CO885-(11-12) — Page 428

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PECORD OFFICE

Reference -

C.O.882/12

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

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to Rs.685,235, of which Rs.158,408 is expended on debt charges and Rs.25,296 on pensions and gratuities to former employees. With the remainder of its income, amounting to Rs.501,531, it administers the following services, viz. :—

Service.

Markets

Cost of main- Revenue derived taining Service, from Service,

Rs. 12,094

Rs.

73,900

Slaughterhouse

22,391

56,920

Canals

1,950

13,500

Cemeteries

18,173

4,200

Lighting of streets, etc.

16,000

19,500

Public gardens

21,772

Theatre

8,840

1,000

..

Public library

11,020

Electric light supply

79,932

100,000

Fire brigade

88,280

15,500

Public latrine service

2,500

It will be observed that five of these services, viz., the markets, slaughterhouse, canals, lighting of streets, and electric light supply, yield a substantial profit to the Municipality, and that for the whole of the services taken together there is an excess of revenue over expenditure amounting to Rs.1,588. Deducting the amount of this expenditure and that of the expenditure on loan charges and pen- sions from the total income of the Municipality there is a balance of Rs.218,599 from which the following expenditure is met :-

Establishments

Cost of collection of revenue

Rs.

Allowance to Mayor

Office contingencies

74,900 19,470 5,000 10,690

Public recreation and ceremonies

27,460

Repairs to municipal buildings

19,000

Wages of coachiman, nightkeeper of town market

1,320

Stable expenses

2,600

Travelling expenses of Building Surveyor

1,200

Travelling expenses of Chief Inspector

900

Lighting (petroleum oil)

150

Plates bearing names of streets

100

Maintenance and repairs of streets and squares

100

Transport of bearers of warrants

1,140

Railway fares to employees

1,340

Shares of fines to inspectors

1,500

Extra work out of office hours

1,800

Funeral expenses of employees...

150

War temporary increase of pensions

5,000

Lighting of town hall

1,500

213

Shorthand writers at Council Cablegrams

Rs.

1,980

"

300

Lunch to Councillors

1,000

Elections (fees, transport, lunch)

1,000

Subvention to pharmacies for night duty

2,400

National Hotel subvention

1,000

Other miscellaneous expenses

22,512

Payment to Government

7,000

House tax to Government

780

Total

213,292

The establishment charges, amounting to nearly Rs.75,000, are separate from the establishment charges of the various municipal services and represent the cost of maintaining a Town Clerk's brauch, a Town Treasurer's branch, a Town Controller's branch, and a Building Surveyor's branch. There are also a chief inspector, eight inspectors of revenue and four bearers of warrants whose duties appear to be little more than the collection of the house rate and tenant tax, and who cost nearly Rs.20,000. The number of personal allowances paid to municipal employees is also a feature of this head of expenditure.

32. It will be seen that the municipal services taken together are practically self-supporting by reason of the very large profit made on the markets and slaughterhouses, and the lesser profits on light- iug. The assumption by the Government of streets maintenance and water supply services, which would ordinarily be charged upon the municipal rates, has the result of swollen expenditure on all other services. This is especially noticeable in the case of the general establishment, buildings, ceremonies, and recreations. The rate-payers themselves are obtaining next to nothing from the rates which they pay, and it does not require more than a glance at the items which we have detailed to show that a very considerable re- trenchment under these heads would have to be made if the This absurd Municipality were faced with its normal duties. situation should be ended. An arrangement which relieves the Municipality of half of its responsibilities while leaving it in possession of its full revenues is not to be justified on any grounds. of administration or finance. If it were not fit to be entrusted with such ordinary matters as the scavenging and maintenance of its own streets, it would be clearly incapable of managing its markets and its lighting, and the proper course would be to suspend it: From the manner in which the Municipality is actually maintaining the services which are still left in its charge-the markets and gardens impressed us as being admirably maintained--we find it difficult to believe that it could not meet the rest of its proper responsibilities with equal success.