Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1903. The Progress of the Town.
It is admitted everywhere that the town of Poxton is progressing, and, without doubt during the last three years the town has been developed quickly and permanently. We desire no boom, those inflations of values arising from the eager anticipations of larger values to be obtained from freeholds than are obtainable at present in cash. What we do desire is that the growth of the town may be properly appreciated by the residents so that their representatives on the BoroUgh Council will so conduct their actions that provision shall be made for a larger population than there now is, and that the necessary improvements a rapidly growing town needs shall have their earnest consideration. Our position reminds us of the action of the sculptor who forms a thing of beauty out of lumps of clay. The clay is first roughly put together and shaped, which is as far as Poxton has got, after which by the care and skill of the artist the rougher portions are so turned that the completed statue becomes a thing of beauty—this is what has to be done. To put the view we hold of the position of the Borough correctly before our readers we secured an interview with -• Mr Alf. Fraser, the trusted Town Clerk and Treasurer, from whom we culled most useful and. interesting information. We learnt that the financial position of the-Borough was eminently satisfactory and that at the end of the financial year, the 31st March last, the account known as the “ Borough Fund ” stood at the bank with a credit of £B5l 12a 3d, being the largest credit at the end of any year the Borough has had. As with this account so is it with all the accounts the Borough has to keep, they are all in credit, and taking the whole totals into consideration the (l statement of balances ” show there was an amount of £487 to the credit of the Borough. Taking another view of the position we find that the Assets of the Borough to be £lOl2 and the Liabilities nil. The Borough has some debts, that is balances due bn loans, such as £867 bearing a charge of £l6 10s a year, a long period of which has expired, incurred in the formation of the Sanson-Oarnarvon Tramway; there is also a sum of £1027 due, repayable, is less than 40 years now, which entails a yearly payment for that period of £BS 19s 2d. The Reserves account shows that the revenue produced therefrom amounts to £BS 7s 3d, for which good offices the early members of the Borough have to be thanked for their foresight. The Cemetery Reserve yields a rental of £l7 as against £5 a year paid in the past. ’’ For the last five years the general rate produced about £4BO whilst last year the rates amounted to. £546, and the number of burgesses has increased from 215 to 421. i As the Borough has grown so, naturally, has the work of Councillors and Clerk. During the past years the number of Councillors have been increased from 6 to 9 and they held some 55 meetings, averaging a meeting about once a fortnight. The present Council bid fair to make the average of sittings about once a week. The Clerk’s work has increased more in proportion to that of Councillors owing to many different statements and accounts the new Act demands of him. Less than five years ago the Clerk was called on to keep four accounts and to prepare one statement annually, now he has to keep eight
acionnts and make five statements and in addition he has to prepare not. only the annual’ balance-sheet but he has to prepare another in a -different manner to satisfy the Regis-trar-General, who requires totally different items to that the Audit Office demands, and another balancesheet is prepared to enable the Government Subsidy for the Library to be obtained. It goes without saying that more Councillors make more work, not merely in sending them the notice, of meetings, but as in a multitude of Councillors there is wisdom it g >es without saying| that it has to be made evident by a number of resolutions requiring extra clerical work. We can say with much pleasure that the Town Clerk appears to have given every satisfaction to the past Mayors and Councillors and as we spoke, with no uncertain voice in favour of his election to the office he holds, we are naturally pleased to see him justify the views we then held. It must be a satisfaction to ratepayers to know that the large sums passing through the Council, amounting to, last year, of £ISOO received and £I2OO paid away, is in the hands of a careful and conscientious officer. This brief resume of the finance of the Borough leaves out very many other faqt? pointing to the healthy position of Foxton, but it shows without challenge that a very material advancement has been secured. Such being the case it' is of the utmost importance that all should strive to improve each yen'* on the position now held, and‘an intelligent interest shown in the actions of our representatives will urge .them to increased exertions
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Manawatu Herald, 26 May 1903, Page 2
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880Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1903. The Progress of the Town. Manawatu Herald, 26 May 1903, Page 2
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