FINANCIAL POSITION

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 61, 15 March 1929, Page 8

FINANCIAL POSITION

ELEVEN MONTHS' REVENUE

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ASHBUBTON, 14th March. A conference of county councils, tho first to be held in the South Island, assembled here to-day.

Discussing the question' of highways, tho chairman (Mr. James Carr) read tho following letter from Mr. F. W. Furkert (Chief. Engineer to tho-Public'Works Department), who apologised for his inability to attend: "With regard to the board's financial, position, the revenue fund figures for the current financial year to 28th February (11 months) are as follow: (1) Receipts from- (a) tire tax £156,853, (b) motor vehicles regis: tration and license foes £231,612, (c) motor spirits tax £621,499; total, £1,----009,964. (2) The total amount appropriated to revenue fund by Parliament for the year was £1,025,000. (3) The amounts spent from revenue fund by 28th February, 1929, (a) North Island £460,251, (b) South Island £208,223; total, £668,474. (4) Transfer . from main highways revenue fund to main highways construction fund to cover expenditure on construction of roads vadiating, from larger centres of population as per details given on introduction of petrol tax, £180,000. (5) With regard to both funds, cash .in hand at end/of February amounted to £1,170,614, while tho authorisations at same date amounted to £1,315,561, representing an excess over cash available, of £144,947. In supplying these figures it should be explained that although they,represent transactions for 11 months, the expenditure during March is much heavier than in any other month of the year, and the true position so far as the board is concerned cannot be" definitely stated until the whole of the figures for the year are made available. In regard to. the position as between the Islands, it is not possible at this stage to show it. As I have indicated, the figures supplied are for a period of 11 months only and represent cash transactions only."

After considerable discussion,'; Mr, Bowmar moved that the conference recommend the Main Highways Board to grant special subsidies where .warrant-, edand that also more secondary highways be granted generally throughout the South Island.

This was seconded by Mr. M'Guinness (Paparua) and carried with a few dissentient voices. .

Mr. M'Alpine moved that the New Zealand Counties' Conference meet alternately in the two Islands. An amendment that a South Island association bo formed was lost, but a further amendment' was carried ''-that the New Zealand Association be asked to meet annually in Wellington.-