HOROWHENUA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 153, 31 May 1937, Page 4

HOROWHENUA COUNTY

FINANCES REVIEWED. At the annual meeting of the Horowhenua County Council the clerk (Mr F. H. Hudson) presented a very interesting review of the finances covering the year ended March 31 last. In the general account the year was commenced with a credit balance of £18,037, a total of £23,736. The expenditure totalled £19,517’, leaving a credit balance of £4219. The machinery and plant maintenance account showed a credit of £7891, as compared with £7960 at the same time last year.

The total amount of rates levied for the year was £19,943, and of this sum £17,107 was collected. The figure represents a collection of 86.77 per cent., a decrease of 1.24 from the previous year. This may be attributed largely to a number of cases in which settlement of accounts has been delayed, pending the operation of the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act.

“As from January 1, 1937, No. 1 highway from Waikanae River to the Whirokino bridge and No. 60 highway from Levin to Alakerua were taken over by the Main Highways Board as State highways,” added the report. “In view of this fact the council’s share of maintenance on these highways amounted to £264 14s 6d, as compared with £741 6s 2d for the previous year. This does not, however, indicate that the reduced figure will stand as the unpaved portions of No. 60 highway remain in the care of the county and will require fairly constant attention with the increasing volume of traffic.

“Although the State has assumed responsibility for the lengths of highway mentioned, there remains for the council the annual loan charge of approximately £4913 and any tuure liability in respect to the completion of No. 60 highway. There are a further eight highways which the council continues to control, and there has been fair activity during the ye.ar in maintaining and improving their condition, the sums of £496 and £674 having been 6pent as this council’s share of maintenance and improvements respectively, thus representing a tot_al expenditure of approximately £4276 on a £3 lor £1 basis.

“In 1929 the sum of £l7O was received for motor drivers’ licenses, representing 680 licensees. For the year under review £336 was paid for 1344 licensees. The public debt of the county now stands at £152,041, this being a. reduction of £9804 a 9 compared with the previous year. During the past five years, duo to the maturity of Treasury inscribed loans and repayments of principal, the public debt has been reduced by £34,256. “There is,’’ concluded the clerk, a fair measure of uncertainty as to the bearing that prospective legislation may have upon the internal finances of rural reading authorities which, in a measure, has a tendency to operate against a long view being taken at the moment, or until a clear understanding of the limits to which the changing policy is to bo developed. Considerable thought has been given during the year to the operation or the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act and the awards which have, emerged from time to time. A good deal of new ground has been broken and from the experience thus far gained it would appear that to meet the situation it will mean either the reduc-

tion of expenditure or the laising of further revenue.” ■ Afrmki and The chairman (Cr. 0. A. Mo) other councillors congratula clerk on the report and commented upon the soundness of the finances.