EASTBOURNE AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 93, 21 April 1939, Page 16

EASTBOURNE AFFAIRS

STATE OF ACCOUNTS

RATE INCREASE PROBABLE

In his report on the finances of the borough at the close of the financial year, Mr. C. L. Bishop, Town Clerk, Eastbourne, stated to his council last evening that at the commencement of the 1938-39 financial year there was an amount of £2335 by way of outstanding rates. For the year just ended £11,780 was struck, making a-total of £14,115 as possible collection; £11,980 was collected (including discount allowance of £310) and £105 was remitted and written off. After adding the 10 per cent, penalty there was £2135 outstanding, as compared with £2335 at the . commencement of the year. A table showed how each year since 1934 there had been less rates outstanding. At March 31, 1934, £4764 was outstanding and at March 31, 1939, only £2135. In 1934 only 79 per cent, of the rates struck was collected and in 1938. and again in 1939 91 per cent, was collected.

The general account, said Mr. Bishop,

opened with a debit balance of £362 .and the year ended with an increased debit balance of £1568. The receipts for the year were approximately the same as those shown in the estimates but the expenditure was a good deal higher than the estimates, this being principally brought about by additional cost of street sealing, motor-lorry purchase and running, and general works.

Reporting on the separate accounts dependent on the rates, Mr. Bishop gave details "shqwing the position at the beginning and close of the" financial year. In each case the figures quoted are debits, figures at the end of the year being shown in parentheses. The total debit of the accounts at the beginning of the year were £2187 7s Id and at the end £2135 7s sd. The details are:—Hospital c-count, £70 17s lOd (£l3l 11s 9d); sanitation' account, £613 4s 4d (£383 2s 2d); water supply account, £502 8s 5d (£525 4s 7d); water and drainage loan interest, £294 10s lid (£195 9s Id); consolidated loan interest account, £354 7s 5d (£ 184 17s); consolidated loan interest account (ferry), £351 18s 2d (£715 2s lOd). Commenting on the figures the Town Clerk says it would appear that rate increases may be necessary in order to meet the full charges in future.

"That does not look too good," remarked the Mayor (Mr. E. W. Wise). "We were, however, fortunate to end the year with a smaller debit on the ferry account than we anticipated." FERRY AND BUSES. Referring to. the losses on the ferry service the Town Clerk said the position might have been much worse. The unfavourable weather during the esrlier portion of the summer seriously affected the revenue but the better weather during the past few months had enabled some improvement to be shown. The receipts for the year were approximately £500 below those for the previous year. Expenditure was curtailed as much as possible during the year and despite increased costs in respect of fuel oil, coal, and wages they were able to keep the gross expenditure down to that of the previous year.

" In regard to the omnibus department he reported that the full milage was 268,000, as against 238,000 for the previous year, an increase of 30,000. With the additional running the expenditure was somewhat heavier and increased wages and altered staff conditions also resulted in some increase in expenditure. However, the revenue had shown a steady increase, and that increase was more than sufficient to meet j the higher expenditure. The net results from the operation of the service were quite satisfactory. The profits were being capitalised and used towards the purchase of two new buses likely to be in running within the next few* months. GENERAL. The meeting was attended by Mr. E. W. Wise, Mayor, and Councillors, J. F. Rockstrow, A. H. Macandrew, V. P. Haughton, B. G. Phillips, W. H. Hornig, M. Magill, S. G. Shearer, and D. Bowie. It was decided to accept the same allocation of heavy traffic fees as in the past year. Discussing the proposal of the Government to have a main drain laid through the Hutt Valley, to discharge at the mouth of the Hutt. River after the sewage had been specially treated, .the Mayor said it was a question whether it would not have been better, instead of treating the sewage, to carry it on round ihe bays, picking up the drainage from each, and1 discharge out at the Heads. Councillor Ha'ughton said the difficulty would be to get a fall further south than the Hutt River mouth. No action was taken.

Councillor Shearer reported having met the Ratepayers' Association and had a long discussion on civic affairs. Councillor M. Magill stated that her attention had been drawn to trees in several streets, especially Makaro Street, obstructing the view of motorists at the corners. Councillor Bowie said he had been approached on the question and would bring the matter before the reserves .committee with a view to improving the position. Councillor Shearer considered that motorists should exercise more care at corners; if the council was going to cut down all trees that obstructed the view there would soon be no trees left.

An application for the erection of two dwellings on one allotment was refused.