BOROUGH FINANCES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13938, 20 April 1909, Page 3

BOROUGH FINANCES.

A SATISFACTORY POSITION

At the New Plymouth Boiough Council meeting last night a return « <> - submitted ing me actual leeeipi • and expenditure vi the Council cl in i n^, the yea i ending .March 31, i'MK together with Iho estimated receipts and oxyendituie tor the same peiiod. 'Ihi' paiticulai; weic published yesteidsi... '1 lie .Mayor congratulated tho Council on its financial position. The Council, he said, would lemember that when the committee met in May last year to draw up the estimates, it was anticipated there would be an overdraft of £1030 at the end of the year after providing for thq Powderham Street bridge (£700) and the by-pass. The latter work had been completed, but nothing had yet been done so tar as the Powderham Strict biidge was concerned. Although an overdraft was expected, as a matter of fact tho Council had a balance in hand — not a very large one, it was true, but nevertheless it was satisfactory. He proposed at the installation ceremony of the now Mayor to give a summary of the year's work and to outline the works which in his opinion the Council should adopt in the ensuing year. He would like tc refer briefly, however, to one or two matters. So far as the expenditure on the streets of the borough wab concerned, £!i2OO was. set apart for lretalling and labour, whereas £3000 (or £800 above the estimates) had actually been spent. It could hardly be expected that this would be otherwise, seeing that £10 >0 was spent during the first three months of the year. He drew the Council's attention to the fact at the time, pointing out that they only had £1170 to soe thorn ovor tho remaining nine months. Never in the history of tho Council, how ovor. had there been so much new work undertaken out of the ordinary revenue. His Worship entmit'iater] those. There had been expended -C.JOO on how work in Vivian Street, £!)4 at Bullor Stroot, £80 Pondnrvos Stroot, £78 on Fnltord Stroot cutting, £23 Waimanu Street, £2.") Albert Koad. £143 Gill Street extension, £222 Devon Street West, and £35 on \Me filling nt Henui, making £1015. Then tho Council had in stock at the end of tho year beach gravel worth £165, boulders £140, and tar about £.30, bringing tho total up to £1370 , expended on iit-w works and material paid for. There was also the construction of tho by-pass and the work on the Mill Road— the latter not being contemplated at the time the estimates were framed — and £50 had been spent in connection with the sub-division of j Major Parris's estate. This was also unexpected. They wore nil really good works, however, and works that other Councils and other Mayors had dodged. The Council had constructed no "white elephants," but on the other hand the ratepayers had very good value for the money expended. •

Councillors concurred with his Worship that the finances of the borough were in a very satisfactory state.