VERNMENT GRANTS FOR LOCAL BODIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11661, 21 January 1902, Page 4

VERNMENT GRANTS FOR LOCAL BODIES.

THE MINISTER OF LAST'S EX-1-LAIXis At the Waimea, (XelsonJ County Council meeting on the 9th inst, the County Engineer (Mr J. G. Littlejohn)'brought under the notice of the Council the piesent position with regard to grants made by the Government towards a number of works within the County. The position revealed amounts, practically, to a deadlock, and assuming—as the xliu. Mr Duncan later hi the uay assured the Council would be the case—that the full amounts of the grants as they appear on the estimates are eventually paid to the Council; the lieiay—for the reu&ins given by the Engineei—will seriously prejudice the district. When Mr Littlejohn was appointed Engineer, the Council resolved that the expenditure of Government grants should be systematically pushed on with, and the. Engineer entered wholeheartedly upon the task of carrying out the desire of the Council, and very good progress has been made. At the latter end of the month the Chief Engineer of Roads advised by telegram that the law officers of the Crown had advised the Government that '"as from 50th June last all agreements entered into previous to that date in respect to expenditure of votes for roads and construction of other public works lapsed.'" and the Council was notified that all such agreements were void, and fiesh agreements must be made. The effect of this communication, said Mr Littlejohn, was—(l) That.the authorities agreements for the whole of the grants except Upper Tadmor road were cancelled. (2f In the meantime the Council had to face the liability on existing contracts. (5) The Chief Surveyor was unable to approve further plans until new agreements were entered into and executed. (4) The "new agreements would rot come to hand before the end of the present month, if then. (5) They would probably lapse again on the 50th June next. (6) Xo further money would then be available until revoted, and further agreements executed about this time next year. (7) The authorities might be for part only o'i the giants to be expended before 31st March next, ar.d sc- it would be unsafe to let contracts until the exact amount that might be spent was known. And (8) The Council apparently had 5 or 5A months only in which to expend its grants, and during the last three, April, May, and June, it was passible the weather might be quite unfavourable, and the best time of the year, spring and summer, would be lost. It was difficult, he added, to ascertain exactly how much new money had been voted, and it was impossible to say how much will be available until the authorities came to hand.

These matters occasioned the Council serious concern, and it was decided that they should be brought under the notice of the Hon. Mr Duncan. Minister for Lands, at the interview- arranged for that afternoon. Mr Duncan met the Council, and after hearing their representations; he said that •with regard to the matter of re-voting, there was necessarily a •' certain amount* of apparent confusion on account of the length of time that elapsed between the 31st March, the end of the financial year, and the framing of the estimates, for expenditure was going on all the time. However, in future it was intended to keep much closer account, so that at the time of framing the estimates returns of expenditure should be brought up to within a month or six weeks of the actual date. With regard to the cancellation of the agreements, that course had been taken on the representations . of the Crown Law officers, but the local bodies affected would not be prejudiced, as fresh agreements would be issued. It was part of the attempt to keep closer account of the various grants, it being found when the estimates came to be •framed that many votes were unexpended, and the liabilities were under this head very great, there were cases of votes being carried on for five years, and not expended. Councillors said that the delay in the issue of authorities had. a great deal to do with the non-expenditure of grants, and that if the money could be got hold of it would be spent. Mr Duncan said that he quite believed the latter statement, and if he could get more money from the Treasurer the local bodies would have it, but if the greater part of the work under grants was done within a limited time, say the early summer, there would probably not be the money in the Treasury to meet the demands. it was necessary that expenditure should be spread over a period. He. would endeavour to have the authorities issued as early as possible. In fact, he would wire to the Treasury that night. They must understand that none of the works were stopped, but the real meaning was that £38.000 per month was being spent, and if they hod kept up it wonld mean that last year's votes would be exceeded by £200,000, therefore the expenditure had to be kept with in proper limits.—(." Colonist.")