Scotsman Archive

IN PRESENTING the provisional estimates of expenditure for the ensuing year at a meeting of Edinburgh Town Council yesterday, Mr James Miller, the City Treasurer, expressed the hope that no change in the rates would be necessary, but described higher transport fares as " inevitable" in view of the tax addition to the cost of petrol and fuel oil. He said they would need to find 44,140 more from the rates next year. They were going to require something like 2,870, 980, a vast sum which, however, was less than half of the total spent on rating account.

Actually they proposed to expend 5, 914,305 in all, but against that they could set 3,013,325 of revenue from Government grants and other sources.

"It is early yet to prophesy," added the Treasurer, "but I would like to think that my successor will be able to maintain the rates at the same figure as last year."

That could be done if every department continued to be as careful as they had been.

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