The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, October 19, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1058, 19 October 1911, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, October 19, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

At a meeting of the Levin Borough Council held on Monday night, the Borough Treasurer submitted his annual report, included in which was a statement in connection with the municipal gas works, showing that the works, although established only eighteen months, were now paying their way. The receipts on the manufacturing account totalled ,£1497 2s 2d and the expenditure, including interest ,£445 ros and capital paid off amounted to ,£1494 is 2d, leaving a credit balance on the year’s working of £3 is. Reporting on same the Treasurer says: “It is now a certainty that the ratepayers will not be asked to supply any of the where-with-all to carry on the gas works, for the consumers themselves provide sufficient means to meet the necessary expenditure A reduction in the price of gas charged to consumers can only be safely brought about when there is an increased output of gas. The cost of coals, especially the railage Irom Wellington to Levin, is a big obstacle in the way of supplying very cheap gas.” In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet the Mayor said : If there was one thing they could congratulate themselves upon it was the gas undertaking, it had been said that this undertaking was a complete failure, but with two summers and only one winter the position was a very good one indeed. During the time the undertaking had been in existence they had paid off their maintenance expenses, depreciation, interest and sinking fund, and at the end of the first eighteen mouths they had a credit balance. He thought that showed a very sound state of affairs, and one upon which the Borough Council could congratulate itself. He did not think many boroughs had the good lighting of this town, and despite adverse criticism he was of opinion that the council had not made many mistakes in regard to the gas undertaking. They had tried to do their best for the people. —This should encourage Foxton to look forward to better things in respect to their undertaking.

Thk public debt of the borough of Levin on March 31st, ign, was ,£37,763 15s nd. Foxton’s public debt on that date amounted to ,£18,215 12s Bd, but since then two further loans have been raised, viz., Hall loan of ,£2,800 and Beach road loan of ,£1,250 making the public debt to date ,£22,265 12s Bd.