GUY ESTIMATES ADOPTED

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12196, 22 July 1925, Page 11

GUY ESTIMATES ADOPTED

SIXTY-NINE THOUSAND POUNDS SHORT OF ORIGINAL FIGURE STREETS AND RESERVES SUFFER MOST “ONLY SPECIAL WORKS REALLY AFFECTED" , After a discussion extending over 2} hour*, the Wellington City Council, at a special meeting yeaterday, adopted the estimates for the current year, members agreeing, with but two exceptions, to reductions totalling over £68,000 recommended by the Finance Committee. It was agreed also not, to increase the rates at present. In addition to the works which had been completely dropped from the estimates, a reduction of 10 per cent on other important items has been placed in a contingency 1 fund of £20,000. The items upon which the discussion centred were reserves and street works.

On this occasion the finance committee of the council has received the sum-, marised estimates from each committee, and allocated a stipulated sum, leaving the domestic regulation to he effected by the individual committees themselves. It was intimated by the Mayor (Mr C. J. B. Norwood) that, come what may, the amounts to which the council had been committed during last year would be met. The figures given below enumerate the list of items of work upon most of which a reduction has been made. The'estimated receipts for the current year in the general account are set out as -6263,837, and the original expenditure was figured to aggregate .£267,919. The finance committee, however, reduced this to ,6213,217 by cutting 10 per cent, off some of the items enumerated. :3 , The most important of the -items aPO given below:—

Motor workshop 3,492 7,200 The waterworks, library, street lighting and hospital and charitable aid accounts were left untouched by the committee. The interest and sinking fund on loans totals £85,671, which, less rents receivable, is reduced to £76,171. The consolidated interest rate, at lid in 'the £, is £76,912. Following is a detailed lUt of the estimates in the general account, the figures in parentheses representing that for last veer:— RECEIPTS Bents—reclaimed land (£39,889) ; -£39,, 400, market reserve (£1885) £IBBS, Pahk atna (£883) £IOOO, sundries (£1888) £13501. licenses—auctioneers’ (£1663) £1660, dogs (£1416) £ll2O, publicans’ (£1902) £I9OO, vehicles and drivers* (£2261) £2500, wholesale (£407) - £4OO, other licenses' (£2940),£3100; building fees (£3724), £3750; cemetery and crematorium fees (£27851, £3280; Government subsidy (£450), £150;Town Hall (£3602), £3600; baths (£848).' £1200; public lavatories (£602), £700; sinking fund commissioners, annual payment (£400), £100; reserves (£6890),;. £7500: encroachment fees (£264), £280: Fire Brigade account, rent and services (£2305). £2400; Gas Co-, Ltd,, annual payment.(£Bßß >. £950; Zoo (£lo7sfe£»W;£; forward from last year. £5190- loan-Japi"-counts for services, £8200; general-Tate) 2 7-lCd in the £, £166,137: transfer from waterworks account, £9485. "V' EXPENDITURE Street works (£71,670),. £66,805; scavenging and street watering; (£18,874), £16,260: eolleetinD and destruction of refuse (£17,398), £16,200; drainage (£20,928), £19,634; rue brigade (£16,0687, £14,490i reserves, ordinary (£21,551). £18,132; .reserves special. 4£664»,. - £2640; ceinetery (£37?7), claries (£1g;322) ( £18,322; oaths andf bea£hes'(£3l62), £3w)o<; I’oivn Hall (£5161), .£3000; printing, advertising, and stationery (£02879), £2610; aanita>y'services (£29G6), £03000; Technical School (ordinary subsidy) (.£300), £000; subsidy to bands (£320), £320; Zoo, ordinary <£4254', £3780; Zoo, special, £500; upkeep corporation property /£472), £4do; Government street traffic control (ill 074), £1100; city conveniences (£2009), £2250; motor workshop (£8492), £7200; Boys' Institute (£200), £200; Free Kindergarten "Union (£100), £100; Workers' Education* al, Association (£100), £100; superannuation (£4675), £5000; retiring pensions (£2392), £2400; sundry. . wages (£5503), £5500; Harbour Board, rent (£1000;, £1000; unauthorised (sec. 121, public revenue account) (£1096). £1100; cost of elections, £2000; insurances (£S3OV £530; public health (£828), £1200; accident appropriation (£1000). £2000; dog registration expenses (£eos), £800; general expenses and miscellaneous (£2810), £2BOO. Special expenditure-Soldiers' memorial (city), £SCOO; soldiers' memorial (Karori), £525; Ngaio Town Hall, furniture, etc., £500; entertainment American Fleet, £2000; Wellington Provincial Court, New Zealand Exhibition. £1500; Technical School building, £5000; land purchase. £4813. GREATER CALLS ON FINANCE When the council met the Mayor -explained that ths finance. committee had ‘ received the estimates in their entirety, and had decided not to reduce the rates If this view was supported by the Coun(i! there would remain only the ouestion’ of allotting the amounts which had b*en reduced—for substantial rednetions had been made tentatively, pending the decision of the council. He understood that it wa* the policy of the council to proceed with loan work* as quickly as possible, hut be thought the estimates should be given prior attention, "While v the amount at our disposal i*» the same\as last year," he said, "the cf»m unon our finance are much 'ireafer. The damge done by 'rain, the £SOOO vote to the Technical School Board, the de*> .nation of £SOO to the Tongflrird Park, the epterta i mnent of the fleet, and tj»« soldiers' memorial, are a drain, and all a policy of great care. I consider thi« is not a proper time to advise '.he raising of the rates, and after weighin? vn the who*e position, belipve that we will f*et though nothing that is will be left. Some matters that have previously bepu diverted are agrin cost aside, but nothing has> been deducted from the expenditure upon rrd*narv maintenance. The cut has taken, place only in the special work. T nig*est. that we applv our«elves to. pushing on the street works You have a big yean before yon. and I advi~e that jcu iperhte vour finance on ea low a as possible to reduce the. heavy calle. STREETS HAVE FIRST CALL "We. of course, have the contingency fund of 10 per cent., but this merely places in ronr hands an opportunity of utilising tfiis money if any special/work becomes hece*6arv. If tb4 .'finance committee is to. fubetion as a finance committee. it must bar« monev at its disposal to .provide for cont ; noencics. For this reason T the establishment of this contingency account' biggest question Von have to consider is that of rates. About £69,0f10 has teen tftken out of the aggregate estimates, ni d I want to ehow you to what extent yen will have to rifae flu* rates to provide , for all the work to be done. The reserves committee has been made to shoulder, most of the cut. Councillor Wright: On, no; that i* not right The Mayor: IVoporiionntctv ao, In conHnuinor the Mayor saixl.a great deal of the reductions repjrescvptgd works that should rightly be carried out ty

