TOWN CLERK’S BIENNIAL REPORT, 1921-1923.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2566, 12 April 1923, Page 3

TOWN CLERK’S BIENNIAL REPORT, 1921-1923.

FINANCE' AND GENERAL. •—. “I have pleasure in submitting to you herewith a report of the proceedings of tire present Council during its two years of office. The report in itself covers one of the most, if not the most, important period in the development of the town. The money that has been handled constitutes in itself a record and a glance at the Public Debt shows that we owe £46,371 7s, with £lO,300 still to be raised on the Water and Drainage Loan (£5,000 of which has been already spent) and the sum of £2,100 on the House Drainage Connection Loan, making a gross Public Debt of £58,771 7s, or over £33 per head of population. Taking the activities of the Council seriatim: ~ “GASWORKS.—This public service has received a severe overhauling and is now on a much better footing. Mr Kennerlev resigned in January 1022, and Mr J. H. Downes was appointed manager in his stead, under a slightly modified schedule of duties. During this time the bed of six retorts was renewed, a new smoke stack erected, the holder repaired, and the works generally brought nv> to a fair standard of efficiency. Turning to the financial side, receipts for the sale of gas amounted to £2,08.0 18s 7d, against last year £2,001 0s 2d an increase of £BB 0s sd. Wages on the other hand have increased just under £24, but the cost of coal has dropped by £l2O Is 7d, a net decrease of £OO 12s Bd. Gas manufactured and sold to consumers totals 4,005.000, a decrease over last year of 242,400 c.ft. The tofal make, however, stands, at 5,613,000 the percentage of gas unaccounted for being 5.4. The sum of £7lO 18s 4d was transferred to this account out of the loan of £l,lOO raised to pay off the Antecedent Liability, and this sum about paid for the new retorts, repairing lied of four, and repairing holder and cleaning out scrubber, all of which work was recommended by Mr Blackman in his report of the 20tli August, 1021. The -am of £502 12s 3d showing in this year’s balance sheet as expended on retorts will not occur again for a few years, and with this saving in view I have reduced the amount of Gasworks Rate from Id to Ad, this being estimated to produce £206 ss. It will also be noticed that for the first time rates have been charged against the undertaking. Provision will require to be made during the forthcoming year for collecting up the manager’s house with the drain- __ age system, and a connection will ..gilso be required for the works. New consumers continue to be added very slowly, and it would also be desirable to consider extending the reticulation in Purcell St., Avenue and Whyte Streets. I also think that more consumers could be obtained from jenks St., if a main were to be led off the Johnston St. main a short distance down Jenks St. In December, 1921, the Council decided to raise a loan of £2,000 for the purpose of repaying the cost of the manager’s house, effecting repairs to the works and to extend the reticulation, but as it was found that only the latter proposal was legal, the matter was dropped and the work paid for out of revenue. The amount standing on the books for gas arrears is £sl 0s 7d, an increase over last year of £ls 15s 4d. A great portion of this loss could be avoided if more slot meters were in use, and I think it highly desirable that at least a dozen 511. slot meters should be obtained early this year and about half the number later on. “CEMETERY. —It seems almost grim irony to say that this is one of the most flourishing departments, but the fact is so. The credit balance in this account has increased by £l3 2s Bd, and now stands at £B7 15s Id. The reserve portion formerly leased at £l6 per annum is now leased at £36 per annum, the. lease expiring on the 10th May, 1929. The row of trees on the western boundary of the Cemetery were cut down and a hedge was planted in its stead, but owing to the prolific growth of weeds the hedge T notice is almost choked out. “LIBRARY—This public sendee in common with the general offices of the Council lias had to put up with much inconvenience since the fire. There are now 72 subscribers, and the library contains over 800 books. As we started in November, 1920, with only a few books the position appears fairly satisfactory. The account is now in credit £96 17s sd. Expenses for the year ended 31st March 1920, the year before the fire, totalled £ll4 I<> S > against this year £56 7s lOd. while the receipts are £ls lower now than at that, period. At the 31st March, 1920, the account was in debit £8 6s 3d. As the question of providing a reading room is about to be considered -I am of course unable to give any idea of what is proposed. I desire, however, to thank the donors of books, Mrs C. A. Pearson, Mr Scadden, and Mr Wm. Bock in particular, and many others. “TOWN HALL. —This proposition which turned out a “white elephant” a few years ago until leased to private enterprise, is just about holding its own, although with the drainage and water to instal, and a

_ new piston and liner for the engine lo pay for, we are faced with a heavy year. The piano requires renewing, and if work is not too heavy I would like to organise a Municipal Ball to provide funds for a new piano, or at least a good se-cond-hand one. I think a Municipal Ball would prove a very interesting social function and would again set the lead as we did with the Cab-

aret. Turning to the accounts, I wish to draw your attention to the item for fuel, as I have been told that rumours were current that the hall was not paying its proportion of gas consumed. This item stands at £IOO 6s Bd, no small amount. The balance of receipts over expenditure on the picture enterprise stands at £244 11s lid, which after being trunsfei-red to the Hall account, leaves a small balance of £sl 13s sd, with as far as T can sec, all accounts paid. A small sum of £lB 5s 6d is outstanding on the books for hall hire, etc. It is not generally known that since taking over the hall I have installed gas fittings on the old pipes, which I have had cleaned out, and by using the gas

lighting only, instead of running the engine for dances the hiring charges can be reduced by half. By this means I hope also to be able to reduce the item for fuel. For the first time too, the picture hall has been ehai’ged with its share of rates. As the account is new in the, books, I am unable to comment on past accounts. I do feel, however, that it is about time the Amusement Tax was taken off the lower charges. I should say that this tax costs the Town IT all patrons about £1 a week. If it were taken off any charge below 2/6 it would not be too much to expect, especially when there are so many other amusements that pay no tax. I do not see that the purpose for which the proceeds arc used should be made a basis of exemption so long ns the attraction is there. “SANITATION. —This service will shortly require overhauling on account of the number of properties that will he connected up with the drainage system. At present the connections are few in number, but they will slowly increase thro(Continued on Page 1.)