TAKAPUNA AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 95, 23 April 1931, Page 5

TAKAPUNA AFFAIRS.

MR. WILLIAMSON'S REVIEW.

« FOOLISH PRACTICE OF

DEPRECIATION."

AMOUNT OF UNPAID RATES,

The final meeting of the present Takapuna Borough Council was held last evening, when the Mayor, Mr. J. W." Williamson, who is retiring, presented a report on the activities of the council during the past two years.

Mr. Williamson said that when he assumed office in May, 1929, it was clear that the economic depression evident in other parts of the world was coming to New Zealand, and that, apart from a suggested loan to relieve unemployment, which the Government undertook to subsidise on the basis of £1 for £1, no borrowing programme could be entertained. It needed careful adjusting to enable the council to carry out maintenance works on the estimated budget allowance granted. The loan was raised and good work was done under the scheme.

The Mayor said that the new council should consider the advisability of increasing the water charges by 2d a thousand gallons, or thereabouts, in order to better balance its account, as the water purchasing department was carrying on at a loss. As it was believed that the Lake Pupuke supply was fast diminishing, it might be necessary to obtain water from other sources.

The present council had met with particularly hard times throughout its term. All credit was restricted and avenues of employment, both public and private, were closing. Many ratepayers had taken advantage of the suggested amended legislation under which the 10 per cent on unpaid rates might be waived. As a result, outstanding rates had been • greatly delayed. It was estimated that at least £3000 had been held back. Outstanding rates at the end of 1930 amounted to £11,356. Since then the total had beeri. increased, and the council was therefore unable to perform certain necessary maintenance work. In the borough there was much semi-rural land, the revenue from which was insufficient to pay the rates. Against the public debt of the borough, the sinking funds had apcumulated to a total of £44,227, ahd they were wisely invested. The value of the reserves, parks, and freeholds in the borough was £25,096. Much assistance had been granted to unemployed in the borough. The following were the amounts spent in recent years on relief work: In 1926 relief loans totalled £14,000, and £6493 was spent out of the general account. In 1929-1930 the sum of £1357 had been spent in advance out of the general account, 1930-1931, making a total of £21,850. "Attention must be drawn to the injury done to the ( borough by the foolish practice of depreciation, which is often unwarranted by facts—that of offering criticisms doing more harm than good," said Mr. Williamson. "It is better to find points for commendation than consistently to make hostile criticism. Such opponents nowadays seldom deceive the public by their sophistical arguments in support of their alleged semi-divine right to govern according to their own wild wills." The Mayor was congratulated by Mr. J. A. Algie, deputy-Mayor, and other councillors upon his wise a'nd- capable administration and the amount of work he had performed in the interests of the borough. Reference was also made to the work done by the Mayoress, Mrs. Williamson.