caoital expenditure, and while he wished to do as much as possible out of revenue the "üblip should have the final say in, these matters. The first duty of the council, in the speaker's opinion, was in the streets. He suggested that the council should immediately vote upon the question of whether the rates should be raised or not. and indicate a definite policy 1n this matter. ..—-

Councillor Luckie said that while appreciating the Teluctonce of the committee to Taise the rates, and the fact that the bulk of the special work should done out of capital expenditure, h e would also point out that nad the :work authorised last year been carried out Jn time, it would have been charged to last year, and be paid for before this. He contended that amounts totalling £2710 over and above loan monies b>. which .the council had been committed, 'should ,be paid. • . The Mayor tendered hie assurance tl at 'any amonnt to which the council was el'jteadv committed would be paid.

a ten per CENT. RETAINED Councillor Wright said the reserves epnijnittee had only £2328 left oVer-froih lasf f year. He did. not agree that the reserves committee had suffered most by the cut, but contended that the'works comjnittee (of which he is chairman) had received a severo blow. He could not reason how the committee could reduce the estimates by a further £19,000, as the finance committeo suggested. W I realty don't know what we are to do/' he said "I think the best one can do is to Bhut our eyes and let things go ahead. Some-works have been on the estimates for a very long time, and will soon have to receive some consideration. If yon- allocate -£IO,OOO of your £20,000 contingency we will be able to carry on in the works committee." (Laughter.) The Mayor'said hie could not see how the council could finance the year upon' 'the original estimates.. "You spent £7l>-' 670 on street®“last'y^’r/^he'-said, "aneb it :was. proposed to - spend £74,29££hi s year." •' - .'••• • A pouncillofr : You' havac not got the money. • •- The Mayor r I kriow ; we>'havb nob; but ire are only holding Back- 10 per cent. It is entirely, in your hands to be distributed in the best interests of the 'city. • The- Major moved that the council deemed it inadvisable'-at present to inbreak the ijf various works were'';±s) Jto; carried Out., within its finance.- v - ’'•"•vij.jl .' seconded. ■- PUBLIC” r said the council ?was putting .qefore the horse, and referred tb th<r ml action from £74,->2B£--tp' £66.865 on ftm-Astynates for street works—£4Bos less maftCfne lasfrVearis expenditure in ’ whereas it had originally been, considered necessary to spend £97,565'- oh tfeb work. This placing of works bn t the? estimates year after year and. cutting them off again Councillor Monteith ’termed as "kidding to the He considered that if the finance committee wished to make such substantial reductions, * th© Mayor should make an several items, which he oire of whicTi was the collectiony'df refuse. In spite of the fact that the growth of the city meant' the * accumulation of more rubbish, the-amount devoted to collection had been reduced. vjn response to an interjection by a councillor in respect to the £20,000 contingency. Councillor Monteitji said: “This £20,000 is. going to buy the universe. It is the biggest joke I have heard for a long time. You cannot use the £20,000 in one department and give it to all the other departments as prell. Everyone will be chasing it, and in- the fiziisn someone will certainly go short. No provision has been made for salaries — and some of our officerS are overworked—while the city conveniences have also been overlooked.* The new ones have been-secured out of. loan iponies. The items sHonld have been given to us, because if want to know what is going to be dropped. - • The Mayor:-Are you prepared to increase the rates by over £68,000? Councillor Monteith then referred to drainage, and said that although there were more houses in the city and that * £26,928 had been spent last year, the estimate for this year had . been reduced to £lo,634—and by £1294 from last year's figure. LOAN FOR SPECIAL WORK Councillor G. A. Troup said in the reserves department £2846 had been allowed for special works to which the council had been committed, valued at £8347, but the pavilion at the Basin Reserve alone, £2710, exceeded tjbe amount allowed for the whole special work. He thought the works should have been placed, on the list of certainties;' as the council was already committed, to them; The' Mayor:.They - have not. been overlooked Councillor Higgins said it was a busi-' nesslike procedure to first be assured-of Tevenue before fixing the expenditure. Certainly the council was - committed to some expenditure—and it was intended to pay it—eventually. He thought if the ratepayers were • asked ' they sanction a group loan of, .say, £IOO,OOO to provide for all thA special works that might be required over a period of two yeays. During the year, over £15,00p had been given away %o various concerns, and he considered this too big'a drain upon the finance at the disposal of thecouncil. He supported the resolution. . Councillor Burns said some method of securing the necessary finance to meet the requirements of a growing city would have to be found. Most of the work cut out had affected the - outlying districts, which had been promised "all sorts of things" until the time for the expenditure actually arrived, when an entirely different tale was told. An effort should bo made to meet this increasing demand. , Certainly an increase of about 25 per cent, in the rates, would be neceisary. The Mayor i More than that—a little over pne-third. Councillor Burns: They afe suffering bad roads and bad lighting. . Out of the special works, £26.000 had been allocate for the outlying districts, and all of- this has bfeeh deleted. He laughingly suggested that the suburbs be given half of the Contingency of £20,000. "NURSING” THE RESERVES Councillor Burp comolained that the figures placed before the council were not reliable, inasmuch as the reductions had not been enumerated, and advocatedv "nursing'- the work on reserves; Councillor H. D. Bennett explained that the finance committee had decided that the whole total of estimates be fixed first, and allot the various committees certain amounts. Then .each committee would have to investigate and decide how best to allot the grant. The whole

