HAMILTON BOROUGH.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16815, 5 June 1926, Page 10

HAMILTON BOROUGH.

ESTIMATES FOR CURRENT YEAR. REDUCTION IN POWER CHARGES. POSITION VERY SATISFACTORY. The estimates for the current, year have now been dealt with and it lias been possible in l.ho Hamilton and Olaudelands areas of the borough Io keep Hie lolal rates Ihe same as last year, and in Hie Franklon area io make a small increase of 1/1 Oth of a penny. This is accounted for owing to the interest payable in respect to the balance of tlie Franklon stormwater loan. The general rate payable over tlie whole borough has been reduced from 2d and T/ifilh of a penny in 2d and :! /16t.b. The special rates have increased in the Hamilton and Claudeinnds areas by (i/lGlh, and in the Franklon area by 7/lGtb of a penny in tlie £, making the totals in each, Hamilton ,id 31/32nds, Claudcland.s ■'ijd. Frankton 5 7/iGd, and Macroa 2 7/1 Gd.

On Hie receipts side it will be noticed that the endowment lands are now estimated as returning £I7OO per annum in rents —an increase of £3OO this year. The two most buoyant trading branches, 'lhn electricity department and ihe waterworks department arc contributing £2300 and £I3OO respectively to the general account. Tho former department lias also been able Io reduce the price of lighting by Id per unit Io all consumers a:; from Hie Ist. June, this concession making a difference nf some £I4OO in the department’s estimated receipts for Hie year. The lighting and power charges are extremely low and the assistance Ibis department renders by way of contributions in relief of rales shows bow satisfactory a branch of tlie Council's activities it is. Tiie Horse Bazaar account lias been merged in the general account and Ibis has bad the effect of providing a further £IOOO on the receipts side. System of Cost Accounts. On the expenditure side some alterations made by the borough engineer in the system of keeping his cost accounts have reduced Hie plant and transport accounts to £I2OO after providing bettor equipment, for maintenance work: Ibis £I2OO covers the estimated total cosls of running all plant, motors, etc., for the last week in the year and will be a more or less recurring charge each year. Tlie general slreets and footways maintenance has been increased by Hie difference, £I4OO, in previous years, while a further sum of nearly £IOOO has been added for the works. The total £12.282 has been itemised, following the practice of recent years, to enable the Council to obtain some idea of tlie way in which it has been arrived at and to assist, the Works Commifloe and ihe Council to decide wli.at works which have not been provided for may lie carried out should some unexpected calls be made during Hie period. Generally sneaking. Hie position as disclosed by the estimates is most gratifying lo the Council, for practically all the large loans of recent, years are now a charge on (be general account, which is called upon to meet, the whole of Hie interest and sinking fund charges connected therewith. A sum totalling £l!1.0!>o is earmarked for street maintenance, and roading construction work. Details of streets requiring dressing with bitumen and chips next season to prevent disintegration are: Coltingwood Street £OO, Lake Road £GO, Alexandra Street £35, Clarence Street £35, Cambridge Road £l6O, llukunui Road £B3, Te Arotia Slreet, £175. Clyde Street £B7. O’Neill Street £53, Ward Street £O3, various minor places £SO. nepairs and Reconstruction. Repairs or reconstruction will be required on parts of the following sealed carriageways: Victoria Slreet (removal of biimps), £180: Bridge Slreet East (reconstruction of a certain area, laying sub-grade drainage, and new foundations and surfacings), £300; Te Aroha Slreet (rc-laving portion near Whyte Slreet, and various patches). £120: Collingwood Street (repairs on line nf old water trench and relaying mi area on bill), £4B; Lake. Road (relaying a portion with new foundations) £188: various patches and places that may become apparent after this winter. £250: grilling bitumenons roads on hot days, £200: tofal £1286.

Under Hie heading of slreet maintenance it is also proposed to do tho following work: Repairs and palehing water-bound roads—Massey Street,, £4no, AValerloo Street £SO, King Sireel, £6O .Somerset Street £6O. T.ake Rond £BO. Rifle Range Road £BO. edges nf bitumen roads where required, £250: total £OBO. Dressing the following roads with three inches nf river shingle: Rnakiwi Street £2OB. Bnndnn Street £l7O, Ellis Street £IOO. Colombo Street £IOO, Smith Street £BO. Primrose Street £l2O. Pencil Grove Road £576. Kitchener Street £O6. Galloway Street 6210. Cook Street £l4O, Brookfield Street, £3O. pitching various shingle roads £230: total £2280. Re-grading of streets: East Street. £OO (already done) ; Allen Street, £4O. various oilier works that may become apparent later. £100: total £230. For the grading shoulders of roads to maintain efficient drainage and subseuueiil reni.ival of spoil lliere is a lump sum of £360. For forming and sanding footpaths where none at present exist and where Hie proposed loans do not affect, £480; trimming and sanding existing sand footways (10 miles al £45). £1800: trimming wnlnrlnbles and removal of spoil, cleaning culverts and general undefined maintenance work. £2300; part engineer's salary, foreman’s salary and car expenses. £OBO. Miscellaneous works as under: Carriers’ stand, Bryce Street. £7O; kerhing Hinemoa Sireel, Technical School frontage. £55; oilier works authorised from time to linm. £200; total £325, Macron area maintenance £.340. Other items appearing in Ihe esfimales arc: Plant account £7OO, transport aerount £SOO, stables £l2O, depot £175, bridge maintenance £325. stormwater drainage £SOO, sewer drainage £IOOO, scavenging £I2OO, permanent levels £2OO. Wailewhiriwhiri Stream £l5O, Albert Street Sandpit (stripping) £(00, railway ramp footway (completion from last year) £4B, maintenance, of borough buildings (Frankton and Hamilton Town Halls, new (Ire escapes) £ 530, engineer's office expenses £2OO, slreet names and signs £IOO. provision nf lusting apparatus (cement and hoi, mix testing) £IOO. new bridge investigations £33, corner easements £450. MeGarrigle’s AY.'ill £23. waterworks £670.3, salaries £7503.