SOUND FINANCES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 241, 11 October 1934, Page 9

SOUND FINANCES.

ONE TREE HILL BOROUGH. HALF-YEARLY ACCOUNTS. |In his half-yearly statement of accounts, submitted at last nights mee - ing of the One Tree Hill Borough Council, the town clerk, Mr. A. Leese, ie/ported that, owing principally to bettei receipts from rates,, the borough s cash position had improved by £4783 >* compared with that at September 30 ot last year, the net credit of the revenue, account being £10,681. Most of this would be absorbed by payments falling due within the next four months, but nevertheless tlie accounts revealed, a very satisfactory position, all the more gratifying in view of the reduction m rates and water charges this year. J- ie receipts for the six months totalled. £21,089, compared with £22,608 last •year, and payments £18,505, compaied with £20,869 'last year. . The accounts' showed a total expenditure, exclusive of relief wages, duiing the half-year of £15,049, or 48 per cent of the amount allowed for the whole year. Payment of rates, both current ana arrears, had been fully up to expectations, and showed an improvement oyer ilast year. Current rates levied, exclusive of water charges, totalled £23,705. Cash payments amounted to £11,375, and rebates to £281. The amount paid represented 49.7 per cent of tlie net rates levied, compared with 43.9 per cent for the same period last year. Of the net Collectable arrears outstanding on April 1, 41.5 per cent had been collected, as against 38.5 last year, and the total of arrears now outstanding was only 10 per cent of one year's levy. Wages paid to relief workers during the six months totalled £3477, as compared with £5280 in the same period of last year, the number of men employed being 106, as compared with 166 last year.

In moving that the statement be approved and adopted, the Mayor, Mr. I. 3. Goldstine, remarked that so far as could be seen, the council had neither over-estimated its receipts or underestimated its payments. The council ' ''Sulci also be congratulated on tlje amount of rates, and -particularly of arrears," that had been collected.