, 1915-12-08

DfaIt OF budRei lOr We MunlclpaIIfY
of ST. Croix for the financial year from
1st April 1916 10 31st March 1917.
His ExceIlency the actg. Vice-Goyernor
(BoaHaUh3O introduced the Budget remark
ing that having the honour Of laying it be-
fore tie Council he would muke a few re-
mark First he would call the attention to
the Revenue Side.
The direct taxes were entered in the same
way as before and there wns every reason to
believe they would come IN as usual.
Uuder the indirect taxes the Import duty
had been estimated at 300, 900 Elcs., s0me-
what less than accustomed to. In l9I4-l5
however, it was only 291, 54S.G0 Flcs. and
this year considerable less, up to the end Of
October it was only about $50, 600 Frca.
This is of course due TO the war and the
difficulties arising from it.
The export duty 10000 Frce. is about !
more than last year, but there is an outlook
for better crop this year, 1t IS Of course
impossible to say for certail nat It will come.
il, it may be less or Hccouut OF the Uncertain
prices. The other items are ii little smaller
or a little higher, it is not necessary to say
anything further, unless the hon. Members
want to ask.
The Revenue side showed an income Of
Frcs. TT G50.00 and the Expenditure side
TIcS. { 10, OO1.UO. government IhU been QS-
pecially CAREFUL to omit MI unnecessary ex-
penses, our financial state only all W, as
absolutely necessury expenses. One ieln
His ExcelIency would mention. The Sam
tary Department and The Prison DepaI II en-.
With regard to catering for the Hospitals
and the Prisons the ordinary rules were fol-
lowed, and it is quite uncertain to know the
prices for the coming year, the different cx-
penses could just us well be entered in uc-
cordunce with the prices obtained before
th@ war broke out. HIS Excelleucy recon-
mendeu the Draft for adoI ION.
The Chairman (Sta&enlQHu) declared LIST
Discussion for opened.
LIST Crown Member (Moc FayIaae) would
like to ask a question about he ~estinates If
the building expenses. Why is it that the
public work is done under the present con
ditiors Should it not be done by l|icirutiou?
1t is a very slack way Of working. Is there
a law which excludes any one from The wo k.
Gould he get an answer Z
The Chairman (Stakemaun) suid, thqt tL4
hon. Member must tulah his speech trst am
then he would get an answer, If pos IDLE.
but he could not reply 10 each quesgIol
separately.
1st Crown Member LHuc Fayloue) con
tinued: He heard now ana a9u.u that he
money was nnlSned, VINO pAlQ lnen, The u0a
who superintends the work Surely not.
AS formerly the work shonld be put mp for
licitation. Ii is now done by one man. he
pays contracts, wages and everything. Ii
should be done in a busineas-like way.
The Chairman (Stahentann) said, that tho
building expenses had always been a sore
point with him. He had always asked to
have them reduced, but he had never sue
ceeded. When the matter last was dis
cussed in the Municipal Committee all lie
members agreed for llc%itaiion. HIS EvcelIeucy
had promised to make out regulation fer the
Build ng Commission and the Building In
srector.
The Building Commission has at present
nothing to say, they 60 round once a year
and inspects, bat knows absolutely notaIno
further about the work, they never see alv
receipts, they can only see what every private
person can see, that the work is not bong
done as it should be, His Excellepcy had