The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL, 16, 1908. BOROUGH FINANCES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 373, 16 April 1908, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL, 16, 1908. BOROUGH FINANCES.

At Monday’s meeting of the Borough Council the Town Clerk presented the annual balance-sheet for the year ended 31st March, 1908. The statement is subject to Government audit. The -figures are interesting and should le studied by every ratepayer in order to ascertain the source from whence the revenue is derived, and whether it is spent to the best advantage. The general account shows that the year opened with a debit of £53 14s lod, and closed with a debit of £2B is 2d. The receipts totalled £1483 7s 3d, and expenditure £lsll 8s sd. The principal items of receipts were:— Rates (including Government subsidy ot £IOO 7s qd), £909 9s 7d ; licenses, £261 ; rents, £124 is 8d ; fees and fines, £SB ss; dog registration, £2B 2s 6d; and other miscellaneous items making up the balance. The principal items of expenditure were :—Street maintenance, £646 is; salaries and office expenses, £163 4s gd ; printing and advertising’, £7l os 6d ; street lighting, £59 ; dog registration, £ls is 5d ; ranging, £33 9s ; Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, .£33 rqs 3d ; band practice room, £9O 1 os ; refund Devin and Co., £SO ; law costs, £3O 5s rod ; transferred interest account Council Chambers, £6O, and transferred sinking fund Council Chambers, £6O ; other minor sums make up the balance of expenditure. A considerable sum was spent in Main Street improvements, the concrete channelling alone cost £235. This fact should serve to remind the Council that streets and footways in other localities should receive more attention (luting the current year. We hope that residents in different parts of the borough will air their requirements before the Council, either by petition or deputation, and not be intimidated by the rebuff of any individual councillor. The Council, as a whole, may be relied upon to give a fair hearing, and if possible give effect to the wishes of any section of ratepayers whose streets and footways require attention. The Council was not successful in its litigation with Devin and Co., which accounted for an item which would have been better appreciated if expended on the roads. The cost of erecting a band room (£9O 10s) was a further burden the general account had no right to bear. The Council undertook the erection of a band room, believing that the cost of same would be met out of reserves revenue, which it subsequently discovered would he illegal, hence the charge. Failing the building being utilised for the purpose for which, it was erected, it could be

converted to some more profitable purpose.

The library Account opened with a credit balance of £5 4s 1 id, and closed with a debit of £nosiod; the revenue for the year totalled £76 4s 4d, made up as follows ; —Rates, ,£3B 10s yd ; Government subsidy, £l4 4s lod ; subscriptions, £l7 10s; sundry sales, 14s. The expenditure totalled £B7 5s 2d ; the principal items were ; —Firing and lighting, £23 14s 8d ; books and magazines, £26 7s 8d; clerk, ,£ls; caretaker, ,£10; insurance, £2 18s lod ; catalogues, £7 and furniture £2 4s. It is surprising that a town possessing a population of 1500 inhabitants should show such a small percentage of subscribers. Another most unjust practice which requires immediate attention is the fact that subscribers who are non-ratepayers are charged the same subscription as ratepayers. The fee for nonratepayers should be raised at least 2s 6(1 per quarter, and we hope attention will be given to this matter when the committee meets. The Reserves Account shows a deficit of £7O 12s qd. At the beginning of the year this account was £,'182 7s lid in credit, and rents (,£134 10s gd) brought up the total to £316 18s Bd. The expenditure totalled ,£246 6s 4d, and was made up as follows : —New cottage, £,204 7s 6d ; clerk, £,15 ; windmill, £ll 8s 6d ; labour and material, £,'ls 3s lod ; insurance 6s 6d. The reserves consist of section 477, area 244 acres, leased by Mr Dennis Purcell, at an annual rental of £4l 8s gd ; section 410, area 103 acres, leased by Mr A. R. Macdonald at an annual rental of £SO ; section 250, area 2 acres 1 rood 37 perches, leased to C. F. Johnston at an annual rental of £4 , section 488, area one acie, leased to Dctitia Ahern, annual rental £2 10s ; Vicloiia Park gate money ; section 44, area three roods six perches, leased to Mr Frank Gall, at an annual rental ol £2: pound reserve, area two acres two roods, leased to R. Kirste at £l6 6s 8d per annum ; cottage (old library), annual rental £20163; office site, closed road, weekly tenants, £65 per annum. We do not know how long certain of the above leases have to run, but it would be as well for councillors to keep in view the increased land values, and assess upset prices before submitting the leases again to public auction. The Cemetery Account works out at a debit of 13s icd. The account opened in credit at £ 5 5s lod ; sale of sites realised £22 10s ; rents, £25 10s; burial fees, £7 15s; balance, £4 12s; total, £65 12s lod. Kxpenditure, tree felling, £26 ; insurance £1 8s; sexton, £5 ; fees, £7 15s ; labour, £8 I2s6d; grave pegs, £1 17s qd; clerk, £ls ; total, £65 12s icd.

Sanitation Account: The sanitation rate, which is struck at the maximum, realised £212 8s 6d, which fell short by £29 2s 3d of the expenditure incurred. The expenditure is made up as follows : Wages, £l5B 10s; purchase of horse, £27 10s; horse feed, £4l 5s 5(1; harness and repairs, £8 6s 6d ; shoeing, £2 is; miscellaneous, £3 18s ; total, £241 2s 1 id. The loans total 1,6558 is 3d, and are made up as follows: — D 367, proportion ot loan under award of Controller and AuditorGeneral at per cent. ; D 1027 8s 2d, period 41 years, inscribed istFeb., 1901, at y£ per cent. ; D 3055 15s 6d, term 41 years, inscribed Ist Feb., 1905, 3J2 per cent.; D 307 17s 9d, 41 years, inscribed Ist Feb., 1906, y/2 per cent. ; DI2OO, currency 15 years, due December, 1921, 5 per cent, sinking fund, DBS; D6OO, 41 years, inscribed Ist Feb., 1908, y/o, per cent. There are other items which we will deal with at a later date. On the whole the borough’s indebtedness is comparatively light.