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12.55d., fd. is said to represent the amount which would have been,
had the change not taken place, chargeable as a County Rate on the
Poor Rate, so that 10.80d. may be said to represent the amount raised
by rates by the County Rate instead of by the Metropolitan Consolidated
Rate. This may be subject to some slight modification
owing to certain financial arrangements, which cannot be conveniently
explained in detail here, but appended is the estimate
issued by the County Council, which may help to elucidate a very
complicated subject. Of the 12.55d. above mentioned, only
7-12ths have been levied for the first half year, leaving 5-12ths to
be raised in the second half-year; but there is reason to believe
that this amount will be increased.
It has been the practice for the Government to contribute from
the Consolidated Fund towards the cost of the Police and other
local burdens. These contributions will now cease; but in lieu
thereof, the Government will band over to the County Council the
License, Probate and other dues which are set out in the estimate
of the Connty Council. It would appear that this arrangement
will be a benefit to the ratepayers, but if there should be a balance
in favor of the ratepayers, as shown in the estimate referred to, it
must be borne in mind that the oessation of the Coal and Wine
dues will create a deficit which must be charged to the rates, unless
one or two things happen:—either the County Council must
suspend any further Metropolitan Improvements, or some other
source of revenue than that of local taxation must be found.
There are two features connected with the financial arrangements
of the County Council which may have a special local
apart from general interest. The one is the provision for
the payment to the various Boards of Guardians of a sum equal to
4d. per head per day towards the maintenance of in-door paupers
belonging to the Parish or Union. As the total of these contributions
will be equal to a rate for that amount levied upon the
Metropolis, it follows that those Unions and Parishes where the
number of in-door paupers is to the rateable value greater than the
average, the contribution will be advantageous to those parishes,
and where the number of in-door poor is less than the average, the