HAMILTON FINANCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19658, 9 June 1927, Page 14

HAMILTON FINANCES.

ESTIMATES FOR THE YEAR. INCREASES IN THE RATES. [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] HAMILTON, Wednesday. The Hamilton Borough Council met. this evening, the Mayor, Mr. J. R. Fow, presiding. The estimates for 1927-28 were approved. The total general estimated expenditure was £39,549. Tho items on the engineer's schedule amounted to £19,341, the contribution to the Waikato Hospital Board was £4622, and salaries amounted to £1700; the fire board subsidy was £1250, and the amount to be devoted to health inspection was £llOO. The total§ general receipts were estimated at £39,550. A general rate of 2 l-16d in the £ was estimated to produce £22,000. The revenue from endowments was estimated at £SIOO and the revenue from the electricity and waterworks accounts at £5250. The special and general rates, representing an increase of approximately id in each case, except Maeroa, where the increase was nearly 3d, were as follows: Hamilton, 5 7-16 d; Frankton, 5 01-32 d; Claudelands, 5 9-32 d; Maeroa, 5 13-32 d; Alexandra Street special area, l-13d. Tho water rate to be struck over the whole borough was 3£ per cent. The Mayor said the increases in the rates were all duo to the fact that loan moneys raised in recent years had heen spent and the interest and sinking ' UIIC * charges were now being met out of the general revenue. Every effort had been made to keep the estimated expenditure at the lowest possible figure, consistent with the adequate maintenance of streets and drainage facilities. Mr. J. E. Tidd commented that the amount raised by general and special rate had risen from £29,000 in 1922 to the coming year. As large amounts of loan moneys were devoted to tho upkeep of roads it was unfair that the largo amount of traffic passing through Hamilton contributed nothing. He thought this was a matter which Government should take up. The engineer stated that if roading works had not been carried out without loan monevs involving an annual expenditure of £IO,OOO, tho expenditure on upkeep to-day would be more like £25,000 Several members emphasised the fact that a large amount of the maintenance now being carried out was more in the nature of permanent works. It was considered that Hamilton compared very favourably with other towns in the matter of rates.