The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1914. THE BOROUGH BALANCE-SHEET.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 85, 1 April 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1914. THE BOROUGH BALANCE-SHEET.

Stratford’® Town Clerk is to be congratulated on the promptitude with which ho has completed his statement of accounts for the Borough for the year ended yesterday. By Mr P. Skoglund’s courtesy we are able to outline the statement for the benefit of ratepayers to-day, and to give some comparative figures. On March 31st, 1914, the total sum of rates outstanding was £lB6 as against £46 on March 31sft, 1913. It is explained that there has been more difficulty in collecting rates this year than in any previous year of late times, and it will probably be necessary to sue for recovery of the major portion of the balance outstanding. The overdraft on March 31st, 1914, stood at £2112, as against £2139 on the same date twelve months ago. Against this overdraft must be set out the value of the j special plant purchased during the: past two years including the roadroller (£7/50), and stone crushing j plant (£350), bringing the Borough road-making plant fairly up to datej in every particular. The general ac-, count debit balance on March 31st j of this year stood at £2935, as against j £3193 on March 31st, 1913, a decrease! of £558. This difference is chiefly j accounted for by the transfer of £939 from the water account and the general account really shows a further debit of £3Bl for the twelve months. The fact is regrettable, but is accounted for by an increase in the; amount on street improvement ox-, penditure, the purchase of crushing| plant and the fact that rates have i not come in so freely as anticipated.; Of course the unpaid Tates will be. available for inclusion in next year’s; estimates. Touching on some of the > other details of the halatice-sheet, we j find that slaughtering fees at the j abattoirs show an increase of £B9 for the year, indicating an increased consumption of meat, and presumably

accounted for by the increased population of the Borough. An interesting item is that of revenue received from building permits issued, which, this year, total £l3, as against £2l in 1913, but though there has not been so much building actually within the Borough during the last twelve months the town shows a very steadyprogress in this direction. The actual value of the new buildings erceted during the twelve months covered by the Borough permits show £B6OO, but this amount does not include the value .of the handsome new Public Works buildings just completed. The year before last seems ,to have been a particularly busy one in the building trade, permits having been issued for the erection of premises valued at £13,400 during the year. With regard to receipts and expenditure as compared with the, estimates the situation is entirely satisfactory according to the Town Clerk’s forecast, the excess of receipts, over the estimated revenue being £135, and the excess of expenditure over estimates £l7l. The following table places the position of the various accounts of the Borough clearly before our readers: — Dr. Cr-. General account £2938 Old cemetery £167 Kopuatama cemetery £l9 Contractors’ deposits £65 Water account £426 Interest account No. 1 loan £llß „ 2 „ £2O ” ” ” 3 ” S „ ~ » 4 ” £3 £2938 £826 Bank balance ■ £2112 £2938 £2938