ANOTHER FORTNIGHT

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 17, 3 July 1912, Page 3

ANOTHER FORTNIGHT

FOR TOWN BOARD ACCOUNTS. Public Meeting to be Held. " Between to-day and to-morrow are graves, and between promising and fulfilling are chasms." At Wednesday's meeting of the Pukekohe Borough Council the financial position was again wrestled with. The Mayor said the statement of accounts was not yft before them. He had had two or three lengthy conversations with the late Clerk, and whatever mav have been done iu the past he was"si"-e that Mr Patterson was now making a determined effort to get the books in order. It was possible that he could prepare them by that night week ; he was practically re-writing two yeafs' work. His Worship thought that all the details would be given, and he did net think it would serve any good purpose now to criticise any further, as it would not help them. Mr Patterson had 1500 time sheets to go through, and he said he had done 600 of them this week. It was for the Council to say whether they would insist upon having the accounts next week, or whether they would give another fortnight His Worship submitted a sampta time sheet showing what had satisfied the Town Board, and, and what was asked for by the Borough Council. Seeing that Mr Patterson was now trying to do the work, His Worship could not see any help for it ljut to give the time asked for. The late Clerk had explained that in a comparatively few hours he cov'd produce a balance sheet which would pass the aud'tor Personally, the Mayor did not think the auditor should pass it. Iu saving that he was not reflecting on Mr Patterson. or anyone else, because he had been shown a copy of the cash book which did not insist upon detailed expenditure. He read the Special Older authorising the loan, which was as follows : "In pursuance and exercise of. the powers vested in it in that behalf by the Local Bodies Loans Act, 1908, the Pukekohe Town Board hereby resolves as follows : That for the purpose of providing the interest and other charges on a loan of £l3*ooo, authorised to be raised by the Pukekohe Town Board under the abovementioued Act, for installation of water supply, road formation, metal, etc, the said Pukekohe Town Board hereby makes and levies a special rate of two and onesixteenth of a penny in the £ upon the rateable value of ull rateable property of the Pukekohe Town Distnct; and that such special rates shall be an annual recurring rate during the currency of such loan, and be payable half-yearly on the Ist day of April and the Ist day of November in each and every year duiing the currency of such loan, being a period of 36.1 years or until the loan is i'v'ly paid off." Mr Duun also read the ballot paper upon which people voted when eariying the loan, wl ,: < h clearly set f..rth all the allocations to the various lvuds. "This question arises," said the Mayor. " If the special order was all that was required, tlieu the auditor was perfectly right in his con'ention that the moneys would need to be shown as having been spent on road formation only ; but if the bal'ot paper was to be the basis, then vouchers like tl's showing what the Borough Council asked for) would be required. The Town Board was apparently satistied, but we, as their successors, want to know how the money has been speht." Or Johns suggested that the time might be extended prov Med Mr Patterson would give a guarantee to be up to time next time. The Mayor : What sort of a guarantee would you ask for lie thought they might just go on as in the past. CrLawrie: If theie is no d'stinct understanding it might go on for twelve months ! The Mayor said that alter looking over affairs with Mr Patterson he had agreed to act as sponsor fur him that the accounts would be ready. Cr Pollock : Will Mr Patterson givo us a definite promise to have them in a fortnight ? He has promised us six or seven times already. Mr Patterson : I think they may be here for next meeting, but to be sure of them—say a fortnight. , Cr Johns said they wor'd have the Assessment Cou. c over, and would not be able to proceed for want of the accounts. The Mayor said that on the Water Account'tho Council were liable for £3127, which wov'd have to be raised over the £6-500 loan. For roads he estimated that from L'looo to £ 1.500 would be required t" complete the allocations. II" thought, that in a weekafter they got the a(counts he wouid be in a position to a* swer any reasonable questions. Cr John- : We have no guarantee that we will have the accrunts -n aj fortnight. The Mayor said that certain circum j stances had come to his knowledge showing that Air Patterson was not responsible for all the trouble, and there was a certain amount of excuse for him. He did not know whether Mr Patterson w as entitled to any more of the lash. CrLawrie: Lash! We make resolutions as to what we wi! 1 do next week, and then we do the same thing over and over again. The Mayor said Mr Patterson had openly confessed that Vhen lie proiuisud to do the work he did not know what wa- before him. Cr Lawrie: It may be the same thing again ''n tin- motion ill ( is Hamilton and Comrie another fortnight's time was granted To ('oxsri.i inh Ratepaykus. Cr C«.ii ie said tin y were making a mistake iu keeping the financial report back until lliey got these details. It they could get a financial statement they should have a meeting of ratepavers. Ci Pollock : Does Mr Patterson realise the position ? The Mayor: Yes, I an satisfied that he realises it now, aud that he

will make an honest effort to do the work. Cr Comrie insisted that thev could go to the ratepayers and say they had no details, aud explain that they had waited weeks and weeks aud weeks, and could not get it. But they coi'hl tell the people that they owed some thousands of pounds, and had no money. While they were waiting for these details they were making no progre.-s towards arranging for the payment of iheir debts. The Council must either get-money or stop tluir works. They at least could go to the ratepayers and ask whether they would support a loan or not. It was decided, oil the motion of Cr Comrie and the Mayor, that a public meeting of ratepayers bo held as nearly as possible three weeks from to-night (June 26) Cr Pollock : We are takuig it for granted that we will have the accounts, but will we ? The Mayor : We will have faith for once. Cr Comrie : We have had faith for two months. Cr Bilkey : We are £7UOO to the bad, and we should meet the ratcj£yers und face the position.