DEVONPORT FINANCES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 100, 1 May 1933, Page 11

DEVONPORT FINANCES.

I was interested to read the extremely brief Teview of the finances of the borough of Devon port by his Worship the Mayor, Mr. H. F. W. Meikle, and the comparisons drawn between the figures of to-day and those of previous years. In fairness therefore to the previous council, permit me to remove any misunderstanding which might have arisen in the minds of the ratepayers regarding the position of the bank overdraft. In commencing his review the Mayor uses figures relating to the full term of the present council, but in making reference to the bank overdraft he states, "This has been reduced during the past year by £1555, thus reducing the overdraft to £4580 on March 31, 1933." I would point out, however, that this reduction in the overdraft was made during the year 1933, so the overdraft on March 3i, 1932, must have stood at £6135. The overdraft on March 31, 1931, however, when the previous council left office, was £2028. Unfortunately a Government cheque for £914 on account of the previous year's operations' arrived just a few days after March 31, 1931, and was not therefore shown in the bank balance on that date. Had it not been for this delay the overdraft on March 31, 1931, would have stood at £1114. It would have been more correct therefore to have said the bank overdraft during the term of the present council had been increased from £2028 to £4580. During the same period the council can take credit for a reduction in the collection of rates of £1913. This, however, was accomplished by reducing the wages of the staff by some £1760, and increasing the overdraft by £2452, and, as the payment of some £17,000 in 1932 and a further £22,356 in 1932, was received from the Unemployment Board and these sums were being spent on public work relief, it is reasonable to suppose their influence should have been felt in the general maintenance account during the past two yearsi d. HIS LOP.