FOR CENTENNIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 139, 15 June 1939, Page 13

FOR CENTENNIAL.

PROVISION NEEDED.

ITEMS OF EXPENDITURE.

LEYS INSTITUTE EXTENSION.

"Appropriate financial provision is required for Auckland's Centennial—thd outstanding historic event of our time," said the Mayor, Sir Krnest Davis, in referring at to-day'* special meeting of the Auckland City Council to outstanding items in the estimates for the current vear.

In "respect to the Centennial, the Mayor s.lid ho had included the following relevant items: —Balance due oil Exhibition Company's shares. £03; instalment, of payment towards Provincial Court at exhibition, £030; Auckland's Centennial. .€.">000; Centennial memorial. sav £.">000: supplement to Watson Bequest for siatuar\, £300; total. £X!W9. The Mayor made it clear that the sums of £3000 and £."iOOO set down for the Centennial were purely tentative, and only for the purpose of the estimates. They involved no commitments whatever. "The lyevs Institute is provided for by an item of ,£7.50 to supplement the expeuditiye contemplated by the, trustees jin building extensions,'.' Sir Ernest mentioned. "I welcome 1 lie opj>ortunity thm f vpresented of acknowledging the munificence of the Leys family in finding £1000 towards the cost of the work. Citizens, I am sure, will appreciate this further evidence of practical publicspiritedness." Automatic traffic signals received an allocation of £4000, provided in the event of the council deciding finally to proceed with an installation scheme. This figure would cover an instalment only of the total cost. The park*, vote for special works was substantially increased—a total of .£18,312 as against last year's expenditure of £.">lS.~>. Included were the sums of £32."i0 for the purchase of Mrs. White's Craft on Cully property; £1100 for a pavilion and plant depot at the Gladstone l?oad reserve; £1000 for a proposed children's playground in Basque I'oad, Eden Terrace: and £2000 for repairs to Moluihi Island wharf. The .Mayor suggested that the Motuihi item should first be thoroughly investigated.

More Money For Streets. The works committee vote' provided for a total expenditure of £204,180, of which the streets allocation would absorb £11.".,000, as against £107,96.3 s|>ent last year. Special works would require £20.000. "Auckland is justly proud of its museum, and should see to it that the institution does iiot go short for essential expenditure,"' Sir Ernest said in recommending an additional grant from unauthorised expenditure of £100 to the Auckland Institute and Museum. He said that the present grant was shown in the estimates at £2420. The water rate in respect of residential properties (4j per cent) and nonresidential properties (2 1-8 per cent) remained the same as last year. The Mayor mentioned that £9100 had been provided in the waterworks account for works under Scheme 13, but this depended on a continuation of the subsidy. Subject to this contingency, the estimate allowed for the completion of existing works.