THE TAIERI COUNTY FINANCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7723, 18 November 1886, Page 4

THE TAIERI COUNTY FINANCES.

Mr John Roberts, chairman of the Taieri County Council, has addressed the following memorandum to the council:—

In view of the fact that the indebtedness of the county has increased very considerably tluriug the past 18 months, I have thought it advisable to submit to the council an analysis of the expenditure during the 12 mouths endiug 31st Mdrch last aud the six months endiug 30th September, together with an estimate ot the revenue for tho now current year, so that it may be considered in what way the expenditure cau ba curtailed so that a substantial reduction of the liabilities may take place. There can bo no doubt of the absolute necessity which exists for the iucreaso of the strictei-t economy with tlie view:—First, to payiug off the debt; and second, after the debt is paid, of reducing, if possible, tha rates levied in the county. Property holders of all kinds are feeling the hard times very severely, and I venture to say that it is the bouuden duty of this council to do all iv its power to reduce expenditure to tho lowest point consistent with the proper mainteuauce of roads and bridges. From the attached statement it will be seen that the expenditure for the 12 months ended 31»t March last was as follows :— On maintenance of roads ... ... £2,833 ~ New wurka ... ... ... 2,339 ~ Kepalra to bridges and other works... 1,510 i, Departmental expenses ... ... 1,727 Total ... ~.' .„ £8,.i09 It is scarcely possible to adjust the expenditure so that each riding secures for its own wants as much as the reveuue derived from it, as the roads near Dunedin must of necessity require a largtr outlay for maintenance than those where the population is sparse. I think, thereore, solong as a uniform rate is struck, no councillor should find fault with the distribution of the' fuuils 011 road maintenance so long as each district gets its own wants fairly attended to. A good deal of misapprehension seems to exist in the mmds of many ratepayers in the county as to how the funds of the council are expended and with the view to placing quite clearly bow each riding has been dealt with I have added to the schedule of expenditure for the year ended 31st March a column showing the income derived from each riding during the same period. This will show at a glanco what has been the income and the expenditure of each riding.

The sura of £1727 seemed very large under the head "Departmental expenditure"; and so that councillors may understand what is included under this, I giva the subjoined analysis: Salarie3-Clcrl(, £250; Inspector of roods, £230; inspector of BlaugUter-houses, £H ••» ... ... £508 Engineers'commission ... '" 394 Charitable aid ... ... .;„ J,j 5 llirds' heads and eggs, bird poison, See. . 108 Printing; advertising, a d ttationery ... 85 I'ostage and telegrams ... 13 Legal expenses ... .., jqj Klection expenses ... ... ,„ 29 Interest and exchanges ... •. \", jjtifl Collection of dog tax ... ... ,„ ,17 Total ... ,„ ~^j I do not think that the departmental expenditure during tho current year will be less than the past, for, while if new works are discontinued or very much reduced the commission payable to the engineers will be very materially reduced, the saving on this item would be counterbalanced by a substantial increase for charitable aid. Cuuncillors are doubtless aware that what may, 1 fear, ba called tho "poor rate" is materially increased, and the probable contribution for charitable aid this year will be the not inconsiderable sum of £650. The revenue for the now current year is estimated at— From rates, at fd In the pound ... £1157 „ Liceusts ... ... ... 329 ~ Government grant belongina to 1885-6, and not paid till 1886-7' 93? . „ Government grant for 1888-7 ... 1000 „ Miscellaneous ... ... (joi Total... ... ,„ JJ7U22 The foregoing estimate includes two years' subsidy from the Government under the Local Bodies' Finance aad Powers Act. It Is just possible, however, that the subsidy payable during the current year may not be paid until after the financial year has closed, as was the cose last year; and in this case the revenue would fall short of the estimate by £1000. The indebtedness of the county on 31st March was £3077 17s (owiug on bank overdraft); and as it is extremely desirable that a substantial reduction should be made during the current year, I submit for the council's Consideration a suggestion for tho curtailment of expenditure which, if carried out, will muan a reduction of the liabilities by about £1850. I propose that the expenditure should be limited to £5150, and I suggest the following appropriation :—

Maintenance of roads ~. ... ... £1 800 Departmental expense, ic." ... ... ijoo Amount already expended on new works up lo3oth September ... ... ,fii,o76 Contracts on haud for repairs of bridges, &c. ... „. 682 1,658

Total ... . £5(158 A glance at the schedule of expenditure for the six months ending 30th September will show that the foregoing is quite practicable, provided the council will exercite economy in every possible way and undertake no new works for the remainder of the year. One-half of the now current year is over, and I see not tho slightest difficulty in carry out this programme. The amount expended on new works during the six months ending 30th September (£1070; is chiefly made up of the following items:— Taieri river punt, £350 (£2OO paid by Government, and two-thirds of balance due by. Bruce County Counc 1); road to Silver Peat, £200 (Government pay two-thirds); Hindon roads, £384 (all repaid by Government from deferred p-iyment money); roadHeuley to Berwick, £70 (all paid by county). At the present time the county is committed to the following outlay on repairs' to bridges and new works:—Road Henley to Berwick, £40 (balance of contract payable by county); Taieri Biyer punt, £169 (approaches and extras, twothirds payable by Bruce County); Silverstream bridge, £166 (repairs all payable by county); new metal for road Green Island to Brighton, £40 (payable by county); culvert near Cray, £40 (payable by oounty); Hindon roads, £57 (payable by Government); new culvert near Kirltland's, £69 (payable by county); total, £581. Subsidies may not long be continued, and if they should cease it is manifest that the revenue

