£10,600 OVERSPENT.

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15865, 11 December 1923, Page 8

£10,600 OVERSPENT.

WELLINGTON FINANCIAL PROBLEM DRASTIC RETRENCHMENT AHEAD. Four months of drastic retrenchment are before the Wellington City Council, says the Mayor, in announcing that at tile end of November the council had overspent to the extent of £10.600. Some criticism has been levelled vat the Mayor because he has not seen eye to eye with the Departmental Investigation Committee ovor its scheme of economy in respect to the stores of the City engineer’s department (says the Wellington Dominion). Mr Wright said that he had never objected to a stores department, but coming at a time when the Council had largely overspent he hd favoured the postponement of its consideration until the estimates for the next year were being considered. The council simply had no money to do anything with in that connection. A modest building of one storey, say 120 feet by 50 would cost £IBOO. * In addition a floor would cost £220; racks to hold the goods, £500; and office and fittings, £280; making a total of £2BOO. Then on top of that something would be required for a salary for the buyer. By some readjustment of the staff, and the employment of an extra junior, (hey might get out for £IOO for the remaining four months of the year—a grand total of £2OOO. “Now, what is the council’s financial position?” said the Mayor. “On our estimate we were overspent to the tunc of £10,600, at the end of November, which leaves us four months of drastic retrenchment to comply with the new Act and so live within our means. Under these circumstances,

how can my attitude be said to be unreasonable? What was there to do but wait if we found that we could not lace, the expenditure at present? And that is all I asked, so the pu'oib will be able to judge which si le reason was on. I may add that tn : newly appointed Stores B med is to meet fer the first lime cm Monday next to see what can jo done in a ; way of preparatory work ” Tiie Mayer also said th it ;•} serious was the msition Ihnugli sa mu h money j dag spent lu.m; ll:e .'fist two-thirds of the yeir, t'nt bad the City Council not dec ded to do the Hull Roi l, (he service? of j ; cr a hundred men would probably have had to lie dispensed with. These men were now being switched over on to loan work, which would relieve Hie district account expenditure for tlie rest of tiie financial year.