TOWN BOARD ACCOUNTS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 30, 25 September 1912, Page 4

TOWN BOARD ACCOUNTS.

PRESENTED AFTER MANY WEEKS. HOW THE LOAN ALLOCATIONS FARED.

At tlio meeting of ratepayers last week the long-awaited Town Board accounts were presented. Their announcenic.it was greeted with applause A Joint Keport. The Mayor (Mr Dunn) aud the late clerk (Mr Patterson) presented the following joint report, which was written :

apparently require every penny that may be available we would recommend that this sum be charged to tho former account and that tho balance of the lattor account bo transferred to the Water Loan Account. " The circumstances connected with tho Waterworks Account aro familiar to all and require no further cotnniont from us further than that contained in tho accompanying statement. " We have not had time to go into the General Account, but when all outstanding accounts are provided for the oveidraft with the bank will bo in the vicinity of £IOOO. This amount, however, may bo reduced when the loan accounts are finally adjusted as at present these aro somewhat intermixed with each othor.

" Wo have pleasure in presenting you with a statement of the various loan accounts of the late Town Board• lu doing so we do not pretend that they are absolutely correct; in fact we know that tlioy are not, but when we say that we have had over seven weeks' continuous labour, working from nine till twelve o'clock almost every night—during which time we have had to classify, examine and analyse about two thousand time sheets, vouchers, etc., theso would entail on an average charges to at least four different accounts, which meant eight thousand or more entries, embracing an expenditure of £17,000, and notwithstanding that we only took out our first trial balance at noon today, and have had no opportunity to check any of the work, the total discrepancies in all the accounts does not reach £loo—you will, we think, agieo with us that the result was as good under the circumstances as could reasonably be expected. Many of the time sheets wero inaccurate and did not correspond with tho pay sheets, resulting iu errors being made in the payments to workmen and others concerned. These errors varied from one penny to twenty-olio shillings. As mauy of tho workmen concerned have left tho distiict, it was manifestly impossible to adjust tho errors thus made, which were sometimes in favour of the recipient and sometimes iu favour of the Board. Consequently we had no option but to alter tho time sheets and corresponding entries iu order to tally with tho amounts actually paid. " In a fow instances no time sheets were available. In such cases we charged the amount to the accounts which the circumstances as gleaned from other payments made at tho same time indicated as being those connected with the expenditure or allotted thorn to other accounts pro rata or charged them to general account as ciroum stances seemed to warrant. Thore were abo an immense number of duplicate time sheets, some of which did not agree with tho-efioui which payments had been made, and vice versa, also duplicate receipts and in some instances receipts wore received for larger amounts than had actually been paid. " You will notice by the statement of tho l{nads Loan account that the sum of £5360 was borrowed and allocat> d iu various sums for expenditure on various roads. Some of these loads received only a portion of the sums so allocated, and others did not receive anything. The amounts thus due total £1743 .'ss 7id. Other roads received sums largely iu excess of the amounts allocated to the ex tout of £1933 lis 7Ad. " The sum of £B3 13s 5d was debited to Harris-street, between Jackson's corner ami Manukau-road, some time before the poll for tho loan was takou, and as there appeared to in- some doubts whether ratepayers inl ndud this to bo done when the sanction for tho loan was given wu decidol to delete this amouut from the debits to these streets. " Tho work done on the roads Jackson's to Walsh's, and Kenuelly's-road, had all beeu charged to West-road and we had to simply estimate tho value of the work and charge accordingly. ''You will also notice that £11)0 6s OAd has been expended iu excess of tho amount borrowed. This can be charged against either General Accouut or Miscellaneous Loan Account, but as the Waterworks Account will

" In conclusion we may add that in our statement as herewith submitted we have brought all the accounts dealt with as nearly as possiblo right up-to-date, and as the late To»vn Board's accounts have yet to bo audited wo would recommend that the Government auditor be requested to also audit the accounts of tho Council sinco they came into office and thus allow tho present clerk to open up a new set of books with the balances as set forth iu the auditor's balance sheet." llo.us Loan* Account.

Th'> statement showed the allocutions and expenditure (to llie nearest pound) on the various streets to have boen as follows :

It was thus shown that the allocutions (or road loan; totalled £s!s6o, the amount expended being £.5.550. The Miscellaneous Loans Account showed .£(510 borrowed, £M- spent, the credit balance being £'2sß. W ate it Low Account. The Water Loan Account showed : Amount of contracts £1)20-5 ; amounts paid to date £.5500 ; amounts still duo £o7o'). Miscellaneous items added (£1180) brought the total cash payments to date up to £(>9Bo Estimated cost of water supply : I'aid £(11180, amount owing £1595, total £ 11 , r >7.">. Less £IBO due to other accounts but included in these cash payments, leaving balance £ll,090. £' Anticipated revenue in connection with Water Supply Accounts : By 10 per cent on previous loan of {.'6500 (less charges and brokerage), say 600 Bv loan expected to l>e carried mi Sept. 23rd, 1912 1150 Bv refunds and sale of materials, say 100 Total 4850 Anticipated revenue as above 4550 Estimated liabilities 4595 Estimated surplus 255 Add the credit balance to credit of Miscellaneous Loan Account as suggested in our report '258 Total anticipated surplus 513 Mayor's Sit I'l.eme.vtaky Kki'okt. Mr Duun read the following statement : "As the late secretary has been somewhat fieely criticised by councillors and others, including myself, it is

only common justice that the other side of the picture should also be 'shown. Ido not intend to gloss over or condone his faults; whatever they may have been ho has been move than adequately punished for them. I have practically sat with him continuously for tho past seven weeks, during which time he has rendered mo all tho assistance that ho possibly could, being untiring, frank and candid in all his explanations, and at bottom he has proved himself in overy sense a man. As you will note by the report of the accounts the opportunity for peculation to a considerable extent was hourly before him, with very faint chances of detection had he done so, and although I have in no sense acted as an auditor I feel perfectly satisfied that in so far as tho Board's business lias been concerned lie has been honesty itself. After his recent experiences, appearances to the contrary notwithstanding, I would have no hesit ition in taking him as my secretary to any public body of which I might have the honour to bo the head, or to appoint him were ho an applicant to a position of responsibility and trust iu my own business." The Mayor's statement was applauded.

Street Allucatfl Spoil! £ £ Rowe's-Stovenson's 125 T. Moore's-Howe's 150 — Hallidav's-Dalton's 50 -- Jackson's-Walsti's 250 00 Mills'-Jackson's 50 3 Harris-street 300 49 Library-road 50 98 Edinburgh-street 75 4G Albert-street ISO 8 Victoria-street 200 25 Ostrich Farm-road 100 — Hickey's Bridge-road . 150 84 Princess-street 20 — Ryan's-KennellyV 130 — East street :soo 107 Manukau-road 300 154 Seddon-street 400 213 Queen street 500 956 West-road ' 700 1576 King-street 1500 2053 Walsh's-Dynes' 40 — Bilkey's-Goodall's 40 —