MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14416, 11 April 1911, Page 3

MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.

A COMPREHj'NSIVE KliWlfcVJ STATEMENT BY TEE MAYCR. At the meeting of the Borough Council last night, the .Major uad-j the following statement:— I think that as this is the f.";t meeting after the ciose of .jar Financial Year ami about the last iii>stiug of the Council beToro going cut <.f offUe, it, will not bo out of place to review tlio work of the year. 1 will therefore ask your indulgence for a few moments whilst 1 refer to our financial .position ancl the more impotent z works of the year, and those inaugurated by us out which will bo left for our successors to carry out. The first rubiest on which I will touch is that of finance of the General Account. We commenced the year with an overdraft etc of £6913 16s Sd, we paid awav in cash £28,913 os 2d, a total of £35,827 Is iUd. Cash received amounted to £25,911 lsId, leaving our overdraft etc sit, £9910 (Is M. This appears at firist pi'dit an increase of £3OOO, but £13.17 Ts 4d of this comprises an advance to Drainage Loan Account which will be repaid this week, and £I4SS 19s 5d was paid for the Cullmaim Street section and a portion of the North End Park, so that these two amounts practically represent the increase. The former as I said before will be repaid this week, and we have additional assets in lie shape of land purchased, to represent the latter amount. Our Liabilities on Kcneral Account at the close of the -.ear were the above balance of £991(5 (is 9(1, and sundry accounts, sav, £GOO,a total of £10,516 Os 9d". Against this we had revenue outstanding £63-10 5s 7d, and the advance to drain age loan of £1317fis 4d, total £7657 Us lid. The position is therefore, that if all our liquid assets had been collected on the 31st March last we would have owed £28588s lOd against which stands the land purchased at about £ISOO. At the close of the previous year our position was: —Overdraft, etc., £7439 12s lid (less Tevenuo, etc., out £5980 7s 3d), leaving net debt at £1459 5s Bd, so that if we exclude the land purchased, which is an available asset, our position is slightly better now than it was at the beginning of the year. This is very satisfactory considering the increased expenditure in the new area* LOANS. Tlie Council was successful in floating the following loans at very favourable rates, viz.:— £47,700 drainage at 3} and sinking fund £1 7s 6d. £4270 drainage at 3J and sinking fund £1 7s 6d. £IB.OOO waterworks extension, sinking fund £1 7s. . . i £6,000 streets extension, sinking fund £1 7s 6d. Total £75,970 at 3V. The old waterworks loan of £60,000 on which, the borough paid 7 per cent, for 30 years matured in June last and was renewed at 4i per cent, and A per cent sinking which, means a. saving of £I2OO per annum. I think on the whole tie ratepayers are to be congratulated on the very favourable terms on which these loans have been placed. INTEREST AND SINKING FUND. Whilst on the subject of our loan indebtedness I may re/mind you that it now stands at £169,944, 15s lid, on which we will pay £B3Bl' 13s 3d per annum for interest and sinking fund, which works out at an average of slightly under 5 per-cent, for interest and Kinking fund. Last, year we pa-id £7934 18s 8d interest _ and sinking fund. The net increase on this account is therefore about £446 18s per annum. i PROPOSED NEW* LOANS. I now come to the new loans which, will be submitted to the ratepayers vote on the 19th inst. The drainage loan of £36,000 is for carrying out the drainage of the new area and completing the w.ork in the old area. The scheme for the former is thatprepared by our engineer which has been approved by Mr Cuthbert, M.1.C.E., and embraces the whole of the new area, which will be sewered on practically the same conditions as the old area. The house connections will run from the mains in the centre of streets and elsewhere, and each house or building connection will be allowed at the rate of £lO. But the Council will _ put in the street portion 'of connection and will deduct the present charge or £3 for that work in chain stroets and £1 10s in half chain streets. The work is very necessary and one that should have the support of every ratepayer who desires to make the town and complete from a sanitary point of view.

