OTAHUHU COUNCIL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 91, 17 April 1936, Page 14

OTAHUHU COUNCIL.

Last night's meeting of the Otahuhu Borough Council was presided over by the Mayor, Mr. C. R. Petrie, M.P. Use of Sturgess Park. —The principal o£ the High School wrote asking for permission for the pupils to practise on the pajk on Tuesdays and Thursdays oetween the hours of 2.30 and 4. He pointed out that there were oetween 300 and 400 boys in the school, and the only ground available this season was the school ground, which is totally inadequate for either practice or match play* He added that the hoys would be under strict supervision, ihe parks committee , reported that already the ground was used on three nights, and there would be tw o games on it every Saturday, which would subject it to a lot of wear. In view of this it felt bound to refuse the request, as it must protect the lessee of the ground, It was decided to try to find a suitable grCimd elsewhere in the borough.

Anzac Day.—A sub-committee was appointed to confer with the interested parties as to the form of service to be held on Anzac Day. Information was received from the Auckland Mounted Rifles Brigade that it would assist at the function.

Office Assistant. —The town clerk was instructed to call for applications from local residents only for the position of office assistant (male or female) at a commencing salary of £2 per week.

Queen Street Footpath.—The engineer was instructed to form steps to each house in this street where required, instead of lowering the gates aud providing ramps.

Street Lighting.—Complaints had been made that several lights in the borough had not been functioning for as long as seven*nights at a time, and it was decided to draw the attention of the Power Board to this matter.

Finance. —The report of the district fund account as at March 31 showed thai rates collected for the year totalled £14,443 4/6, or 81.07 per cent of total, as against 75.1 per cent last year, an increase of 6 per cent. Arrears of rates* collected amounted to £5267 14/, or 45.1 per cent oi the total outstanding, as against 39.9 per cent for previous year. Cash liabilities, 1936, including overdraft, temporary loans and all unpaid accounts, amounted to £11,720 12/4, as against £16,257 8/1 for last year, an improvement of £4536 15/9 Cash assets amounted to £13,686 13/4, as against £11,720 12/4 for last year, an improvement of £1966 1/. Expenditure in general accounts amounted to £6843 16/, including unpaid accounts at March 31, 1935, and March 31, 1936, or 13 months' payments. The estimated expenditure out of general account for the 12 months was £6796 19/1. It would seem from these figures that the council has exceeded its estimate, but this is not so. The figures given above include expenditure 011 parks and cemetery totalling £531 3/6, which should have' been transferred from park and cemetery accounts, but which the finance committee decided not to transfer in the meantime. They also include the gross expenditure on the traffic inspector's account. Approximately £300 of this is refundable. Unpaid accounts from the previous year included in the figures amount to £410 13/. and penalties not shown in the estimates amount to £336 19/9, and proportion of bank interest chargeable to special rate account is estimated at £250. There is a reserve of £1418 3/3 in the general account as under: Parks and cemetery, £531 3/6: traffic inspector, £300; penalty, £336 19/9; bank's interest, £250; total, £1418 3/3.: adding unpaid accounts of £410 13/3 at March 31. £1828 1 5/3. Water accounts for the year totalled £222 10/1, the estimate being £2300. Collection of water accounts totalled £2634 17/1.