Page 4 Advertisements Column 2

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4285, 21 July 1899, Page 4

Borough Finance. The council held a special meeting on Wednesday evening to pass the annual bdlnnoe sheet. In answer to questions^ The Mayor said since the balance-sheet was printed out of £335 outstanding £250 (roughly speaking) had b«en collected. Tho outstanding rents amounted to £151 13s 6d, of whioh £58 8s ld was actually in arrcar. la the matter of rates Cr Paterson pointed out that according to the balancesheet 10 per cent, bad hot been oharged on all overdue rates. The clerk said the position was that the ra ( o3 on which the 10 per cent, had not been charged were those incurred before the Act providing for this came into force. On all overdue rates since ihe 10 per cent, had been oharged and paid except in two cues where the ratepayers had refused to pay, and in those cases ho had simply givon them oredit for the amount they had paid. Cr Paterson did riot think the balanceshoet an altogether satisfactory document. Fcr instance, there was too much outstanding. He did not attach blame to anyone in particular, but to the system . The first thing was the increase in the overdraft, and they were in the position that one year they were heavily in arrears and next year they were fairly clear, to be followed by a year of heavy arrears. It did not appe.ir to be the matter of actual rates collected, as there was not a great deal of difference between the rates collected this year and last. He wished to point out, however, that they were not living within their income. Taking the whole of the arrears of 12 months ago they should have a debit balance of £240. Cr Paterßon also quoted figqres to prove that the council had spent £146 more than it should have received, even if all rents, rates, &0., had been paid. Out of that of course there was one item of £100 (Governor's reception) that would not be reourring, but allowing for that it still left £40. The actual revenue had been £1521 and expenditure £2036, leaving a debit for the year of L 513, vtfbioh, added added to last year's balance, gave a defioienoy of £740, as shown in the 1899 balance-sheet. The Mayor said Cr Paterson had not taken iato account assets not taken into consideration when the balance sheet was made up. Or Paterson stdd, taking everything into account, they had spent £246 more than they should have done. It was a fair thing to balance this years arrears with next. The overdraft of the office building account had increased and also the credit balance of the cemetery account had decreasad. The weak point was, that the Counoil had no knowledge of how expenditure was going on during the year. It was wellknown that the estimates were brought down early in the year and passed by the Council, but he ventured to say that not one councillor 1 had the table again from one year's end to another. They never knew whether they were exceeding their income or going to have a surplus. He, therefore, urged that they should have a tabulated statement of accounts each month. Until then they would never have a proper grip of affairs. He also pointed out that the Council was under a pledge to the ratepayers to reduce the ordinary rate from Is 3d to 9d, but ] according to the balance sheet unless J they got a better grip of the expendiI ture they would never be able to fulfil ( that pledge. As long as he was there, however,- he would endeavor to redeem ■ the pledge. And with all the heavy { expenditure it appeared to him that they had got very little during the year, and from what he could see unless they j looked to it they would never be able to reduce the rate, but on the other hand would have to increase it to 2s 9d or Bs. The Mayor Baid their actual indebtedness, taking assets into consideration, was only £70. Indebtedness was put down at £1360, but as against this there was cash in hand £82 11s, Government subsidy £157, rates collectable £257, reut from borough offices £27 10s, and rents from reserves £257, and a sum of £410 was charged in the overdraft to the general account that was chargeable to the office building account. Subsequent to this the Mayor mentioned that there .was a further sum of £78, rates for 1897-8, still collectable, which would really make a credit balance. He would ask Cr Paterson to point to anything upon which money should not I have been expended. One item, water I and drainage, had been estimated at £100, and it had turned out to be £140, but that, together with a large amount of printing expenditure, would be i charged to water and drainage. He I failed to see where the Council had ; acted wrongly, and all the money had been spent on urgent work, with the exception of the £100 for the Governor's reception, which was not likely to recur. In regard to the suggestion as to a monthly statement it was an argument in favour of procuring a typewriter, but in any case be was prepared to support it. Cr Bobbins also emphasized the necessity for a monthly statement. In regard to the balance sheet he took it that the item £140 would be charged to water and drainage account, but there must be, he thought, something wrong if the Council had exceeded the estimates by such a large sum, and the reI ceipts, so far, under the expenditure, needed explanation. The Mayor said it was a very hard thing to keep within £100 or £200 on the year's work. The only difficulty was one that has been overcome, that was that a certain amount of rents and rates had not been collected at the time the balance-sheet was made up. He did not think they had been extravagant during tho year. The balance sheet was adopted. ROWAN ROAD STEAM SAW AND PLANING MILLS. L h j MESSRS CLEMENT & rARKES [ having started Sawmilling are pre i pared to deliver to any part of the > district, Dresser. 1 and Ord nary Build- , ing Timber, including Rusticated ) Board 3 , Flooring, Match Lining, Moulding etc., in any quantity. , Postalj Addbess — * OLEMENT & PARKES, Kaponga. A sent at Kaponga G. Tindle. b \\T ANTED, Manaia residents to t TV know that W. J. Hill, i Manaia, has boots, shoe's, and slippers in endless variety. Call anc. 1 inspect. Prices right 9 TV OTICE 0F REMOVAL. A. BLISS, - HAIRDRESSER AND TOBACCO- i NIST (Bbidge-rtrket, Eltham,) j While thanking the public of Eltham for the liberal i upporfc nccorded me s in the post, I have pleasure in ttating that I have now removed to k more commodious premise?, specially j designed to meet my business, and customers will now have Ihe con- (€ veniecce and comfort of a firot-chss " establishment. The hairdressing * saloon is under my entire management with a competent assistant. The billiard saloon is fitted with a - Geo. Edwards, London,- Al full sized table, with a reliable nidi-ker. t A compkte stock "6f all smokers' 1 requi'it'S. Htationuy, fairy goo'3s, & periumery, etc. in great variety.