TOWN CLERK’S BIENNIAL REPORT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3929, 11 April 1929, Page 3

TOWN CLERK’S BIENNIAL REPORT.

A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW. The following is the biennial (report submitted to the Foxton Borough Council by the Town Clerk (Mr Wjm. Trueman) at Monday night’s meeting. —i

Reserves Account. —The year • commenced with a balance of £BO, ren'ts amounting to £179, while the expenditure, wages, rates, treeplanting, turfing, etc., amounted to £lsl, leaving a balance ait the end of the year of £lO3. A donation of £lO was made to the. School Com- . rnittee towards the cost of turfing along the boundary of Iha'kara Gardens, and more young trees were planted on sandy portions of the Target Reserve. The trees are in good condition and will (be an asset in years to come.

Cemetery Account. —The year comlmeoced with a lhalance of £163, sale of sites amounted to £3l 10/-, rent reserve £36, sale of trees and wood £46, while the expenditure, wages £24, rates portion leased £l4, firewood cutting £24, repairs and general maintenance leaves a b&l----anice at the end of the year of £2OO, of which £IOO was placed on fixed deposit at the bank and is bearing interest. The lease of the reserve expires next month and the question of calling for fresh ; ofi.'ers or allowing the tenancy to run from year to year must be considered. Gasworks: —The year opened •with a debit balance of £641. Receipts from gas sales ajmtounted to £1,670, a decrease of £B3 from the previous year. Receipts for coke arnount to £lB5, a decrease of £39, while tar sales have fallen frolm £220 to £143, a drop of £76. On the other hand payments for coal have fallen from £1,260 to £1,089, a decrease of £l7l. Other payments on repairs and maintenance, together with transfers of £43 to Antecedent Liability Loan Interest Ac. and £l6B to Gasworks Loan Interest Ac. practically balance the receipts, leaving a debit balance at the end of the year 1 of £661, an increase of about £2O. Accumulated sinking fund in the hands of the Public Trustee to date in respect of the Gasworks Loan which matures in 1931 amounts to £6,331. An amendment to the Mhnioipal Corporations Act last year provides, however, that the amount of depreciation chaiged against the .Trading Ac. requires to. he invested, and this will mean that this sum will have to ibe withdrawn from the funds in cash. Hitherto depreciation has been charged only as a book entry, reducing the capital value of the works, etc. on paper. Town Ball: —The picture enterprise has survived the slack season last winter. Doortakings amount to £2,260, against £2,142 last year, an increase of £llß. Hiring charges, rents and other receipts amount to £275; after paying film hire, wages, etc., also rent for the Royal Theatre, £250, a credit balance of £753 remains and this has been transferred to the Hall Ac. This account opened the year with a credit bal - ance of £9B and, after paying interest, rates, insurance and all other outgoings the credit balance at the end of the year is £2SL Hospital Roard. —The levy on the borough miade by the Palmerston N. Hospital Board amounted to £229, an increase of £47, about an eighth of a penny in the £. The levy was not made .until after the rates had been levied last year and the account is accordingly £54 in debit, of ■which about £5 was brought forward from the previous year. Waterworks: —'This account opened the year with a credit balance of £315 and closed with £623. The principal sources of revenue have

'been water supply rate £750, and sale of water £63. Other receipts amount to £ll6. On the expenditure side, wages amount to £355 in all. Fuel and lighting tor nine month? amount to £ll2. The consumption of water has materially increased and negotiations with the Healtth Department are proceeding with a view to obtaining a reasonable method of softening the water for domestic purposes. An analysis of the water is also being taken to ascertain iits suitability for dairy factary purposes. i Shannon Bridge: —During the year the sum of £BSO was raised by loan to meet the .Borough’s share of 'the .cost of the new Shannon Bridge. This money was advanced by the Main Highways Board in May last and application ras been made to the Board to have the interest reduced from 6 to 5£ per* cent. The principal is being repaid at the rate of £IOO per annum. Interest: —In ail the interest accounts amount to 16 in the ledger. These are for all the various loans tli'a't havo (been raised from time to time. The total annual payments involve in all £4,077, of which £260 is to sinking funds and about £530 being repayments of principal. Heavy Traffic Pees: —This account requires to be kept separately, the fees collected being held in trust and remitted quarterly to the Kairanga County Council for apportionment amongst the various local bodies in the district on the basis of capital value and mileage of metalled roads. Pees collected during the year amounted to £325, and Foxton’s share of this amount Was £l2O.

library:—The work of removing the 'library to its new home was completed at a total cost, including additional shelving and furnishings, of £B7. The Account opened the year with a 'balance of £lO4, and this, with rates £46, and subscriptions £3B Was sufficient to meet all the outgoings, including purchase of books £43, rent £lB, and the new room, and still leave a small balance of £5.