffers of the St. Aubyn town district. He touched briefly on the other riding accounts, pointing out that Hurworth'had an overdraft of about £IOOO, with expectation of enough Government loan money to wipe that out. Waitara had improved its position a good deal, hut Moa had made little improvement. Cr. Andrews contended that there was nothing in the argument that the stone I used was poor. It was in some eases badly put down, and that was the secret of the expensive metalling. It was ridiculous, and a sheer .waste, to lay new metal 'upon the hard surface. The road should be picked up. He considered the excellent road on the Katikara hill a proof of the success of the policy of ploughing! up metalled roads for the reception of new metal. Cr. Allanson: But if we used as much metal on all our roads as you used there, where would w.e be, 1 wonder? Cr. Tate supported Cr. Andrews' ideas on road-making, and suggested sending some of the employees to school under •Foreman Holmes for a while. Cr. Carter said his information concerning the poor quality of the stone at the south end came fi'om the Council's own crusher engine-driver, who should know what he was talking about. The chairman said he was going to try and keep the metalling expenditure within bounds this year, and hoped that the Omata riding would greatly improve its position. He .had told them they would have the toll-gate and separate rate for the rest of their natural lives, hut he believed that with careful handling the finances would he buoyant enough to dispense with them. He gave Foreman Holmes the credit for being a good foreman, but pointed out that 0 he had level roads for the most part, the best metal in the district, and light traffic. Upon the motion of Cr. Carter, the following ' resolution was carried:— '•'That with a view to adjusting the lia- ( bilities between the Okato and Omata ridings, a return be prepared by the clei'.k\iml submitted to the next Council meeting, setting forth the liability] for the above ridings on a valuation basis."