Borough Finances.

Hastings Standard, Volume XII, Issue 4131, 16 April 1909, Page 5

Borough Finances.

.CONGRATULATORY ■ svi:e< hes.

At last eight's meeting of the Borotlp. - -j-uncil, Cr Roach said that as the uTPfTring that evening was the last which would be held by the p-csent Ma\or and councillors, he ■would take the opportunity of moving that the usual honorarium of £IOO be voted to the Mayor for his services. Hastings had made considerable progress during the last three years as regarded Borough matters, and a good deal of credit was due to the Mayor for his good management in Council business. Cr Cunnold seconded the motion. a?d in doing so said that councillors recognised the difficulties with which a chairman has to contend in discharging his duties, and during the last two years the difficulties had been increased through so many changes in the Council. However, he desired to congratulate the Mayor upon the success which had attended his efforts. Cr Styles said that he could heartily endorse the remarks of the previous 'speaker, and fully recognised that if His Worship erred in his rulings, it was always towards the young Councillors, notwithstanding that he had been advised to "leg-rope the fiedgings." From what he (the speaker) could see things were not run quite in the same old style since the entry of the 'fiedgings." Cr Miller said that he had got many a rap from the Mayor, but he did not mind that, he felt that the young Councillors had given His Worship a good deal of trouble and deserved all they got. Cr Fowler said that as a young Councillor who never gave His Worship any trouble (laughter), he could endorse the many nice remarks made, and he was now convinced that the Mayor had been so successful in conducting meetings of the Counc 1, he was capable of conducting any public body in the Dominion. Crs George, Cassin and Donovan also spoke in congratulatory terms. The Mayor, in replying, said that he could assure councillors that he appreciated their kindly remarks, much more than the honorarium which they had voted him. A matter which had always given __ him great pleasure in conducting Council meetings was the fact that whether councillors considered this ruling right or wrong they had al- \ ways readily obeyed the ruling. In his opinion that was the proper way to carry out business at Council meetings. If members could prove the chairman's ruling was wrong, then they should discuss it at the conclusion of the meeting. He, for one, was only too pleased to have j his mistakes brought under his no- i tice. In reply to Cr Fowler, he j might say that he did not loQk upon j anv councillor as having given trouble, and he (the Mayor) had always recognised that ecu cillors had quite as much right tj their opinions as he had to his. He was only too glad to ?ee members take an active interest [ in their dutLs. The man who could rot take a cLfeat could not appseciate a success. (Applause.) # He had met with many defeats in his time, and h"d of'.en felt thankful for them. Before resuming his seat he desired to place before councillors a few facts and figures in connection with last year's work. The position of the borough at the present time ■was as .follows : Although 990 acres have been severed fn3m the area, the rates increased from £5255 l- 7 s /d (inclusive of the 10 per cent' penalty and Government subsidy) to £6760 17s lOd, an increase of £1505 ; s 3d. The only outstanding rates were for the year ending March 31st last, and upon such a satisfactory condition of affairs Mr J. Collinge, the Borough treasurer is to be congratulated, as few treasurers can say the same.

The total revenne received in the general account (exclusive of temporary loans) was £BQS3 Is sd, as against £74-7 3s 7d in IQO7-08, an increase of £1.455 I7s iod. Auctioneer's licenses decreased by £l3O, building permits by £73. ißs, and re-imbursement of expenditure £iqß 19s ?d. The year was commenced with a •debit balance of £1465 2s 3d and «rided with a debit balance of £2592 17s lid. an increaee of £1127 15s Bd. The increased debit balance is accounted for to a considerable extent by the purchase of land and plant, as the following details -show : —Bridge pah quarry lOs ; Fernhill quarry £23 ; fencing Bridge pah £66 7s; nightsoil cart £6l is; St raker waggon £899 lOs ; road making plant £l5B 14s ; implement shed £B6igs; explosive magazine £99 8s •6d ; borough plan and tracings £ll6 2s 6d ; tar boiler £7B is 2d. sewerage reports £2Ol 15s Bd—total £2191 8s WI lodr" L .kast vear the amount expended csfPstreets and footpaths totalled £4287 4s 6d; for the previous year the amount expended was £3630 2s <}d, showing an increase for this year of £657 is 9d. It should be noted that shingle carting cost only £79/1 14s as against £1561 Os iod for the previous year. For the last three years the carting of metal cost £3,254 9s id. Although metal carting cost £771 6s iod less during the year just ended, the expenditure on the streets and paths of a permanent nature was increased by £1428 8s 7d. The total length of asphalted

streets is J J chains, of which 66 chains have been done during the last three years. 414 chains of footpaths were tarred, 32[ chains being done during the last three years. Theje are now 384 chains of concrete channelling and kerbing in the borough, 216 being completed during my term of office at a cost of £I6OO.

Last year street lighting and new lamps cost £430 17s 4d as against £2BB I2s lid during the previous year, an increase of £145 4 s s^l- - and tcols cost £863 6s as against £443 6s 8d the previous year. Labourers'wages £1351 15s Id, as against £9BO 15s 3d for the preceding 12 months. As regards expenditure in connected with sewerage, kerbing and channelling, and other works of a permanent nature, he considered that it should be paid for by raising a loan, as it was unfair to ask the present generation to pay for permanent works out of revenue. In vacating the chair, he, did so with a great deal of regret, especially as he had decided to retire from public life for a time. He could look back upon Council meetings with very great pleasure, as he had always been treated most courteously by councillors, and they had been ever ready to give him their best assistance in the conduct of the meetings, for which he heartily thanked them (Applause).