HOKIANGA COUNTY FINANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22620, 7 January 1937, Page 13

HOKIANGA COUNTY FINANCE

Sir, —In the llkhald of December 9 the chairman of the Hokianga County takes exception to the restrictions placed 011 the county overdraft proposals by the Audit Office, complaining that this action makes it difficult for tiie county to carry on. According to the balance-sheets of three counties similar to Hokianga the greatest amount paid for bank accommodation was £lO, while Hokianga for the same period paid out £BIO. By diverting this sum from the road maintenance account Hokianga lost about £2988 in road maintenance moneys in that year. To set out the uneconomical methods adopted by the council, resulting in the excessive overdraft borrowing will necessitate digressing a moment. The Hokianga County consists generally of rolling to steep grazing country of good quality, but, in the writer's opinion, not generally suited for intensive settlement. To provide an economical roading system for the county, low in annual charges, it was most important that the geological formation, topographical features, the occurrence of heavy sub-tropical storms, which cause slips and erosion, be taken into account, in conjunction with the possible volume of traffic. When redesigning the county road system, to give access to the freezing works, the railway and road system eastward, the writer urged the adoption ,of high standard wearing quality metal, concrete culverts and small bridges, and steel and concrete in the larger bridges, in place of steel and timber, or timber only, and a moderate standard of alignment, with compensated grades on curves, to allow for future improvement, as increased traffic warranted. A section of the council insisted upon adopting standards bevond thrt requirements of the Public "Works Department policy of designing, "in accordance with the requirements of the area served, and the users' ability to pay," and the standard of widths set l>.v the Main Highways Hoard. Moreover, the location of roads and bridges, and the design of work was interfered with, causing heavily increased expenditure to repair losses thus caused. As an example of increased costs, a block of land containing about 6000 acres required roading. The writer located a road system to give access to every ratepayer in the block, estimated to cost £IO,OOO, ot which under £.'JOO was for legalisation expenses. The location was altered by a majority of the council, the estimated cost of the new location being in the vicinity of £30,000 —of which over £IBOO was for legalisation costs, more than the land was worth. In another case a bridge site was located by the writer for which a 40-loot concrete bridge could have been built for about £SOO, the annual costs for such a structure 1 being under £4O. 'I he site was altered to a location requiring a bridge 200 feet long, the actual cost being over £IBOO in steel and timber, the annual charges being over £2OO. Space does not allow the statement of numerous additional causes culminating iu the present financial position of"the county, but it may be summed up generally in over capitalisation of the county "services, and the use of too much temporary material, which added to the previously indicated methods of administration cause all round increased annual costs resulting in the diversion of moneys into channels where little or no subsidy can be claimed. It would appear that the Audit Office is endeavouring to guide the council into better methods of finance, and, if successful. a service will bo rendered to the ratepayers and taxpayers. John Kelly, M.N.Z.S.C.E.