Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1906. BOROUGH FINANCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3648, 17 May 1906, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1906. BOROUGH FINANCE.

There can be no doubt that Foxton Borough Councillors will have to use much thought in their duties as Borough financiers this present year, and facts relating to our position should be of interest. At Monday night’s meeting of the Council, the Borough Treasurer (Alf. Fraser, Esq.) reported that since last monthly meeting the sum of os 6d had been paid into the bank, and that the amount lying that day to the credit of the District Fund Account was the balances of the various separate accounts being :—General, £iSo 7s gd overdrawn ; Cemetery, A'i 6s 2d overdrawn; library, 7s gl in credit; Reserves, 13s lod in credit; Interest, 2s in credit. The Borough Treasurer remarked that in the estimated receipts and expenditure prepared for Council’s information and guidance the estimated expenditure exceeded that of the estimated revenue by ,£165 3s !gd. and that in the face of an increased rate of an additional 6d in the £, such being the case the Treasurer felt it to be his duty to strongly impress upon the Council the absolute and urgent necessity of a rigid economy during the present year, otherwise the Councillors may have to face the responsibility of making good any shortage at the end of the year. The Treasurer’s Estimate of receipts and expenditure for lycar ending 31st March, 1907, is as follows, and is worthy of consideration : Receipts.—General rate at is gd in the £ on .£689 is 3d ; Government subsidy on at 5s in the £, £124. 15s; hotel licenses, miscellaneous licenses, ; refund of licensing expenses, dog tax; £2O ; rent of flax-mill sites, ,£35 ; pound rent and fees, £3O ; building fees, ,£ls; miscellaneous, ,£lO. Total Expenditure: Overdraft on Ist April, 1906, 10s; maintainance of streets, roads, drains, &c M £865 ; salaries, £g2 ; street lighting, £6O ; printing and advertising £4O ; licensing expenses, ,£lO5 ; contributions to Hospital and Charitable Aid, ; ranging, ,£2O; interest on Sandon tramline,. 19s ; dog registration, erection of Morgue, ; rent of Council rooms, ; stationery, £5 ; audit fee, ; petty cash, £5 ; miscellaneous, £lO. Total,

It will thus be seen there is an estimated deficiency of ,£165 3s gd on the present year’s finance, and we would therefore appeal to Councillors generally to be judicious when dealing with money allocated from the general fund.