BOROUGH COUNCIL ACCOUNTS.

Kumara Times, Issue 990, 2 December 1879, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL ACCOUNTS.

[to the editor.] Sm—ln reply to your comment in a footnote you placed beneath my letter on Saturday last, allow me to state that I did not on that occasion advance any argument denying a balance-sheet of accounts of the Borough Council had not been printed in your papers Appai’ently I may have omitted or overlooked such a fact, but the public who happen to read ray letter will have but little difficulty in comprehending the object I aimed at, namely, that every ratepayer should be made acquainted as to how the Borongh funds dealt with, whereas to the present time' they are not informed on this matter, In all large or small towns, where a press issues its paper at, say, one shilling per week, there are many residents that never become subscribers to such an institution, whilst many others but seldom read it. Still, this class of persons have a claim to know how the C.nnnnlnl 1 1

tinder present system, it is evident (JS|f jour statement in footnote implies the that each ratepayer* to get this balance-sheet, must become a subscriber to the Kumara Times, at a cost of two pontods twelve shillings per year. You state as follows that an audited balance-sheet of accounts is published annually-, in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act, and that for two years, at certain dates mentioned, have appeared in your fcolumns.” Greymouth) and (as I stated in my letter) other Borough Councils distribute to their ratepayers a printed balance-sheet annually. This would meet the case-, and I do no see any just tause why the same system should not be carried out here.—l am, &c, Geo. Simmons. [When our correspondent wishes to Ventilate the presumed grievances of others, our columns suffice for the object he has in view* irrespective of the two pounds twelve shillings per annum which, according to his own argument, must necessarily be expended to procure a single copy of this journal. Ibe non-readers and non-subscribers to whom our correspondent alludes are, we apprehend, in the same category as himself, conspicuous by their absence from the Burgess Roll of the Borough.—* Ed. K. T.j