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65
The payments to Central Authorities last year amounted
to £17,065 2s. 10d. more than for the previous year, and
to £33,016 12s. 2d. more than for the year 1894-5. It will
be seen that of the total sum raised under the name of
local rates, a very small proportion is applicable to strictly
local expenditure, no less than £159,500 5s. 10d. of the total
of £222,838 2s. having been paid over during the year
to various authorities over whose expenditure the Vestry
and other Parochial Boards have no control. In other
words, out of every shilling raised as local rates in
St. James's, not more than threepence is spent by the
Parochial Authorities.
MAKING AND COLLECTION OF RATES.
The question of taking steps to alter the provisions of
the Local Act with respect to the making and collection of
rates has engaged the attention of the Vestry at different
periods during the last two years. It was mentioned in the
last Annual Report that although the Vestry had passed
a formal Resolution, as suggested by the Local Government
Board, applying to the Board for a Provisional Order to
alter the provisions of the Act referred to, the Motion for
confirming this Resolution, which is required by statute,
was lost by one vote at the subsequent meeting of the
Vestry. The question was, however, again raised during
the year to which this Report relates, when the Vestry in
November last resolved to apply to the Local Government
Board for a Provisional Order to repeal those sections of
the Local Act, 2 Geo. III., cap. 58, which necessitate the
making of the rates at Easter to cover the twelve months
from the previous 5th January, and to amend the same as
far as may be necessary, in order that the rates may be
made prospectively, instead of retrospectively, and collected
within the quarter, as the case may be, which the
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