The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1884.

Kumara Times, Issue 2557, 2 September 1884, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1884.

In a letter to-day his Worship the Mayor makes imputation that we are making "strenuous efforts to publish larger advertisements" than has usually been done. We do not ask for more than what the Acts require. This is not simply a matter as betweenourselvesand the Borough Council. The law requires that the burgesses shall be properly informed of the intentions of the Council ; and we have been pointing out lately how the Mayor has been settiDg the law at nought by wilfully withholding from publicity that which the burgesses have a right to be informed of. If annual estimates are to be prepared over night and adopted at a meeting of Council next day, what chance have the burgesses of protesting against any particular proposed expenditure. The Act requires that the estimate shall be publicly notified for a week before making the rate. This is not the first instance the Mayor has set the law in defiance in this respect. The borough annual balance-sheet and statement are by law required to be published. The assets and liabilities were published, and when we drew the attention of the Town Clerk to the omission of the accompanying statements, he consulted the Mayor, and the Mayor authorised the Town Clerk to withhold the statements from publication, notwithstanding that the statements have in previous years always been advertised. We have only to refer to the 131st and 132nd Bections of " The Municipal Corporations Act," as follows :

131. On or before the fifteenth day of April in each year, the Treasurer shall prepare and send to the Auditors a yearly balance sheet, being an abstract of all the transactions in each of the accounts above mentioned during the year ending on the thirty-first day of March previous, together with the statements following:— (1.) A statement of the whole assets and liabilities of the borough, upon the said thirty-first day of March. (2.) A statement of the public debt of the borough, showing the total debt outstanding under the head of each loan raised, and the sinking fund in the Bank or invested to provide for the repayment of each such loan. (3.) A stttement of the reserves and other real estate belonging to the Corporation, showing the terms conditions and rents for which any parts thereof are let on lease or otherwise, and the amounts of the rents in arrear in each case. 132. The Auditors shall certify to the correctness of such yearly balance sheet and statements, either wholly or with such exceptions as they think fit, and shall send the same to the Council on or before the thirtieth day of April ; and the Council shall forthwith publish the name in the borough, with the report of ih« Auditors thereon. Suit-sections (2) and (3) were not complied with. So that the public will see we are not argniug for more than our jiiat rights, but what it is of interest and importance that the ratepayers should be informed. As a notice of motion has been handed in for the meeting of the Borough Council on Thursday night to rescind the resolution of the Council giving notice of their intention to strike a rate, and reconsider the whole question afresh, we now leave the matter to the consideration of the Council.