The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY APRIL 14, 1908. TUESDAY APRIL 14,1908.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 14 April 1908, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY APRIL 14, 1908. TUESDAY APRIL 14,1908.

THE ESTIMATES AND THE INCREASED RATES. THE estimates of receipts and expenditure for the coming year now under consideration by the Nelson '-ity Council include several nonrecurring amounts that necessitate a heavy increase ia the current rates. It is proposed 'o make tho coming years rates ..total- 2s 7d in the pound, an increase on last year of 4%d. Tho matter was referred to by Cr. Fiold whon protesting against ' tho heavy levy which the Hospital and Charitable Aid Eoard is making on the City Council this year for the purpose of building a new Old People's . Jl-me. • • • • « The non-recurring amounts that fall ' "ito the coming year come to no less ' than £1672, «, ua lli a g about S 1-33 in ' the pound. They are as follows:— Special levy for Old People's _ Homß 672 | Purchase money for Sands B-e---•mvo 300 Full interest on Drainage Ltaa, - wliieh has to be paid at tho same time ns the full amount of night soil fees... ( say, . 7o(, £1679 * ■ ■ s a l .

It is unfortunato that in tliia year the Council should have to pay the full amount of sanitary fees (£1000), which will be saved when the drainage is completed, loss the expenses ot pumping, etc., and aJso the intor'cnt oil the full amount oT the Drainago Loan. • • # • The estimated expenditure for the coining year is based on the actual •xpenditure of last year. In the following table the proposed alterations may be seen at o glance: — Last year's This year's expenditure* estiiridts. s £ Office charged 459 saO Printing, etc. 147 155 Insurance, stamps, etc. 242 250 Streets 2796 2800 Prevention of fires 243 400 Lighting 520 550 1 Plaeea of public recreation 424 4f!o Nightsoil fees, etc. 1048 1000 Interest 1429 1500 Uuder Section 159 29 50 Gen. contin, 359 400 Purchase money, Sands Reserve 300 In the foregoing table we leavo out of consideration the Abattoir, the expenditure on which — including interost £300— is placed at £1300, and the receipts of which are estimated at the same amount. • ♦ • • • The rateablo value of the property on the valuation roll this year is £76,200. A penny in the pound on this amount equals £316. The rateable value for the past three years ia as follows: — 1906 £68,509 1907 73,124 1908 76,200 The increase this year is £3076) against an increase last year of £4615. » ♦ » ♦ The proposed ratds this year co-n--pare as follows with last year: — 1907 3908 ». d. b. d. Gonernl rate 19 17 Water rate 0 2V4 0 1 Drainage 0 3 0 6 Charitnble Aid, included in general rate last year 0 5 Total 2 2W, 2 7 * * • • • It has been thought advisable this year to sepa'ate tile Hosp'ltal had Charitable Aid rate so that the rate payers may see what they are paying on this account. The amount levied last year was £772; the amount lovied this year is £1512; or last year it was equal to about 2 l-3d, and this year to 5d in the pound. The Drainage rate at 6d in the pound novr covors interest on Mie full amount of the Drainage loan. Part of this loan is on fixed deposit, but the Council has not taken into consideration the small amount likely to bo recvieed from this source. • • A c • Tfhe Council estimates that if it 'teeps the actual expenditure within its estimate, it will increase its ovordraft by the sum of £233 at tho ond of tho year. This, of course, does not allow for any profits from the gasworks, etc., which, if everything is as profitable as last year, should again reduce the overdraft by somo three thousand pounds. It may be asked why the Council does not tako this into consideration, and abstain from increasing the rates. The Council, however, is wise in not attempting to anticipate profits before they are made. But if tho Council could see its way to leave the rates at the amount at which they stood when the present Council came in, tho ratepayers would bo well satisfied. This would mean an increaso in the rates of 2>/£d in the pound, equalling the amount of reduction in the rates last year when the present Councillors took office. Possibly this could be done by distributing tho non-re-curring expenditure over two years instead of one.