COUNTY YEAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1938, Page 7

COUNTY YEAR

OPERATIONS OF MASTERTON COUNCIL FINANCIAL POSITION REVIEWED. ITEMS OF INCREASED COSTS. In the course of a comprehensive statement of the operations of the Masterton County Council for the year ended March 31, 1938, submitted to the annual meeting of the council today, the County Clerk, Mr J. C. D. Mackley stated that the County Fund Account closed with a cash credit balance of £377 4s Bd, as compared with a credit balance of £ll7l 18s 7d for the corresponding period of the previous year. The total revenue from all sources amounted to £67,567 14s Id, as against £62,004 13s 6d last year, while the expenditure for the same period totalled £70,516 10s sd, as against £60,887 15s 2d in the previous year, making a total turnover for the twelve months under review of £138,084 4s 6d. RATE REVENUE. The rate revenue totalled £22,710 3s, or 33.6 per cent of the total revenue and the main highway subsidy £16,771 3s 9d, or 24.8 per cent. During the past three years, rate revenue has increased by 5 pel’ cent, while Main Highway subsidies have decreased by 3.6 per cent. The rate levied for the year totalled £23,602 7s 5d as compared with a total rate levy of £21,040 18s 8d for the previous year and after allowing 5 per cent discount for prompt payment, the sum of £22,586 19s 5d or 97.9 per cent was collected at March 31, 1938. The discount allowed totalled £498 13s lOd. In addition arrears of rates totalling £llO 9s lOd were collected.

In an interesting comparative table Mr Mackley sets out details of the total rate levy from 1928 to 1938 inclusive. In the year 1927-28 the rates were: General, £23,551; hospital, £2,954; water, £1,061; total, £27,566; 1937-38, general, £17,471; hospital, £4863; water, £1278; total, £23,612. At March 31, 1938, the general rate was 26 per cent less than at the corresponding date in 1928, the hospital rate 65 per cent more, the water supply rate 20 per cent more, and the total rate levy 15 per cent less. ROAD EXPENDITURE. The total expenditure on the maintenance and construction of all roads, including main highways within the county, during the past year totalled £41,353 as against £35,153 for the corresponding period last year. Of this total, £17,313 was expended on maintenance and £24,040' on construction, the figures for the previous twelve months being £16,428 and £18,725 respectively. The expenditure on riding roads was; Maintenance, £8538; flood damage, £1639; tar sealing, £694; bridges, £5627; total, £16,498.On main highways: Maintenance, £8775; tar sealing, £6563; deviations, £6367; bridges, £3150; total, £24,855. Passing on to refer to the increased costs of bridge construction and tar sealing Mr Mackley gives particulars of increased costs for these works. Last financial year only 3| miles of surfacing was completed and two miles will be surfaced next paving season. The total length of permanently surfaced roads in the county at March 31 was 31 miles. LABOUR LEGISLATION. After referring to the Weraiti Hill road improvement work Mr Mackley proceeds to make some reference to the new labour legislation now in force. Taking the figures for the year 1930,.f0r the purpose of comparison, it is found, Mr Mackley states, that employees classed as labourers and employed by the council, are today working 17J per cent less time in a week, but are receiving in wages, 28| per cent more than in the year 1930. The following conclusions are drawn: —(a) In relation to hours of work, for every 100 hours performed in 1930, only 82| hours are worked today, (b) In relation to pay, for work performed, for every £lOO spent in 1930 an expenditure of £l2B 10s is necessary today. Another factor which has had the effect of increasing costs has been the payment for holidays. Last financial year the council was required to pay under the several awards, holiday pay in respect of both permanent and casual employees, this costing "’the large figure of £B6l 6s Id or an increase of 83 per cent. During the year three roadmen’s cottages were erected for county employees. HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES. The council, as the distributing authority, allocated to local authorities in the No. 10 Wairarapa Heavy Traffic District last financial year, heavy traffic fees amounting to £8045 12s lOd as against £7106 9s 6d for the corresponding peiod last year. This represents an increase in heavy traffic fees of £939 3s 4d or 13 per cent. During the past two years the fees allocated have increased by £1682 6s 2d, the allocation for the year ended March 31 1936, totalling £6463 6s 3d.