The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, April 15, 1909. BOROUGH FINANCES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 15 April 1909, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, April 15, 1909. BOROUGH FINANCES.

The annual balance-sheet presented by the Town Clerk at Tuesday’s meeting of the Borough Council should be of interest to ratepayers. The General Account opened with a debit balance of ,£72 16s 5d and closed with a debit of ,£lB is 1 id. Against this there is an amount of ,£lB2 17s 6d which has been advanced to the several separate accounts, and 13s 6d is still outstanding for licensing expenses, etc. Taking these items into consideration, there will be an amount of >£242 9s id available on this account. The chief items of receipts are : rates (including Government subsidy nsgd), £958 17s id; licenses, ,£204 2s ; rents, ,£l4B 6s 6d ; fees and fines, 3s ; dog registration, £2O 12s 6d and other miscellaneous items bringing the total up to ,£1486 13s Sd. The chief items of expenditure are : Maintenance of roads, streets and drains, ,£457 9s 1 id ; salaries and office expenses, ,£167 10s 2d ; street lighting, ,£lll 19s Sd ; licensing expenses, ,£lO6 14s 8d ; transferred to interest and sinking fund accounts council chambers, £l2O ; alterations to Council Chambers, ,£42 12s 6d. Other smaller amounts and advances to separate accounts brings the total up to £1486 13s Bd. The Library Account shows a debit of £lO 2s 3d. The receipts totalling £BS 8s id are made up as follows : rates, ,£53 16s lod ; Government subsidy, ,£ls 2s 6d ;

subscriptions, £ls 9s 6d and sundries making up the balance. The expenditure was: books, magazines etc, £27 18s id ; firing and lighting, ,£2O 14s yd ; paid secretary, £ls ; caretaker, ,£l2 18s 4d ; gas fittings, £l2 19s 6d ; and smaller amounts making up a total of ,£95 los 4d. The Reserves account commenced the year with a credit of ,£7O 12s 4d and closed with a credit of ,£B9 5s id. The only source of revenue was rents ,£IOB 7s 3d. The chief items of expenditure were ; fencing, ,£42 17s ; labour and material, £24 14s fid ; secretary, ,£ls; water tank, etc., ,£6 10s ; and insurance 13s, The Cemetery Account is over expended to the amount of £1 is fid. The receipts totalled £33 7s fid, made up of burial sites, £l6 ; rent of reserve, ,£8 10s ; and burial fees, ,£8 17s fid. The expenditure was : Secretary, £ls ; sexton, salary and fees, £l3 17s fid ; grass cutting, £4; and notice boards and repairs making a total of £34 9s. There was a credit for the year on the Sanitation Account of £25 7s fid. The rates amounted to £276 12s fid and the expenditure to £251 ss, and the balance £25 7s fid was refunded to the general account. The expenditure was as follows : Wages, £207 ; horse feed £39 6s fid ; miscellaneous £4 18s fid. The Statement of Assets and Liabilities show the former to be £2798 18s Bd, and the latter £514 4s, leaving a balance of £2274 14s 8d of assets over liabilities. The Public Debt amounts to £7,232 xßs Bd. The figures quoted above are subject to audit, but may be taken as correct. It will be seen therefore, that the financial position of the borough is most satisfactory, especially so by comparison with other boroughs of a similar size. We notice no bank overdraft of from £6OO to £IOOO as is shown on other borough balance-sheets. We hope every aspirant for municipal honours will go carefully into the question of finance. livery councillor should have a thorough grasp of the finances but, unfortunately in too many boroughs in the Dominion the Town Clerk and Mayor are the only ones who appear to know anything in this direction. As the question of a water supply and municipal hall will loom large in the policy ol the new Council, it will be seen how necessary a knowledge of the subject we haue referre'd to is.