BOROUGH FINANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 89, 12 October 1937, Page 4

BOROUGH FINANCE

LOWER HUTT POSITION WAIWHETU'S CLAIM The Mayor of Lower Hutt, Mr. J. W. Andrews, dealt at the council meeting 'last night with statements made in I "The Post" by the Waiwhetu Progressive Association in regard to alleged want of attention paid to the district. There were, said the Mayor, only J two ways in which desirable works | could be carried out—by raising a i loan or by increasing the rates —and j if the ratepayers cared to indicate that either of these courses would be agreeable he was prepared to accede to their wishes. At present the council ' was giving full value for every £, and was trying to deal justly with every part of the borough. Ratepayers should remember that before the council could spend one penny it had to meet £45,351 in fixed charges. Interest, sinking fund, and principal accounted for £17,370, street lighting £1650, hospital charges £9570, and administration £16,761. The estimated expenditure for the current year was £57,810, but when the fixed charges were met there was left only £12,459 for expenditure on engineering and reserves. Last year, however, the council collected only 84.67 per cent, of the rates, and on that basis the rate revenue this year would be only £49,100, so that after fixed charges had been met there was not a large amount left. The council was faced this year with a decrease in its building permit fees. During the last four years the council had done 343 chains of footpath reconstruction of which 226 chains or 66 per cent, was in the Waiwhetu district; 3180 chains of footpath sealing, of which 620 chains was in Waiwhetu, or 20 per cent.; 184 chains of road reconstruction of which 114 chains or 62 per cent, was in Waiwhetu, and 601 chains of road sealing, of which 224 chains, or 37 per cent, was in Waiwhetu. The population of Waiwhetu was under 20 per cent, of that of the borough arid he believed it would be found that the rate revenue for Waiwhetu was not more than 20 per cent. From this it would be seen that if any district had had a "good spin" it was Waiwhetu, as the expenditure outlined averaged 46.25 per cent, of that of the borough. In the last five years 29.6 per cent, of the borough's expenditure had been allocated to Waiwhetu. Councillor P. Dowse said he thought that 29.6 per cent, was not an unfairly large percentage for Waiwhetu. There were a number of streets there which were grossly neglected. The streets on the east side of Waiwhetu Road were apparently blacklisted, as nothing was spent upon them. Councillor W. A. F. Hall also said the area was neglected. Councillor R. M. Russell took exception to the criticism of Councillor Dowse who, he said had a hand in drawing up the schedule of streets when the estimates were before the council, and if there was blame he must take his share. It was untrue to say that streets east of Waiwhetu Road were neglected. Money had been spent on these streets and they were in much better condition than many more important streets in Alicetown. Pharazyn, Aglionby, and Leary Streets were in much worse condition, and Knight's Road required more attention than the streets in question. The Mayor closed the discussion ; by saying that many improvements were most desirable in Waiwhetu, but the council was endeavouring to spend the available money fairly.