OVERSPENT

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 124, 22 November 1923, Page 8

OVERSPENT

£8500 ABOVE HALF-YEAR'S

ESTIMATES

STREET WORKS FAR AHEAD.

Recently the Mayor, Mr. R. A. Wright, made reference to the city being approximately £8500 overspent for the period 31st March to 3Oth September, and to-day supplied a "Post" reporter with details as to the main items of expenditure. Some figures are under, but the grand totals of the "overs" brings the balance to the wrong side upon the basis of a calculation worked out by the City Treasurer as upon the estimates of work planned for the first half-year. Those main items are as follow:—

Est. for Exp. to Over. Under, year. 30:9:23 £ £ £ £ Interest 104,274 49,048 (bal. £55,226) Sinking Fund ... 14,035 — (Bal. £14,035) Street Works ... 62,872 41,479 13,000 — Scavenging and Btreet Watering 20,000 8,458 — 1,500 Refuse Collection and Destructor 20,280 8,990 — 1,200 Cemetery 2,058 1,037 — 400 Drainage 14,500 0,587 — 1,600 Hutt road 2,000 1,467 400 — Baths and Beacheß 1,000 371 — 130 Motor Workshops 4,000 1,235 — 700 Public Health ... 600 702 (£lO2 over year's allocation) Salaries 21,558 9,408 — 1,200 Town Hall Cleaning 2,400 1,674 470 — Zoo 4,003 2,211 200 —

It would be seen, remarked Mr. Wright, that street works estimates for the half-year were very heavily overspent, for the road improvement programme had been pushed ahead rapidly, as the greatly-improved surface of many city streets bore good testimony. It would mean, probably, that street works would have to mark time for a while, otherwise the whole of the money set aside, the balance now. being £18,----393, would be swallowed up before the year was nearly through. If, however, the council was to build the new Hutt road, then there was ample work ahead of the men and the plant, otherwise it might 'be necessary to turn to the loan schedule. Scavenging and street watering costs were so far well within the mark, but summer was coming, and summer months would make a difference ; the full amount set aside would no doubt be reached before the end of the financial year. The same remarks, in the main, applied to refuse destruction, and the summer would also come for baths and beaches.

The year's allocation of moneys for expenditure upon public health was already exceeded by 30th September by £102,' but unexpected outgoings had had to be met, the chlorination of the water supply at Karori at the request of the Department of Public Health running into a big sum. Salaries were under the half-year figure, probably on account of the decease of several officers during this year, which were not balanced off by the increases recently, granted, as those were allowed for when the estimates were drawn up. The superannuation outgoings were also £600 under what had been estimated up to the end of September, no doubt largely for the same reason as that given for the underspending of salary estimates. The Ngaio subway allocation and the funds for the employment of returned soldiers, both special works, were' overspent £358 and £750 respectively. It was essential, concluded Mr. Wright, that a careful policy should be pursued.