CITY FINANCES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22963, 15 February 1938, Page 13

CITY FINANCES

REVIEW BY MAYOB SATISFACTORY POSITION RETURNS FOR NINE MONTHS COLLECTION OF RATES "There is every indication that the financial year will close with a realisation of the estimates upon which the council's budget for the year 1937-38 was framed," said the Mayor, Sir Kmefct Davis, when reviewing the state of the city's finances, at the meeting of the City Council last night. In present iug an analysis of the statements of receipts and payments for the nine lnout lis to December 31, 1937, Sir Ernest said the jx)sition of the city's finances was satisfactory. The Mayor pointed out that the accounts aticcted by rating wero carrying debit balances, but this was perfectly normal, as the bulk of the rate revenue was not received until after the nine-monthly period, and he had excluded from his review the funds which had come to hand during the succeeding two months. Notwithstanding that compilation of the budget was based on what might be termed an optimistic anticipation of rate receipts, it was expected, from the information now available, that realisation of the estimate of rates would coincide with the close of the financial year on March 31. •;'* The General Account The council originally budgeted to collect £512,500 in rates for the year. A proportionate estimate for the nine months would give a sum,of 1 £384,375. Detailed figures supplied by the city treasurer, Mr. T. W. M. Ashty, with the Mayor's review showed that the amount collected to December 31 was £222,034, whereas a further return to February 1 showed that total collections amouuted to £466,171. Referring to the general account, which carries the responsibility for large public services, such as the upkeep of streets (actual expenditure, £75,426), parks (£26,974), traffic (£11,859), public health (£4737), and general administration (£29,497), the position was generally satisfactory, although in the case of the parks department the expenditure had not been kept within the estimates. On the halfyearly figures, submitted on November 1, expenditure on parks had exceeded the proportionate estimates for the period by £2344. At the end of nine months the proportionate deficiency was £3199. Receipts for the parks had improved, but it was impossible for them by March 31 to overtake the overexpenditure under this vote. .

\ Better Business It was worthy of special- mention that receipts for licences exceeded the_ proportionate estimate of. £24,375 by £3876. This doubtless was due primarily to improved conditions of business being reflected in the larger number of commercial vehicles required, as well as in the issue of sundry other licences.

The Mayor said he was sure the citizens would be gratified at the outcome of the year's operations and to this end individual chairmen of committees continued to exercise every care over commitments. The report was received. RAISING OF £177,000 1936 WORKS PROGRAMME Authority for raising £177,000 which was not raised on the works loan of 1936 has been received by the Auckland Citr Council. The city treasurer, Mr. T. W. M. Ashbv. stated that uptd a further issue of the £177,000 was made the council would require to finance the works under hand from the general account, since the £200,000 first issue had been expended. It was decided to issue the debentures for the £177,000 second issue over the counter with a currency from March 1. GUNS NOT WANTED OLD COASTAL WEAPONS HISTORIC VALUE DOUBTED Because difficulties wt>uld be met in the establishment of a suitable museum, a recent oiler by the Auckland City Council to hand to the Defence Department a number of obsolete guns has been declined by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. D. Jones. In a letter before the council last night the Minister suggested that, instead, the guris should be ottered to the trustees of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, or, failing this, to the National War Memorial Museum at Wellington. , , The Minister stated that the reasons for not being able to accept the otter were the expenditure incurred in transferring, remounting and maintaining the guns; the undesirability of l?! vi ng the public general access to the North Head defence area, for, to be of any value, a museum should be open to the public; the lack of a suitable,site for tlie proposed museum; and the doubtful historical value of the olu coast defence equipment. j It was decided to offer the guns to the National War Memoria Museum and that they be disposed ot if this oiler was refused. RATE COLLECTIONS INCREASE IN AMOUNT PERCENTAGE SHOWS DECREASE A lower percentage of the municipal rates had been collected at February i than was the case at the same time last year, according to figures supplied to the Auckland Citv Council last night. The total rates struck advanced from £451(5,052 to £560,050, and the estimate of collections from £445,760 to £512.500, but actual collections increased only from ' £421,233 to £46(5.17]. which represented a decrease in percentage from 94.5 to 90.96. Against this, however, 90.43 per cent, or £43.273, of the estimated collections of arrears was made. AQUARIUM AT ZOO MINISTERS' AID SOUGHT As a result of a suggestion by the curator of the Auckland Zoological •Park. Lieutenant-Colonel E. R. Sawer, the Auckland City Council decided last to ask the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, if he would subsidise from the promotion of employment. fund the construction of an aquarium at the park. The estimated of the aquarium is £II,OOO. It was also decided to ask the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. \V. E Parry, if he would use the aquarium for fishery research. The proposed tanks of fresh and salt w ater would be comparable in size to those at the Plymouth and Lowestoft Marine Biological Laboratories. England.