MAYORAL INSTALLATIONS.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14660, 8 May 1913, Page 8

MAYORAL INSTALLATIONS.

CITY.

The ceremony of installing Mr H. flolland as Mayor of Christchurch took .->laco at the City Council Chambers last night, in the presence of a good fcftthiTins; of relatives and friends of members of tho Council. There wero present Councillors W. H. Cooper, J. R. Hay ward, A. M. Loasby, Gco. Scott, H. Hunter, J. MeCullough, F Bnrgoyjie, A. S. Taylor. A. Williams. W." Millar. T. Dont. H- .T. Otley, H. D. Acland, H. B. Sorensen, J. McCombs. •An apology for absence was received from Cγ. A- Morton. LOSSES OF THE YEAR. The Mayor referred briefly to the loss sustained by the death of-Council-lor Hart and Councillor Gapes, and to th<* services of Councillors Morris, *<■ Smith, and W. R. Smith. NEW COUNCILLORS. Tho Mayor said he desired to extend a most hearty welcome to thoso Councillors with whom it had been his privilege to work during the past two years, both as Councillor and Mayor, knd to extend to them his hearty congratulations on their success nt tun lato poll. Ho also heartily ws Icomed the new members of tho Council to a seat at the Council table. Ho thought it was always well to have tho infusion of new blood, as it helped to keep tho Council from falling into a groovo or rut. On behalf of his former colleagues and himsblf ho extended a hearty welcome to Councillors Morten. Loasby, llayward, Scott, Dent and McCombs. 'Ho hoped that the kindly relations which existed between tho late Council and himself would continue, and that both Mayor and Council alike, would bo animated with but one desire, that was tho promotion of tho best interests of tho city as a whole. It was only by mutual concessions and co-operation that that could be accomplished. Tho city was worthy of the best service that each Councillor could render. The Council wore entrusted with tho care of largo trading concerns, with valuable plant, and with the expenditure of largo sums of public money. Every person was at liberty to spend his own money as ho thought proper, but when a number of gentlemen were entrusted with the. expenditure of other peoplo's money it was quite a different matter. On no account must tho city remain stagnant;" to do so would bo to looso our place as one of the leading cities of the Dominion. . •- ■ FINANCE. One of the first things that should engage the attention of tho Council would bo tho preparation of the estimates for tho ensuing year, and in doing so care must bo taken no that thero was no increase in rates, and that ■tho bank overdraft'was not increased. His Worship then presented the following figures:— . £ ». el. .Estimated General Expenditure for 1912-13 .. .. 87,896 6 11 ' Loss amounte included in such estimate for ealarice for Cemetery, Waterworks and Electri-' ' .... cal Departments, and Expciidi- . turc on Baths and Electrical ' ; Aceovmts .. .. .. 18,336 8 6 ' . 69,559 18 5 .Actual Expenditure (approximate) 68,033 9 8 Expenditure short of Estimate.. 571 8 9 :-. Estimated General Receipts for - 1913-13 .. .. ..-87,899 7 & Less amount included in : truch ■ • Estimate for ealaries from- ■ Cemetery, Waterworks, and, , " - '' ,* Electrical Departments, and , " • ' Receipts on Baths and, Elec- ' ! tricat Accounts , .. " ~ 18,336 86 :■••'-; :.■/■'., •■• 69,662 19 <3 - 'ActaaV. Receipts (approximate) .. 69,993 13 11 . Itectipts ehort of Estimate .. 569 5 4 Fully accounted for by 1912-13 •' R»te» outstanding (approximately) .. .. .. "2,728.0 0 Debit; Balance .on General • Account at 81st-March, 1912 ..-35,226 9 2 ■> Approximate Expenditure during the year .. .. .. 68,988 9 8 ~'./■ ■ : "" 104,211 18 10 . Approximate Receipts during the - year ~ .. .-. '68,993 13 11 Approximate Dr. Balance at 31et , March,-1913 ! .,« .. .. 35,221 4 11 : ELECTRICAL ACCOUNT.. .; tfhft Expenditure on Plant during -the year amounted to .. 2,614 16 1 , Tho Itooeipte on. Electrical Main- ~ ' ' tenanco Account Amounted to ' 18,390 .8 1 And the Expenditure, exclusive. of depreciation amounted to .. 14,724 5 6 Xpe&viaff » balance o£ .. ... 3,666 2 7 Fhe approximate Debit - Balance on ' Electrical ,Plant on 31st March, 1913, stood at ■ .. 16,628 15 9 XOAN PROPOSALS. > Continuing, his Worship said that in, the past ho .ventured to think that mistakes had been made by taking ia hand largo works or* a permanent na- • such as street-widening, * and paying for such, works out of rates. Ho ■was ; strongly, of,' opinion (and. liis past oxporienco confirms that opinion) that where such, works were undertaken on any ,• large scale, a loan should bo raised, and the rates "used for'the pur- - pose, for which they. were levied. Once a street was widened, that work was doao for;ever, land it was ,unfair to ask the ratepayers of to-day to bear the whole of the burden,- and let their successors escape free...'.Ho would take Wordsworth, street for. instance, which cost somo £5000, after buildings- had been sold, which, absorbed nearly the. -,■; whole of the rates struck in Sydenham for one year. Of course, short lengths might with advantage be done out of rates,'out his remarks referred to the « general principle. In recommending any loan proposals, tho state of tho money maTket should receive duo consideration. There wero works which < would pay well, to undertake with cheap money, but with money af its present rate, only works of the greatest •urgency would justify a largo loan/ Councillors would have noticed with pleasure and satisfaction that the exports from the Dominion last year exceeded those of the previous year by nearly three millions. He was not in a position to say how the imports . ioomparod for the same period.- "With the cessation "of hostilities between '. Turkey and the Allied forces, and with a largo expansion of our exports, it '. seemed reasonable to expect that money would be cheaper in the near future. TOWN HALL. ? Xo effort should be spared to secure h sito for a Town Hall and additional . o.ffko accommodation. The- question of office aocommodation was a real pressing one, as the present office accommodation was practically , the same as ■when the city comprised an area of -~ ji*bout 700 acres, while now it covered ,»n area, of 5000 acres, and had many . .irading" concerns not formerly in ",'■■ "existence. Wlile the capital value of tho city had risen to £10,653,107, and ■ ' xthe Tinimprovod yurue to £1,422,322, .\ .LotH'.valuations wore very much below ?.the, actual,value. As regards the acquisition of the Provincial Council I Chamber* as a sit© for a Town Hall, Tie was hopeful of securing that old building for the city on terms 'that, he # bought would bo acceptab\« ■to the city. . Ho TTsuld, at the earliest •;.-_..- moment, tako the Coancil into his full ( confidence on tho proposal. Hβ rer grotted that he could not do so just ■ ■ 3JOW. :■'■'■, ■ ■ . ■ .; ■ ■. • t