THE BOROUGH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 17 January 1890, Page 2

THE BOROUGH.

•■■—The- Burgesses -of the Borough of Foxton have now experienced for .sbtiae -time the rule initiated oil the recession from the Manawatu County, and have had time to compare the present position with the past. Every .new country has to go through many ordeals, which are necessary to develope the waste into a garden, and it is unwise therefore to say anything harsh against a public body which must necessarily have helped the developement of both this town and district, and we will only hope that it will still continue its course of usefulness over the area which it still claims for its home. Comparisons are not thought' to be kind, yet they are very useful, both to point a moral, and to adorn a tale. When this town secured a separation from the County, our friends in the County wholly misunderstood the financial position . of this town, and because the revenue derived from rates wag small, imagined it to be impossible that its leading men would be capable of appreciating the fact, and cut their coit according to their cloth. They even went so far as to prophesy utter ruin, and the inevitableness of the ratepayers being burdened with heavy and oppressive taxation Everyone is liable to make mistakes, and more especially those who are incapable of granting the possession of as good sense, aa they themselves possess, in those who differ with them. We are bound to make these references to the past to.underlinethe actiou of our Borough Council during the past year, which, though not actuated by quite as uiuch push as we should have desired to see, has been guided by a strong dotermination to keep its expenditure within its revenue, and what is more, has done so. At the last meeting of the Council the Treasurer reported that after making all the payments ou the sheet, the amount to the credit of the -account would be some sixty pounds, and ihat an amount of eighty pounds would fall due in a few weeks, and there was also about one htu dred pounds of outstanding rates. All the other, accounts, such as the Reserves, Library, Cemetery, and Ferry, weve also in funds. We stiy that Mich a statement coming close on the ond of tliu tinaucir.lyear, is most satisfactory, bearing- in jnind that «. large mileage of i-oacls have been attended r,o, and which c-m truly be Sisid fc> -be ir.- as good a repair as at anytime, even though much heavier traffic goes ovor them. Of course, if tho money had only been hoarded, the ruerA matter of having a credit balance would be as nothing, but it is the work done and still money being in hand, which marks the fact. The Mayor is undoubtedly entitled to a large proportion of th« praise, as he h.'.s been exceedingly caretul of the Borough's interests, but the Councillors are also entitled to their proportion, as they can outvote the Mayor at anytime, and that they have duly given him their support is most fortunate. Tho one official, the To vn Clerk, has also had his share, and as the Mayor and Councillors always apeak highly of his work, we may reckon ha did his part towards the successful result. The Burgesses should always ba thankful to those who advisod tha step they took to secure the sole administration of their rates, as they have secured attention to their wants,, have a credit balance at their bankers,. aud have achieved all on a fifteen, penny rate, as against the equivalent of a two shilling rate they had previously to pay.