LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14924, 29 August 1910, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

ROSLYN FINANCE. Slit,—Reading your report of tho Roslyn Borough Council, and noting the state «£ tho borough's finances, I was confirmed in an opinion that. I have held for some time, and that is- that the expenditure is greatly in excess of tho current revenue. The result is that tho bank overdraft is going up p.t a rapid Tato, and if too close to, if not actually oxoi>sding, tho legal limit Some 15 months ago the overdraft etcod at £5000, it now stands at £6576, whi'cl! means that the expenditure is going on at tho rate o[ £100 pet' month above income. Nor docs this amount of overdraft even givu. a correct nccoa-it of the borough indebtedness, for the borough lias not yet paid for the : section of land which was taken over from Mr Gcddes, at a total cost of abnnt £750. j On this amount tho borough is paying interest, but it is not. included in the overdraft; if it were tho grand total would be about £7300. It is also committing itself to additional outlay on street lighting and extension of water mains, tho cost of which can only come out of the general account, . as tlw bala.no; .sheet, March 31, 1910, shows the lighting account, in debit, and, although the water account- showed a credit, balanco by tho same balance sheet of over £1200, I have been informed on good authority that this credit balance has been absorbed by the general account. So that there remains only one. source from which the payment of the undertakings can come, and that is from current, revenue. This being the case, it behoves Mayor and his councillors to draw their horns in somewhat, to deny ; themeclvcs the thrilling ec6tacy of putting in paved crossings by the score, footpaths and kerbed channels galore, and acting generally as if they had a now and cheap way of getting thwe tilings done which previous councils had not the wit. to discover. It is all very well to launch out into lavish expenditure, but, it is when the bills conio in that things begin to look a, little serious. We have onco Iwfore in Roslyn had a repme of lavish outlay, which "had to be followed by o courso of cheeseparing this will repeat itself shortly, and my obeconomy, and I urn quite convinced that Jest in wi-itmg fhis is to call tho rate- , payers attention to the way thing 6 are . drifting I deny tlif right of'any ;)arty to pursue a policy of purchasing popularity by sjwnding,other people's money, and then 'i leaving it to others to come in and clear up tho difficulty they have made. This ia what, has happened in tho past. This is what will happen again I There are throe things specially tbaf. I wish to draw attention to First, why is ' .?. /Mount, of the overdraft so carefully witiineld from publications of the council mtvetmgß? It is only recently that this new innovation Was brought in. Previous to that, it was published monthly, arid I i —

say that each ratepayer lias as much right to know it as the Mayor and councillors have. Secondly, why is there no mention in tho balance sheet of the borough's indebtedness in regard to the purchase of Geddcs's section ? It appears neither as op asset nor a liability. Its very existence has bocyi ignored. The only reason for this which suggests itsolf to my mind is a desire to present things to the ratepayers in a better aspect than they really are. Thirdly, tho overdraft at March 31, 1910, was stilted to be at £4722—in loss than five months after it jumps up nearly £2000, or at tho rato of £400 per month. Does not this look like holding back to piceent a good balanco sheet, with tho intention of making u deiberate plunge afterwards? It seems very like it to mo Ono other thing I wish to mention--namely, thus is an annual profit from the nr™"Apartment at present of between £500 and £600. This is absorbed by tho general account, and surety, when yon'have this in addition to the amounts derived from the other rate.3 (wliich are hHi flliough now, in all conscience, but seem likely to bo higher in tho near future), there should be a sufficient sum to do all necessary work without calling on so much borrowed money Wheru is the muchvaunted naw blood ' and tho marvellous economics that were "to be effected? Let the council get the work done and <fecrease tlio overdraft at tho same time, and it will have done something worth talking about J should like to see other, payers take U p this matter, ft is almost impossible that the majority of thn'ratepayors approve of tho present manner of ™?lv U0 L nE a? it involves . praoti?rn^ tT i W "l? p °. !losr - with thi s distinction namely, that it has nevtr been oarp a , ta F° 4 11 of the ratepayers.—l am, etc Hodyn, August 24. Watchdoi THE COUNCIL AND TREECUTTING.' ins'B B '^!,o°nf J0 piu " aiflU P h in this momS £ i, I/ 011 , 1 ' P apm ' t!tatin S 'h»l an irato hoiiooholdor had written to the G'itv CfIUHC I ! on. (Jk, subject of tho cutting ,toim £ tr .v.. I do jiot know the partioulara of hi c ' "Vigilant householder has my warmest sympathy if his tiwi nere cut down by order of the council or its liuiwctor. I tave. not. suffered m t ),i s uy injself, but several residents n«ir me have beon compelled to cut doivn or partially destroy beautiful trees 20 or 30 yeais old simply bemuse some of, their branches overhung the footpath. -Many of the trees too very fine, and gay* pleasure to all who saw lilicm, as well as to the ownm Un the members of tho Citv Council not sos how exceedingly foolish a'nd inconsistent they are in this matter? They go to much trouble and expense in plantiii" trees along- the footpaths in various parts oi th-a city, fluid all who kvs interested in tho teautifymg of our town are gliwl that they do go; and yot-'th-jy allow their servants to out down or mutilate beautiful trees o'i private property, thereby spoiling t-lia appearance of many of the prettiest ivsi dential streets of this town. Surely householders should bi uncouragcd to iielj) lo beautify this place- by growing fmo trees, I instead of being worried and annoyed as ( they arc ;it present. All that should b? i ask«d of them is that the branch)* of tlisir trees should ba kept clear of tho heads of pedestrians. Hoping something may be doira lo stop the ruthless destruction \{hioh goes in' every year.—l am, etc., Ounedin, August- 2b. Kako.