CITY FINANCES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 97, 27 April 1933, Page 6

CITY FINANCES

£16,500 SAVED IN TWO YEARS FURTHER £6OOO IN SIGHT PRESENT MAYOR’S POLICY ’‘The present Wanganui City Council has taken £16,500 less out of the pockets of the ratepayers than the previous council,” said the Mayor, Mr. N. G. Armstrong, at Wanganui Eas> last night. He added that it was quite true that the indebtedness of Jhe city had been reduced by the application of accumulated sinking funds. He had not claimed credit for that, but if the present council had done as other councils had done and borrowed now le-nns, the indebtedness would not have fa'lon. So far as he could see, if the presen' council s policy was carried on, there would be a further saving of £6OOO this yeay If the council went any further it would mean cutting down works and services and that would reduce tho maintenance of the city. Tho clerical and administration stall had been reduced £l2OO to £l5OO, the tramways were already (town to ns low an expenditure as possible, and the gas department, so long as trade kept up, had to retain its present staff. Wanganui was supplying the cheapest gas in New Zealand. The only department that would bo affected then, if the council sought to save more than the amount interred to, would 1* works and services. Dealing with rates, Mr. Armstrong said that Mr. Hogan had boon chairman of the Harbour Board for the past four years. Had he done anything to have tho harbour rate reduced? z

VALUATION MATTERS

MR. ARMSTRONG’S VIEW MAYOR SHOULD BE NEUTRAL "I. have always taken tho view that the Mayor should be neutral,” said Mr. N. G. Armstrong, at Wanganui East last night, replying to the criticism of Str. Hogan that the Mayor should have taken the platform with regard to the respective rating systerns. Mr. Armstrong said that he had kept politics out of municipal affairs. He would take tho chair for the Prime Minister, tho Loader of the Opposition, or any of the Ministers, but would not do so for any visiting Members of Parliament. So far as tho rating systems were concerned, he believed them to lo matters entirely for the people. It was easy to bo wise after the event, but nobody anticipated tho reductions that wore made by the Arbitration Court. What he did do, however, when the Court had declared its figures, was to press upon the ValuerGeneral the urgent need of a revaluation for Wanganui, and the Valuer General had had a complete revaluation made. Mr. Armstrong added that none of the rating systems were equitable, but they could be argued two wavs, just according to how they affected tho individual.