The next loan is £IO,OOO for forming . streets in the new area. This work is very necessary and antecedent to the drainage works and cnr tramway system of the immediate future. £4OOO :s required for erecting new municipal buildings. I think that it is quite unnecessary for me to again enlarge on the urgency of new offices in which to conduct the business of this important town. Our present building is occupied by our own staff and also by the fire brigade, and there is not sufficient room or accommodation for both, and the time has arrived when the building should be banded over to the brigade. Our b-inade is the most efficient in the Dominion and I think I am speaking the truth when I say it is the worst housed. THE RATES. Now I come to the new loans viewed from the ratepayers' point of view, and the question naturally arises: Can wo i find the additional £2500 per annum I which will be required to nay interest, j without increasing the rates'? I have j not the slightest hesitation in saying | that it will not be necessary to incr'easo | the rat;.?, but <m the- contrary I sea j i ins reason why these should not- recede j as our valuations increase: The j j nrinclpal pio-vuii of cur revenue | i is derived from rat:s. Last year our 1 | vaiuat'ou was £101,794 i.rtd the rates ' j amounted to .■CT.5,8'90. This year tho .' 1 valuation is £152,900 and the rates aro . estimated to produce about £20,500. Now this incraase, partly made of i £25.000 valuation of new area, and j £6IOO on the old area, will yield an ! increase of about £4OIO. Increased re- 1 venue from building fees, dog tax, new extra water supplies and other sources . will bring it up to £SOOO. Again the completion of house connections in the old area will reduce tho scavenging account by about £350. So we there- , fore have an increased revenue of \ £5350. Against this we will lose £1093 : compared with last year, old extra j water supply charges on houses in the. ' new area. We will pay an additional ; harbour and hospital rate of £SBO per : annum and £250 per annum for light- < ing the new area. The estimated cost j of scavenging, maintenance on roads, etc., equals about. £I2OO pr-r annum, | but i" comparing our future total ex- i pciiditme oil this account we must bear in mind that we have attended t-j tliis j work for the last eight months,,so that 1 our total expenditure on all accounts ' should not be increasrd by more than. £SOO above last year, by the addition i of thes two it"-is. Summarised the inerer.sn c»niu'>rcd W'th ln-t yrar's receipts and exne-dititre will work cut as follows: T'creased r . . £SW 0 0 Saving in scr,v<?r.g : ng ... PSO 0 0 .

