3,185.91
Lanving the Expoodit Erin other words A Saving of...
This, together wit inereaee fa iteveaice froma Shows surplus funds placed at disposal of the Connell during the $68 vcvccserersssvcsss 18,042.67 hie i wa thong sao i gto he above works without plunging the alcipality further into debt.
Leaving the surplus for the year The great saving on the Budget arises from the fact of the monies voted for—
Yung-Nog-Pane Tron Bre... Borde Re Bridge. see Serard Head Bxtstlc Purchase of Land outais'Setiieneat for depot of Garbage not having been required for those purposes.
The Municipal income for 1876-6 is estimated at Ts, 233,699, and the expenditure at an exactly equal sum, which shows a minute nicety of calculation that can hardly be realised in praction, It is likely the revenue will prove larger than it is put down at, but the Council are wise in Keeping well within bounds, as they have allowed no margin on expenditure, One indicated source of possible extra receipt is the'Taotai's contribution of WharfageDues, which he has been asked to increase. Wo quite agree that.tho present contribution is very insufiiciont, but we dislike these applications to the Taotai for contributions to Municipal expenditure, because they simply afford an excuse for local taxation, The Taotai can say: if you ask me to help out your revenue, you must expect ime to recoup myself. A far more satisfactory plan would be to give up the commutation altogether, and collect thetaxourselres. Say to the Taotai, we want nothing from you, but neither shall you take anything from us, Practically, itis likely that the year will consist of nine months, and the budyot hias been framed with this view—separate estimates being given for the last nine months of 1875, and the frst three months of 1876, The change will be a convenient one, and will allow time for preparation of the report and accounts, and their circulation some time before the meeting, instead of the hurry and inconvenience now involved in the annual effort to got the Ratepayers' meeting over, before tea and silk and hot weather distract attention too much from Municipal busine The Water Works scheme suggested by the Municipal Council is based on taking the Soochow Crock as a source of supply. The estimated cost is Tls. 256,200, which would be raised by debentures at 8 per cent. The yearly outlay is estimated at Tls. 43,496 (Ts. 20,496 interest on loan, and is. 23,000 working expenses), and the yearly income at Tls. 44,600, derived from atate of 2 per cent. on foreign houses (Tis, 9,600) and 2 per cent. on Chinese houses (Tls. 30,000) plus certain extra sales of water, and Tls. 2,000 saving in cost of watering roads, In case the Loong-hwa site should be preferred, an addition will have to be made to the cost, of is, 107,000, But an additional income, more than sufficient to cover the interest on th sum, would then be derived from sale of water in the city. No account is taken of saving in the expenses of the Fire Brigade, which, as the scheme provides for hydrants throughout the Settlement, each capable of throwing three streams of water 60 feet high, and from which the engines could be supplied, would probably be material, No special site for the reservoir is indicated, bat that is a matter of detail. A scheme suggested by a Ratepayer for utilising the Defence Creek, is quoted, but the Municipal Engineer objects that it would be more convenient to concentrate the works, than to have long straggling works such as that plan would involve, Farther details will be beat gathered from the report itself. Wo cannot but regret that this was not a month ago. To-morrow, being mail day, is practically a dies non, so that Ratepayers hare only four days, including Sunday, to consider a scheme involving an outlay of a quarter of a million taels, Wo much fear that this shortness of time vill involve postponement of a matter which the community are nevertheless anxious to see dealt with. The questions, for instances, whence the supply shall be drawn, and how a Water-rate should be .d, are open to much discussion, St is possible that Loonghwa or the Yangtzepoo may be preferred to the Soochow Creek, and that hydrants from which water could be bought, may be preferred ton fixed tax.
@utports.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.