BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1385, 13 April 1915, Page 2

BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

TOWN CLERK’S ANNUAL REPORT.

At last night’s meeting of the Borough Council the Town Clerk submitted his annual report as follows :

1 have the honour to present to you my second report and balance sheet. In connection with the latter, as I promised you last year, the balance sheet was ready ior audit before 6 p.m. of the 31st March, or in other words on the some day as the financial year terminated.

At the election for Mayor last April, Mr G. H. Stiles was again returned unopposed, and during the past year he has had the same Council to work with, with the exception that Mr D. Green resigned his office >n April last and lie was succeeded by Councillor R. i). Kempster, who was returned unopposed. During the past year 24 meetings of the Council were held and the attendances of Councillors were as under: — His Worship the Mayor attended 24, Cr Coley 24, Cr Henderson 24, Cr Read 24, Cr Whibley 22, Cr Chrystall 21, Cr Kempster 21, Cr Freeman 19, Cr Speirs 19, Cr Barber 10, Cr Green 0. C.l-Nl-RAI, ACCOUNT. The debit balance of the general account of ,£731 14s 3d seems rather heavy, but when it is explained that the following “ extraordinary ” expenditure is contained in that large debit balance, it will be readily seen that we have done lar better than we could have expected, and would have wiped off the debit balance of £230 with which we started the yuir had it not been for such extraordinary expenditure. The following accounts may well be considered as the primary cause 0! there being such a large debit balance on account of the general account. In connection with the item, “salaries and office expenses,” I would like to draw Councillors attention to this : the amount being £277 2s rod, being ,£57 less than the previous year, and notwithstanding that the office assistant had her salary increased by £2 6 per annum, nor has the item of transferred from sanitation account for two yoars clerical work been taken into consideration. From this it will be seen that there has not been any extravagance in the office administration. The following is the extraordinary expenditure.

Advanced to Town Hall account £392 14s rid, advanced to cemetery account £ll3 is xod, expenses re water and drainage proposals £65 19s, purchase land Purcell street £6O, Interest Beach road loan ,£27 os id, donation towards troop horse £lO, paid off part dr. balance as at 31/3/1914 £62 ids sd. MAINTENANCE. During the past year the roads, footpaths and drains have been kept in as good order as our funds would permit. Besides the ordinary maintenance of the roads etc., the following permanent works have been finished, viz., concrete kerbiug of Park street from Avenue to Jenks streets concrete wall at old native cemetery, concrete kerbing along Cook street round to drain in Johnston street, new pipe culvert in Johnston street, asphalting footpaths in Clyde street (both sides), Avenue road, Main street, etc. Therefore when we see that we spend £l2B more for maintenance than we estimated we must bear these improvements in mind. One thing stands cut perfectly plain : that to keep the streets of the borough as they should be kept a rate of three pence is needed as a general rate. MATER AND DRAINAGE. In the month of June last water and drainage proposals were submitted to the ratepayers with the following results : A combined gravitation water and drainage scheme to cost: £36,500 was thrown out on the following voting, viz., For the proposal 114, against the proposal 161, informal 11, —256. A combined artesian water and drainage scheme to cost .£23,000 was rejecled by the ratepayers as under, viz., F'or the proposal 74, against the proposal 195, informal 17—256. Thus for the second lime the ratepayers have thrown out an artesian water scheme. 1,1 HRARY, As usual Mrs Mitchell, the librarian and custodian, bas carried out her duties in a most conscientious manner and given general satisfaction. The number of subscribers remains about the same old number, viz., 45. Ifc seems incredible that with a population like that of Foxtou and with such a small annual subscription, that there are so few to avail themselves of the uses of our library, which without exaggeration is one of the most up-to-date, seeing that nearly a dozen new books ate added to the shelves each month. As showing the poor support we get financially one has only to look at the balance sheet and see that were it not for the annual Government subsidy the income would not meet expenditure. reserves. This account as usual is well in credit, the amount being ,£134 8s (3d. During the past year new fencing and shed were etected’ at the pound reserve, while at Victoria Park other alterations and improvements were made. cemetery. This account has had a hard time during the past year as wfe had to get the general account to finance it to the amount of £lx3,

Unfortunately we have not received any rent lor the last half year, and then having to pay over £(>~ for survey fees relative to the new plan, this has all helped to put the account in the position of needing assistance. Besides the above expenditure the mortuary shed was painted and part partitioned oft" as I suggested in my last year’s report. I may state that the new plan gives great satisfaction to one and all. The number of burials during the past year was n adults and 9 children.

SANITATION. The work in connection with the carrying out the sanitation has been well and satisfactorily performed by Mr T. W. Mitchell, and it is seldom or never that we have any complaints. The financial position of the account is very good there being a credit balance ol over The cost of administration for the past year was ,£372, the increase being due to ,£SO transferred to the general account for two years clerical work. GAS WORKS. The gas works during the past year have done very good work. It will be seen from the profit and loss or trading account supplied to the Council that foe net profit for the year just ended on the 31st March last were tts, as against .£649 14s 2d lor the preceding year. In June last Mr Stunell, foe late gas manager, resigned his position and out of a large number of applicants for the position Mr M. H. Hamilton, of the Spiral Pipe Co. Wanganui, was appointed. At the same time as the water and drainage proposals were submitted to the ratepayers a proposal was put before them for a loan of ,£3OOO for gas works extentions. This proposal was carried as under, viz., For foe proposal 155, against the proposal 119, informal 12 —286. Mr J, W. Blackman, of Mastertou, the Council’s consulting engineer was entrusted with the work of preparing plans and specifications for the proposed works and called tenders in the Old Couutry for the same. Last month tenders were received and one accepted for the work, and it is hoped that before another year passes that foe work will be completed and the works in a state to cope with any demand that may be put on them. Some months back Mr Blackman was authorised to order a new bench of retorts and these are expected to arrive any day now, and will be installed immediately ou their receipt.

CORONATION TOWN KARL. This account more than any other seems to have fared the worst, as the income was smaller during the past year than ever it has been. The pictures held their own, but at the end of February there was only a balance of ,£52 183 nd to transfer from His picture account to the Town Hall account. As the expenditure ot running the hall was so heavy, the Council after mature deliberation decided to lease the hall as well as the pictures. This was eventually done, the N.Z. Pictuie Supplies lAd. being given a lease of the hall, pictures, etc., at £S per week. It is anticipated that after we pay for insurance, etc., we will clear nearly .£2OO per annum and it should not be long at this rate ere the Town Hall is paid for. To balance this account it became necessary to borrow ,£392 J 4 S lIL * from the general account. This amount will be repaid part this year and part next year. BATES. The whole of last year’s rates were collected more than a mouth before the end of the financial year, and the Government subsidy was applied for at the end of the past month. BLTI.DING PEEWITS. During the past year 23 permits were issued representing ,£lO in fees and ,£3631 in improvements. THE BAND. Our local brass band is now properly under the patronage of the Council as we subsidise it with an annual amouut of ,£3O. This was done with the object of assuring that the ratepayers should be sure of having the band’s services on stated occasions.

COUNCII, AND MAYOR, On the 28th inst, the ratepayers and burgesses will be asked to elect a new Council and Mayor, and on this occasion the Mayor will be elected for the same term as the Council, viz., two years. As this will be the. last ordinary meeting of the present Council I wish to thank one and all for the courtesy and loyalty shown to myself during the time I have been your town clerk.