SATISFACTORY RESULT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20254, 23 May 1940, Page 3

SATISFACTORY RESULT

FINANCES OF COUNCIL ! PROBLEM OF MAORI RATES i CONCERN IN WAIROA i ; (S]MM*inl to tile Henild.) ! _ WAIROA. this day. “The accounts show that the council’s finances have been maintained on a sound .and satisfactory basis," stated the chairman of the Wairoa County Council. Mr. A. T. Carroll, in his report, on the work and activities of the council for the'past year presented at the annual meeting yesterday. The credit balance of the general account at the close of the year, added the report, was £6019. as compared with a credit of £7298 at the beginning of the year, while the total net credit balances of all accounts, excluding loan accounts, amounted to £10.064, .as against £16.378 at March 31. 1939. When Hie last year’s estimates were adopted it was anticipated, that the year would end with a credit balance of not more than £2500. As the council reduced the general rate for 1939-40 by ;‘d in the £1 on the previous year's levy. and. in addition, purchased out of revenue new machinery and plant to the value of £2292 2s (id, the results for the year must be regarded as satisfactory. An excellent rate collection, and the fact that the weather throughout the year was favourable and no excessive sums ot money had to be found out of revenue for flood damage repairs, were the main factors that contributed to the maintenance of the council's sound financial position. The total receipts for the year amounted to £88,675. continued the report, as compared with £99,189 for the previous ve'ar. Expenditure totalled £81.450, as against £93,482. The figures for the 1938-39 year...however, were exceptional on account of the flood of April, 1938. Collection of Rates European rate collections were exceptionally good. The percentage for the year was 97.3. as compared with 96 per cent for the previous year and the best collection experienced for a number of years. The collection of native rates, however, was not so satisfactory. An amount of £B3O 5s 3d was collected, compared with £1383 5s 9cl for the previous year During the past two years there had been a steady decline in the rates received from native ratepayers and the' position was causing the chairman some concern. To compensate for the falling oil in revenue from this source a scheme was being considered for effecting a compromise with the authorities controlling the administration of the native lands whereby the council would receive a lump sum in settlement of the large amount of native rates in arrears. It was hoped to complete the scheme during the current financial year. The public debt of the county at ‘ March 31, 1940, concluded the chairman, amounted to £115,219, as compared with £103,843 at March 31, 1939. The increase was the result of the raising of a further £15.000 of the loan of £40.000 authorised for metalling county roads and sealing the ■ Wairoa-Nu.haka section of the Gfs- 1 borne-Wairoa main highway. Repayments of the loan debt during the . year amounted to £3624 0s 2d.