trouble lay at the basis of rating, and the speaker advocated a revision of the whole system. The works committee would assuredly dispose of the £24,000 which it required, ana although a greater number of men would be employed, some means of saving ' money on street work should be sought. Councillor It. Semple asked what amount had been deducted from special works, also why councillors had not received a copy fog.jperusal. Councillor MclCeen: you cutting out the whole of the special work. The Mayor: Oh, no. Councillor MeKeen: You have only £40,271 for the whole of special works. The Mayor: Yes, and of that £23,271 is being taken out of thoso in the engineers department. Continuing, Councillor Semple said the estimates represented a policy of stagnation, inasmuch as those outlying districts which had joined the city had been strangled instead of being encouraged.. HLs opinion was that in twelve months the council would be as badly off os ever. Hence he advocated the authorisation of a loan as had been suggested. "If there is no other way out," he said, "tell the people that we cannot carry on without raising the rates, but if we can manage to, survive and secure money elsewhere, then let us do 60." A HEATED REPLY Councillor Semple proceeded to complain that the councillors did not know where they were in the matter —even the Mayor himself did not appear to know where he was. The Mayor. Do not exaggerate the position Councillor Semple: I am not exaggerating. .. You yourself have told us that we are not to take any notice of this summary. Are you prepared to recommend that the council approach the ratepayers? The Mayor said that if the council could see its way to do the works out of capital expenditure, let it be done, but he did not want to see the rates go up -by £68,000 all in one year. Councillor MeKeen, in discussing the position, complained that the methods upon which the estimates were drafted were wrong,, and in reply to a laughing interjection by Councillor Luckie replied hotly: "The last time I was at the Zoo I heard a sound similar to that.*" Councillors Luckie and Aston rose to a point of order, the latter expressing the opinion that Councillor MeKeen was "anything but gentlemanly." Councillor MeKeen said there was "a certain councillor here not courteous, and he hits I will hit baclc/V

The Mayor: Proceed with your speech. Councillor MeKeen, in proceeding, criticised the neglect of certain works, for which he considered provision should have been made. t These included public conveniences, footpaths, r and more attention to the development of Miramar. The constitution of the finance committee was wrong, he concluded. Councillor Wright explained that the £SOO<L mentioned 'as provided for the had been listed last year, and would therefore not be.ai charge upon this year's estimates. ; v The Mayor's resolution that the .rates remain as last year was carried. The estimates, as submitted 1 , acre then adapted, -Councillors Luckie and McKeem voting against the resolution.

Spent last This years year. estimate. £ £ Street works . .. 71.670 66,865 Scavenging and street * ' • watering .. 13.871 16,200 Collection and destruction refuse ... .. 17,398 16,800 Drainage .. 20,928 19,631 Fire Brigade .. 16,068 14,490 ■ .Reserves (ordinary) .. 21,551 18,432 Reserves (special) ... 2 M0 Salaries .. 18.322 18322