MUNICIPAL ACTIVITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18298, 15 January 1923, Page 8

MUNICIPAL ACTIVITIES.

i CITY FINANCE AND WORKS. ' 1 RECORD ; PAYMENT OF RATES. ■'■ '^'' : :-' : : : :■■/'-''■ ■■'■-,■'/■ : ';./'/. ■.';.":/-/.■/. ■■'',//;;;/ ■ TRAMWAY EXTENSIONS IN HAND. 'The New 'Year; has opened well municipally in the: city r ■; Treasury returns and the prospects in respect, of-works "In band and ■■authorised.-' for. this year ~ provide further satisfactory proof that the; finan- ' cial /-'position in Auckland generally: is considerably; easier than. at this time- last year. , '■:--'/'■' , /■Outstanding ; features of the municipal activities,' and- projected ; enterprises—these showing that there;is to/be no; slackening of the pace of" the ; city's progress this year—were, discussed on Satarday by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson. The finances of the city municipality are buoyant j revenue is well/ahead /of /corresponding returns of the* ' various departments m previous years; an' extensive programme of; new work and ' improvements ,- has been provided for/ assuring steady employcient lor in any workers throughout : tins year;.-. and the" expenditure is prudently .within, the measure of the City Council's estimates, ' Altogether the progress and prospects of Auckland make for solid optimism.' ■■ • -■'■'" Ratepayers Toe The Mark. _ •'The position with regard to the cleroand lor and payment . of * the, city rates; in Auckland; during past; years ■, ha 5..... bciw«. very satisfactory," -said' Mr.>Gunson,.-,VP.ut. "conditions,.this "year show a very; .marked-. improvement. /'. Last- financial year/'the rates struck'' totalled £293,000 .; in '.round, figures, compared with £313, this year. The amount- received .- at. this time last vear was £220,554, while ; the. receipts to ihile this year /total / £247,080; / . It/wi 1. therefore : be; seen ■■'.that.'; the. /rates struck .this . year! exceed those of last year in tlm aggregate by £20,000, and that -£27,uu0 more has been ; paid in. So there is ob viously £7000 . less ./outstanding /at, this period this year than at the correspond, ing .; time last year .Since ; January ■.;■ 1, no ■ less than £42,092 has been paid. into the city treasury- on;, account of. rates/ The :fi> - st penalty : accrues; on Monday in the 'case of unpaid rates of those ratepayers wlfese notices; expire on that "date.; Later penalties follow accordingly,.': as notified on the. later,> rate notices. ; The, payment so far tin- ' month ;is pother indication that finance generally in the. city is Considerably easier /than at this ■ time last - vear. , ' . ' .'; ' The Nihotupu Dam. It was stated, by the Mayor that a very ' extensive progrnmnie of /municipal works Is /in- hand. .'The greatest . enterprise is the impounding dam at ISiho,tupu Vallevi:' This noteworthy structure will be Completed next month, in accord-/ ahco : -with -the: forecast of a.) year /'ago. Bv the end!;.of, March the. whole of the plant and special equipment - will; have been .dismantled and ; removed from; the ; ;picturesque ;■ locality.'//' This: Mr. Gunson, "ha?/caused the; council ;-' a , great deal of anxiety. Some 70 workmen . have' been almost continuously employed on this portion of the;;- extensive watershed , and the transport of thousands of tons of material has' been a: formidable task. But all the difficulties fortunately have; been overcome :'-'without : mishap at the dam, which: ; should be in full- service, as a splendid reservoir by the end of next' : 'month.. The / total .cost of /.the/ work, ■ including the payments; to the ; contractors who abandoned the contract, will not ex- -\ * ceed the £195,000 estimated last/year,/ i- This sum includes the/provision of. the bonus to;; the workers on the dam, which ■ expenditure /had/the . effect of, speed- ! ing up' the completion of the work, and I , thus; relieving 'the Overhead- charges at an ' earlier date/than/ otherwise * would have : been possible." /' :■ ' " Loan for Street Improvements. / "The policy adopted /by the /council in 1915 ;as regards streets; improvement; ..particularly concrete paving of main thor- . oughfares, ; has been : consistently ■.'carried. ', :dut,''/■continued/the/Mayoir. "The results ; have. : proved ; very successful in every way. Without a single exception the hew concrete roads have withstood .severo traffic lests/ahd it- is clear that concrete '; paying '-. as a.permanent feature of street improve- : ment is essential /for v Auckland's.-:rapidly ; increasing traffic requirements. "It -may; , be 'said without; hesitation that; the: results have justified ,an -extension of'the-; work.; This, will doubtless receive consideration 'when the concrete road works now. in > hand/have been completed; and for which financial provision has" already; been- made. , Quite six months' work on concrete pav'ing is in sight, including .the stretch /on; '■: the Great South, Road,- now in' hand, to the Harp of Erin-; 'also from the Newmarket , boundary \ to the Junction, at Epsom, -which portion will be taken in. J hand ' within a**few i weeks, ; and along the ; Great North Road. : " from '"*" Ponsohby reservoir to ?th(j^'school, It ; is, probable that, after, the completion of; street im- ' provements for which -loans 'Kwere ■/.pro-.'. /jKded. there/will, bo a credit balance. ' This will-probably be Spent on concrete '•/ paving j a length in the old city area either in Albert or, Federal Street/ or- in Wyndhjiin ■ Street, which are next'/on the ' schedule of improvements. After that, the council will -'be-;^confronted.'with'", the necessity . for seeking a new -loan authority •;• for an , extension of concrete road paving/and it- is.safe to assume that when the-time comes for it the ratepayers will sanction the necessary authority. -, ... , Financial- provision" has already been made for the projected extension* at/tlio -; city abattoirs,, for.-which -tender have been called, returnable to,the next meeting oi the council, and- tramway ti-ack and depot extensions. / The : ; Great South* Road tramway extension is now in hand. A contract "for excavation has been let to H. Bray and Co., of Onehunga,. who are coritmctors ; for the -concrete -road'.' paving; now; being done under the jurisdiction' of ] ■ the; One Tree Hill ; Road Board: With this :• tramway extension ; and the' prospec- | tive enlargements .at the" tramway depots; a busy; yeats is- assured for the ".workers i employed by.the City Council. .' /"; './/■ - *••■•*■••' -'»-■ '--■'■■'- ■'.■■' ■-..-'-/// '- ■;■ ,--■■■. /'/;■'./;■.