Less now charges— J Hospital and Harbour rate o-SO 0 0 5 Lighting 250 0 0 j I'rupt.. Scavenging and ( vuad majnttaiico ... GOO 0 0 Less old water supply ... IG'Jo 0 0 , £3025 0 0 .! Not surplus revenue i'L'33s 0 0 These figures nro fairly approximate . •find 1 feel confident that they express fairly and equitably what may bo con- : sidered our net increase in revenue compared with last year's. It is quite \ apparent therefore that we can easily hear the additional weight of interest without increased taxation. In making this estimate we must also bear in mind that if the loans are carried, | the first year's interest will he paid out | of tho loan money. No interest villi he paid nut of revenue for the current •! year, and only C 5 months for next year, l i and against this we could t,et off a- ' substantial sum which would 1-e earned ; for interest oji loan money deposited, . while the works were proceeding, or ; perhaps if wo successful in obtain- ; ing'the loan i : rom the Government we could arrange to take it in instalments 1 as required and save as much it terest •; as possible djiring the progress of the jj work. Another factor which in itself I is sufficient to dispose of any dcuht that may exist in regard to increasing tlso rates, i\nd that is the ordinary increase of the valuation of the Borough through the erectionoori r buildings. £'15.000 would be a very modest computation of the prospective increase before we would feel the full weight of interest on the new loans. Such an ir crease would produce extra revenue to the extent of £2250. Reviewiug vhe position generally, unless" future Councils undertake new loans. I do the rates should not be reduced in say two years' time; and having that opinion it makes me feel confident that the ratepayers can safely carry the loans now under consideration without the slightest fear of increasing the rates, | WATERWORKS, j During the year a contract for the i construction of a new reservoir and [ the enlargement of the old reservoir ! was let at £8165 3s 4d. This work j will increaso the storage capacity from 5 million to 20 millipn gallons. The work is well advanced and should be completed before the end of this year. The Council also accepted tlio offer of the Barrowfield Iron "Works to supply the necessary pipes for the new main at a cost of £6411 15s ship's slings Timaru. The total expenditure on Loan Account amounts to £2319 4s lOd. The pipes I understand were to have been shipped last month, and if so will reach here some ttime next month. They "will in all probability be laid in trenches and in full working order before next summer. It is admitted on all sides that we have one of the finest permanent sources of water supply in the Dominion, and the above improvements when completed will greatly :m----provb its efficiency which has been taxed : to its utmost owing to the extraordinary growth of the towu. Although the season was exceptionally dry, there ■was an abundance of water at the reservoir all tlie time. STREET LEVELS, NEW AREA. The year also saw the completion and adoption of the street levels of the new are which were prepared by -the borough engineer. This from a municipal point of view is an important and necessary work, and requires to be done before we can carry out street formations, COMMERCIAL STREET. The Council agreed witli the frontagers to take land required for widening and improving this street and to have the compensation fixed by arbitration. I understand that the Arbitrators will return their award before the 2Uili inst and the new Council will therefore be in a position to undertake this very important work at an -iarly j date. j OXFORD STREET. j A contract was let for the_ forma- i tion of this street and there is every 1 iudicatioii that the work will be com- j pleted within contract time. , CAMERON STRJSET. 1 The Council also let a contract for the formation of this street, but the work has been delayed somewhat by tlie contractor cwing to unfoTes-een circumstances. However there is no reason why he should not be compelled to complete h's contract before the winter. ABATTOIR. This important institution shows a marked increase in business. The following figures show the growth of business

The Council deeded l,> make mine I improvements in the drafting arrange- I nienls and the.'-e are now under way. I Tt has also been decided to enlarge the I manager's house, the cost of which will ho paid out of revenue. HAY AND RESERVES. Caroline Hay grows in public favour, and tho number <il' visitors attracted to if. from all portions of tho Dominion is very remarkable; its popularity fully justifies, the substantial expenditure which has been willingly borne by tho ratepayers dump: the la.st few years. As you are aware the Council received a hunuest of £SOO from the late Mr J.''Jackson out of which it erected a. ladies' lavatory at a cost of about £250, and the iKilancc is to be spent in improving the north end of the Day. A number of minor improvements were alro effected during the year. _ The, popularity of the Hay carries with it tho responsibility of maintaining and conserving the good work of tho past and prorent Councils, and site) in further developing its attractiveness. Lavatories mid diessing rooms w,?re erected .it the T'.Hc at a cast of about £2OO. The Park has greatly improved during the last year, and like tire li-ty, is dessrvcdly becoming a centre of attraction and a pcmulnr resort. I would just like fo remind you that the w;;ik of beautifying and maintaining the Park, Ray and Reserves about the town hns cost £1507 17s 4d, for the year, and I am sure that we all agree that the money has been well spent. " ' " THE LIBRARY. This institution is one which grows in favour. It has only been opened for about 21 momhs, and tho borrowers from the Lending Department now ■number about 1400, with a daily increase. Its usefulness appears to lie appreciated by all,, with the result that increased aeommodation must be provided. Wo approached Mr Carnegie for asistancq to extend tha building, and ;\r.'. in hopes that our aplication will meet with his favourable consideration. The stock of books is now becoming totally inadequate to meet the demands of borrowers and I think that. the Council should increase the stock as soon as possible. Our Library is practically the only free one in the Dominion and I think we should feel proud of this fact. ] BOROUGH EXTENSION. The year saw the accomplishment of borough extension by which our area was increased from 1000 acres to 2000 acres. The buildings in tho new area total 630 and the population is estimated at .about 3000. Valuation £25,000. There is no doubt that tfhe extension ■ was necessary and wise from a.l points of view, and that the benefits to be derived by the residents in both areas on sanitary and other grounds will he more appreciated in the near future when the works under consideration are completed. ORDINARY WORKS. The_ Council's public works staff have, in addition to ordinary maintenance work, laid about 21J chains of tarred macadam roadway, two miles of asphalt foots-nys. 3 mile of kerbing and channelling, 7 chains inverts, and have out the formation of White Street in addition to a number of minor works outside of tho ordinary maintenance routine. DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE WORKS. The Drainage. Works have steadily progressed : during the Tear. The last contract, for the central area will be finished m 3.months. The expenditure tor the year for works amounted to £14,937 I6s-4d and for house allowances £4841 2s-sd. The original loan of £50,000 was .exhausted in February last and y,',o succeeded in obtaining an additional £4270 from the Government at 3J- per cent, out of which we have spent £1317 16s 4d in carrying on the work. It will take "about another £BOOO (which is included in the proposed loan of £38,000) to complete the works and house' connections- of the old area. All buildings should be connected before the close of, our next financial year. The present house connections number 1198. Considering, the work generally it has "been almost undoubted success from erery' 'point' of view, and has improved' iffiaiSailitafy condition if tho town out of recognition. Looking at it from the financial view, the original estimate only provided for sewers down the street centres, yet notwithstanding the cash allowances made for house ceune-tions and the adchtionnl cost of carrying the street work up to fence lines, the total cost will not exceed £62,000. Th? total amount pa.id since the works started to 31st March last for house allowances came to £7Oll, and it will take about another £7OOO to pay the balance of the connection allowances in the old area. This will give a grant total of £1.4,911 for cash allowances. If we add the cost of the side wings from mains to fence line for house connections it gives approximately another £B3OO so we have a total cost of over £24,000 in conneot'on with the house connections. Take this from £62,000 and it reduces the net cost of sewerage works on the baa's of the original estimate to about £40.000. MAP OF BOROUGH.