of the county with a Jd rate would just be about sufficient to undertake 1 he absolutely necessary work. I would therefore, in view of this, again urge the council to keep a watchful eye on all expenditure, so that rates may be kept down to the lowest possible amount. I cannot sayl approve of subsidies, as it seems a round about way of collecting money for such purposes. All subsidies are paid out of the Consolidated Revenue, and as this is made up by taxation in some form or another, I am of opinion that it would be much better if the Government would reduca taxation by an amount equal to the subsidies and allow the local bodies to raise all the funds they require by rates of their own. Until such time as. every penny which thelncal bodies expend is raised by direct rates, we can never hope for economical administration. I see no reason why the present debt of the countyshouldriotbeliquidatedby March 31,1888, and I trust the council will ever keep a watchful eye on the expenditure, so .that this desirable end may be accomplished.' Once the debt is extinguished, I do not anticipate for one moment that further debt will not be incurred, as I can foresee many contingencies which may and will arise, causing expenditure which cannot be defrayed out of an ordinary year's income; but the" comfort of having no debt when such a contingency does arise will be great compared with what it will be should it have to be faced when the county is in an involved position. I trust the foregoing information may prove useful to the council and ratepayers of the county, and be the means of bringing about economy in the administration of the comity's affairs. The following shows the expenditure for the year ended March 31 last: — Wakari Riding.—Expended on road maintenance, £103158 6d; on repairs to bridges and other works, £20; proportion of deparmentalexpenditure, including bauk interest, £34 4s; total expenditure, £157 19a Od. Total income fer year, £87 3s lOd. North Taieri Biding.—Expended on road maintenance, £126 8s j on repairs to bridges and other works, £103 19s; proportion of departmental expenditure, including bank interest, £U6 9s Id; total expenditure, £376 Ids id. Income for the jear. £283 5s lid. Ease Taieri Hiding.—Kxpended on road maintenance, £237 Js lid; proportion of departmental expenditure, including bank interest. £179 is 8d; total expenditure, £116 3s Jd. Income for the year, £432 3s fld.

Kaikorai Elding.—Expended on road mnlntenanee, £732 19s 2d; ou new works, £179; on repairs to liridge», be. £88310s 8d; proportion of departmental expenditure, including bank interest, J;277 3a 6d; total expenditure, £2072 13s 9d.. Income for the year, £6U4 3s 2d. Otakia Bidiug.—Expended on road maintenance, £48ii 5a sd; on new works, £259 7s 9d; on repairs to bridges, &c, £433 2s 8d; proportion of departmental expenditure, including bank interest, £233 lus ; total expenditure, £1412 l-.s lOd. Income for the year, £768 is 3d.

Deep Saeam Biding.—Expended on road maintenance, £599 19s 9d; on new work", £1077 10s 8d; repairs to bridges, &c, £33185; proportion of departmental expenditure, including bank interest, £375 2s; total expenditure, £2086 10s Ed. Income for the year, £28116 tie 2d. Oiitram Biding.- Expended on [road maintenance, £176 7s 4d; on new works, £5.0 J3s 7d ;on repairs to bridg- s, &c, £3a 9s 9d; proportion of departmental expenditure, including interest. £32488 Id; total expenditure, £1.57 18b 9d. Income for the year, £705 2s lid.

Mauugafcua Biding.—Expended on road maintenance, £370 Is sd; on new works, £302 5s lid; proportion of departmental expenditure, including bank interest, £166 17s; total expenditure, £829 4s 4d. Income foi' the year, £725. The following returu shows .the expenditure for the six months ended September 30 last:— Waikari Eiding.-r-Kxpended on road malntnnanee, £57 IlsOd; proportion of departmental expenditure, £20 7s 3d ; total, £77 19e. North Taieri Eidng.—Expended on road maintenance. £51 13» 3d; proportion of departmental exptnditure, £6413s 9d; total, £106 7s. East Taieri Biding —Expanded on road maintenance, £S5 10s; on repairs to bridges, ie, £3 lis; proportionof departmental expenditure, £7717s lOd; total, £137 6s lOd. Kaikomißidlng.-Expcndeilonrondmaintennncu. £128 7s Od; proportion of departmental expenditure, £1231 Is fid ; total, £251 18s lid. Ota-ia Hiding.—Expended on road maintenance, £163 4s 4d; on new. works, £369; on repairs to bridges, &0., £4)0 Is; proportion of departmental expenditure, £97 3s 7d ; total, £633 18s 9d. Ourram Biding. - Expended on road maintenance, £S9 193 3d; on new works, £85 8a 4d ;on repairs to bridges, *0., £18 14s 2d ; p'oportion of departmental expenditure, £133 10s 3d; total £329 12s. Deep Stream Biding.—Expended on road maintenance, £188 13s 6d; m new works, £6--3 Is 6(1; on repairs 1 1 roads and bridges, £19 19» 6d; proportion of departmental axpondltare. £188 It KM; toffel

Maunjatia Hiding.- Expended on road maintenance, £127 18« 6d i proportion of departmental M< pendture, £61 li Sd ; total. hlßi 19a lid. The revenue for the year ending March 31 next is estimated to be:— Wakarl Hiding, £1920 8a 3d ; North Taieri, £444 18»lld; Kiist 'i'nferi, £SBO lla 10it j Kalkoai. £906 12s; Olokia, £1009 4b 9d; Onfcram. £8715 0« *lOd; Deep Stream, £u9i ]3ssd: Maimgat.ua, £131 0s lid; total, £0022 ]9i Ud.' Should get from tho Government under .the Local Bodies' Finance and Powers Act the su>n of £10011; but the raieipfc of this eii'n depends on the amount of rates levitd bj the different road boards. Total estimated revenue, £7022 19a lid;