"We Must Go Slow."

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 41, 18 February 1914, Page 5

"We Must Go Slow."

THE COUNTY FINANCES. CHAIRMAN PESSIMISTIC. | At this morning’s meeting of the County Council the chairman (Mr | Hathaway) said he was sorry to have Ito say that the financial position of the Council was getting worse yearly. 'No doubt the heavy expenditure of ■ last year was due to the purchase of the roller and the erection of buildings. In 1911 the Council was £1394 {to the bad, in 1912 £1991, in 1913 92109 and this year £4781. It appeared to him that the Council would have jto go slow—and very slow. Really, 'he could not say where the Council ! exactly was. The Te Popo bridge ! would be dangerous within twelve I months, and how its renewal could be financed was more than he could- say. The present position did not give the Council much to work on for the year. The Clerk: There is £3OOO wanted for interest in August. The Chairman: The whole of the ridings, with the exception of Mangaehu, have gone to the bad. | Cr Walter; In the East Riding we Iliad to build two cottages and we are only about £IOO to the bad. The Chairman said that unless the Council went slow he could not see how they could carry on till December. He thought they would have to shorten hands. He had thought they could have shortened hands when the road roller was purchased, but this had not been done. The Council must have money to carry on. Cr Smith : In the West Riding Ido not see how the rates can be raised. Cr Anderson: Last year we spent about £6OO on cottages and material. The Chairman: I think, all the same, that we will have to consider the question of raising the rates. Cr Walter said the Council had always had financial troubles since he had been on it. He believed the whole of the trouble was caused by the obsolete system of road accounts. Credits were shown on roads, but rates were struck only to cover the estimates supplied by the Engineer. Settlers were granted the expenditure of credits which were not allowed for in the estimates. Some members of the Council had the feeling that these credits shown really did not belong to the roads to which they were attached. But these credits were voted for expenditure, and the amount was far above the amount for which rates had been struck. They could never have a good financial system until the road accounts were abolished. The only way was to allow for the credits in the estimates and not to give authority for expenditure unless a rat© has been struck to cover it. Cr Walter: On one road in the Xorth Riding a credit of £BO was shown. A settler had £lO of this spent, although the estimates only allowed £lO.

Cr Thomson could not agree with Or Walter regarding the abolition of the road accounts. They had been the salvation of the Council throughout. He could agree that the credit should be included in the estimates and 1)0 covered by rates. He thought the Council could look into the question of labor and see if some could not bo dispensed with.

The Chairman said in respect of the case quoted by Cr Walter that the settlor was entitled to the work. Cr. Walter admitted that the work was necessary, hut it was not on the estimates. The Chairman: I admit that, Cr Smith : I cannot agree with Cr Walter about abolishing the road accounts. It is not right to take a man’s rates and sepend them on other roads. Cr. Anderson: You forget that seller's wear and tear on other roads. Cr. Thomson: The Council has a special fund and this is spent on roads which have extra traffic. -Members were a little sceptical about the special fund, not having heard much of it. The matter was then dropped.