HASTINGS BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 176, 20 April 1908, Page 8

HASTINGS BOROUGH COUNCIL.

•"——' - . (BT TELEGKiPH;—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) ■ April 18. ■ At a meeting of the Borough Council, the Mayor, in submitting a statement of the finances for the year 1 just , ended, as "compared ' with the previous year/ said the general revenue showed .an increase of £1992, including an' increase of £1418 on general rates. There was more money spent on metalling last year than ever was expended beforp, aild the _ money' was . spent principally on the- outlying. districts, The area just, severed from- the Borough,- and merged in the Hawke's Bay County, involved 990 a; 3r. 25p.,. with a; rateable value- of £3809, wnic?i, at Is. 7d. in the pound, produced £301 10s. lid. The approximate annual value.of the .whole Borough before the dislocation was £79,000, and doducting £3809, the value of the severed portion, the present rateable value ■ of the Borough was £75,191. The rateable value last year was £61,500, so'that after.losing nearly a thousand acrcs the annual valuation; had increased by the respectable amount o£ £13,691. The severed portion of the Borough would still continue to pay £68 9s. Bd. per annum' as their contribution to the Borough general account. The 2s. Id. borough rate was mado up of:—General rate Is. Bd., special'rate 4d., atul library rate Id., and this rate would Dring in an increase of rates this year over last of £1397 3s. In these circumstances he suggested that the rates, be retduced by id., which would increase' the general rates by £1083 "18s. ld t