BOROUGH ELECTIONS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2519, 1 September 1888, Page 2

BOROUGH ELECTIONS.

HI fares the. State to hastening woo» a prey, Where factious opposition blocks the way. —Goldsmith, slightly altkkhd, Sm.—Unlike Mr A. Scott, I have no Election axe to grind, but simply wish to make the truth known in putting beforo you and the burgesses the financial politics of th» Borough. In love, war, and politics, it is said, all stratagems are fair, but the line should be drawn somewhere, and I would advise electioneering agents, whether acting for themselves or others, to draw it before coining so low down as to besmirch the reputation ..and damage the credit of the community in which they live. As the apostle of obstruction to Borough progress, Mr A. Scott h.-ia at least the merit of consistency in writing as he has done in your issue of Tuesday last. But for him, aiu tho.>e ho ed in the Council, the greater part of the Public Park would have buen planted on Jubilee d;iy, and the late planting bee would hsive been the linish, iu.-stead of the beginning of that desirable work ; but for him the public abattoir scheme would have been carried nut, not at the Borough expense, but practically at the cost of a responsible syndicate, and without rifle to the Borough, u profitable and yearly iiicruiiaing local industry, giving w irk to niiiny men and boys would have bttjn established ; but for the opposition to his efforts, which the Council made, Hamilton would havo been saddled with a third bath near No. 1 bridgo, and would have possessed two white elephants, instead of only one. I mention these matters amongst others, speaking authoritatively as a fellow councillor of Mr Scott's, to show what his advocacy of borough reform is worth, and how little dependence is to be placed in the representation of our financial position coming from snch a quarter. I will thank you, Sir, to republUh Mr Scott's balance-sheet from Tuesday's letter as explanatory of my contradiction, and I challenge even official correction of my figures, as I shall afterwards give them. Mr Scott says, "a review of our income aud expenditure will show at a glance the present financial situation of the borough. INCOME. Borough valuation, £COOJ, at Is in the £ s. d £, 5-Cths of which is collectable .. 275 0 0 Kent of endowments 60 0 0 Rent of domain lands 150 0 0 Licenses 175 0 0 Government subsidy (ii 0 0 £723 0 0 KXramiTURK. £ s. d Interest on loan, ,£2OOO, 5 percent. ... 110 0 0 Intereit on overdraft, £1000, 9 per cent 00 0 0 Clerk's salary 162 0 0 Foreman of Works ... 100 0 0 Surfaceman 78 0 0 Loss on £-1000 invested at 1 per cent. 10 0 0 Printing and advertising 50 0 0 Retaining fees, [solicitors] 10 0 0 EHsineetins; expenses 50 0 0 Lighting 45 0 0 Stationary and incidentals MOO £774 0 0 The above figures (although approximate, are fairly reliable) show a loss at present of £46 yearly." So much for Mr Scott's statement, now for my own. Premising that the Domain Board, as Mr Scott should well know, has nothing whatever to do with ratepayers, as ratepayer—and that neither they nor their properties are liable in any way whatever for Domain Board expenditure. I give you the following as tho correct balance sheet of tho borough receipts and expendituie for the current year. INCOME, £ s. d Borough valuation, £GGOO, at Is 330 0 0 Rates uncollected last year ... ... ... 286 7 S £Gl6 7 8 £ s. d. Five-sixths of this collectable ... 513 12 8 Endowment rents 86 5 0 License Fees 175 0 0 Fees, dogs, cattle pound (half) ... 2S 711 Gorernment subsidy 102 8 5 Interest on fixed deposit ISO 0 0 Interest on £1000 loan to Domain Hoard 03 0 0 Miscellaneous 10 0 0 Total available £ ua5~9~0 EXPHNDrrURE. £ s. d. Total interest payable on loan yearly 330 0 0 Interest on current overdraft, average Sysars ... 2i 12 3 (This interest is made up every day, with the result as shown) lerk's salary 150 0 0 Wages 2 men 18 7 0 o (Loss on £1000, included in above £330,1 Punting and advertising 3 years Lighting U street lamps 3 years average) 3B 3 2 Stationery (3 years average 3 • 3 Solicitors retaining fees abolished Miscellaneous 10 0 0 Available fur grading, etc., etc., .'." 407 0 0 Total £1185 9 o Thus, Sir, instead of a deficiency of £40, there is a credit balanco of £407. It may be objected that the sum for rates uucollected last year, £286 7s Bd, is uot entitled to appear in any future balance-sheet but after deducting five-sixths of this amount, £238 13s Id, there will be a credit balance left of £168, instead of Mr Scott's deficit of £40. With respect t» domain matters, I may state briefly that £1000 of the liabili ties of the borough has been expended in improving lands, which are let at a yearly rental of £165 14s 4d, received from 48 tenants, which, after paying the Secretary £12, and £90 interest on the above-men-tioned £1000, borrowed from the borough, leaves some £80 for expenditure on domain improvements. In improving these lands for leaso tho expenditure of £1000 has also increased the ratable of the borough. I am, &c, „ . Anti-Gammon. Hamilton, August 29, 1888. P.S.— The Borough overdraft is £419, not £1600 as etated by Mr Scott, and the interest is not 9 percent., but 8 per cent, with the prospect of a future decrease.