COUNTY FINANCE,

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7992, 10 October 1887, Page 2

COUNTY FINANCE,

Dubing the debate on the proposal to levy a hospital rate, at the last meeting of the Taranaki County Council, Mr. Kelly referred to the state of the county accounts made up to and including the payments passed by the Council at its meeting, to show how impossible it was for the Chairman to pay off any overdraft out of rovenue during the year, after meeting current payments and the liabilities up to March Ist next. Mr. Kklly said that the revenue collected up to date was £2407, and the expenditure, including September liabilities, was £2,839, necessitating the borrowing of £432 in aid of revenue to meet the ordinary accounts. There remained about £1,600 of the estimated revenue to be oollected, but the total liabilities for the next five months were as follows, viz. : — October payments, £200 ; hospital, £210 ; hospital, special, £280 ; contractors for roads, £700 ; metalling two miles of Mountain Road, £600 ; office and charges, licenses and miscellaneous, £210 ; total liabilities, £2,100 ; or a total expenditure for the year of a* least £4,939, and if the revenue ot £4,000 be realised, there will be added to the overdraft of the Ist April, 1887, of £1,701, £939, thus increasing the overdraft £2,640 instead of paying it off as promised by the ohairman. la the face of such a prospect he asked the chairman to inform the Council, how they could, as honest men, meet their liabilities out of ordinary county revenue without leving a hospital rate. If his (Mr. Kelly's) figures were correct, he failed to see how it could be done, but as he understood that the Chairman had stated outside the Council as he had stated inside, that no hospital rate was required, he hoped that he would now inform the Council how it was to be done, and from what source this money was to be obtained. l The Chaibman (Mr. Elliot) in reply did not produce any balance-sheet showing how it could be done, but said the present year's rates, estimated at £2,200, had not been collected. Mr. Kelly said they would form next year's revenue the same as laßt year's rate formed this year's revenue ; it was simply confusing the Council to mix up next year's revenue with this year's, each year had its own revenue and liabilities, viz., the moneys due to the Council, collected and expended with the year. Ultimately a £1. general rate and £d. hospital rate was agreed to, and it was suggested that Mr. Kelly's proposal to fund a portion o£ the overdraft by the issue of six per cent, debentures should be given effect to, as it was hopeless to expect to materially reduce the overdraft in the face of the increasing liabilities of the Council and its diminished revenue from Government souices.