THE MAYOR'S COMMENT

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 91, 17 April 1923, Page 8

THE MAYOR'S COMMENT

The Mayor (Mr. E. A. Wright, M.P.) expressed gratification this morning that the balance-sheet had turned out so" satisfactorily. The position, he said, Was largely due to the fact that extra efforts were made by the staff during the month of March to collect outstanding moneys. The evidence of their work was seen in the fact that instead of obtaining the usual . £20,000 collected monthly they secured over £40,000, the rush of business on the last two days of the financial year being phenomenal. The surplus was entirely attributable to Chat final spurt on the part of the council's staff. It must be borne in mind, he pointed out, that there were a number of items which should have been met during the financial year, but for various reasons had not been shown in the financial statement. He referred to the commitments shown above. These items would reduce the balance to almost nil, but they would not extinguish it altogether. "The fact remains," he remarked, "that we have met our liabilities in every respect, and everything has been provided for. We have lived within our income arid we have complied with the

letter of the law as laid out in the Local Bodies' Loans Act.

"It is only right to say in referring to this excellent balance-sheet," he said in conclusion, "that the council is to be congratulated upon the work it has achieved. Without exception the committees have done their very best not only to live within their estimates, but to show a little surplus, as some of them have done. For this I have to thank the councillors on behalf of the citizens. They are deserving of everything that can be said in their praise."