HOROWHENUA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 151, 27 May 1935, Page 4

HOROWHENUA COUNTY

FIN A NCES A NALYSE D. A detailed report on the finances of the Horowhonua County was presented by the clerk (Mr E. H. Hudson) at the annual meeting of that body, this week.

The report, inter alia, was as follows: —“The year commenced with a credit of £3053 available for general purposes and the receipts comprised: General rate, £12,421, Government subsidy, £1932: miscellaneous, £2673; making a total of £20,679. The expenditure covered the following items: Maintenance of district roads, £5223; share of maintenance of main highways, £1019; interest on main highway and sundry loans, £4325, and miscellaneous, £4770; a total of £15,337, leaving a credit balance of £5342. “The credit balance in the machinery and plant maintenance account at the commencement of the year was £6OBO and tlio receipts amounted to £5789, making a total of £11,869. The expenditure on wages, repairs, new truck and running expenses amounted to £4309, leaving a credit balance of £7500. Main highways construction : The sum of £llO2 was spent on No. 60 highway, including £674 on account of the Mangaore Stream bridge. The council’s share was £224 14s (id, and the balance left at credit in the loan account at the end of the year was £1647. Special grant Main Highways Board : For experimental purposes the sum of £223 was expended on No. 1 highway in the vicinity of Waikanae, being proceeds of a free grant from the Main Highways Board in connection with the curing of undulations. Government grant Otaki Gorge Road: The sum of £l2O was spent on £1 for £1 basis in the removal of slips, etc., on the Otaki Gorge Road. Uneniployment relief: The expenditure under this head a moil n ted to £4412 as compared with £9297 in the previous year.

“Rates. —A total of £18,783 was levied ill rcsi>eet of uniform general, special and separate rates, .and of this sum £15,144 was collected, representing 80.6 per cent. For the previous year £18,857 was levied and £13,957 collected, or 74 per cent. In the case of arrears of rates. £4lßl was collected, leaving a balance of £6861 outstanding. The .special 12.) per cent, rebate allowed on properties used principally for agricultural or pastoral purposes amounted to £2255.

“Conversion of loans. —One of the. outstanding features in connection with the financial operations of the council during the year was the eonversion of loans amounting to £97,740. The cost of the conversion amounted to £4B. The remaining indebtedness of the county comprises Treasury inscribed loans amounting to £46,341 and State Advances loans of £21,410, being a total of £07,751. The Treasury loans are dropping out year bv year and the State Advances loans will mature as trom 1947.”

“Jubilee of the county. —During the year the council fittingly observed the 50th anniversary of the constitution of tlie county on the Ist January, 1885, and the occasion was the means of drawing together a number of former councillors and others associated with the local government of the district. In conclusion, I desire to thank the members of the council for their helpful consideration during the year and to express my appreciation of the services of the staff associated with me.” .After making appreciative reference to the work of the clerk the chairman, Cr. G. A. Monk, pointed out that it was satisfactory to know that a. greater percentage of rates had been i collected at March 31 this year than for the previous year. He thought that , that was very much due to the iaet that ratepayers had received a rebate ~f per cent. The council had endeavoured, by careful finance, to reduce the rates as low as possible. | The chairman said that he would | like to refer to the fine work that Alrj Hudson had done as far as the conversion of the council's loans was con- ] corned. He said that few realised the i amount of detailed work that conver- | s[on entailed and the treasurer had the ; fact to contend with that in some of the loans there was not sufficient sinking fund. That had been successfully negotiated and the council definitely had had some benefit from il. 'I lie speaker made special mention of the machinery loan and the saving that had I icon effected there. ••There lias been another point which has Keen discussed verv widely and that is the position of a local body collecting rates where the Crown holds a mortgage,” continued the chairman, i Apart from the promise which had j been given bv the Minister of Finance, :

nothing had been done. This question was undermining the stability of many local bodies and the speaker thought that the. time had come when with other local bodies the county councils had to demand some recognition to rates that were due, whether the lands were Crown or any other mortgaged.

If this was done it would be one of the things which would assist to give those who did pay their rates a iHither reduction. He believed that the Horowhcnua County stood alongside any other county of similar size in the Dominion as far as low rating was concerned. The council had a fairly heavy public debt, but it was fortunate in having something to show for it. In conclusion, the speaker congratulated Mr Hudson on his year s work. .. All the other members of the council spoke in appreciation of tbe work of the clerk, also expressing gratification at the state of the council’s finances.