The ConiK.'r arranged with the Government to prepare a new map of the borough on a scale of four cha ins to t.ho inch. The work is now nearing eompletion, and has involved a largo amount of work in searching titles ar>d coirvpila.tiou . There i.~ every prospect thai it will bo completed "before the -eiKl of June. It v.-ill be n very fino work, ai; r l will fully justify tlie cost of its publication. SOVrH BELT AND AVENUE ROAD. Plans ond specifications for the formation of thoroughfares were preparc-d and tenders for the -.v'ork will bj considered at our next meeting. STEW WORKSHOP AND YARD. Tlieie should bo undertaken at once.- Tha present arrant ». ments arc out of dato and total-y inadequate to mcQ our requirement. As a matter of fact the Council has had the question under consideration for the last three years and now that the borough has b?en extended, it is absolutely necessary from an economical and expeditions point of view. The Council purchased *the Cullmann street section last year for this purpose. CULLMAXN STREET. The widening of this important thoroughfare should receive the early attention of the new Council. It will l>e one of the tram routes and should be made to fit in as a continuation of Commercial street. TRAMS. The next leading work which the new Council will have to consider when the drainage works are welt underway, is the question of Trams. There is no doubt that tbo time. has arrived when these bavo become a pressing need. An up-to-date system could prohahly be installed for £50,000 and taking the ■experience of other towni of our .size there is every indication that they would be self-supporting after the first year. showed a small loss on their system far the first year and a smalt profi: for the second year. "general. ~ 1 If we des're to see our town promts we must us-e every effort to develop its bauties'and improve our streets, means of locomotion, and provide ail iho«*e improvements and '■pnvoniene<?=. ['or the people's^benefit which are ch-v-art■ rjstie of the modern town. Mr.nicioal Government r,leans continued acu'viy and anc! it behoves

1904 1910 Sheep and Lambs 13,370 20,430 Cattle 1647 2037 Pigs 481 203 Calves _ 95 112 Receipts1904 1910 £1061 10 3 . £1413 7 9 Expenditure— £1433 0 2 £1176 0 11