CREDIT REVEALED

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1935, Page 8

CREDIT REVEALED

HAWERA BOROUGH COUNCIL YEAR. ESTIMATES EXCEED EXPENDITURE. A credit balance of £7703 12s 4d, from which disbursements have yet to be made, was shown in the annual report of the Hawera Borough Council presented by the town clerk, Mr. H. S. Elliott, at the meeting on Monday night. The estimated receipts were lower by £614 than the actual receipts, the figures being £18,009 and £18,623, and the estimated expenditure of £18,009 was higher by £3772. In the general account a credit of £4329 12s is shown.

In a detailed statement Mr. Elliott said credit balances of various accounts transferred to the general account were as follows: water, £4892 13s 8d; heavy traffic fees, £244 11s sd; Jubilee funds, £7 9s; unemployed wages, £43 18s 9d; total, £5lBB 12s lOd. From this there was a reduction of £859 Os lOd, including a debit balance on the general account of £722 18s sd, bringing the total down to £4329 12s. Other items in hand which would ultimately be disbursed brought the total to £7703 12s 4d. They included a special rate on the original area totalling £2063 Is, it being the council's policy to have a credit for payment of interest before the next rate collection and a hospital rate of £1064 12s lOd.

The comparative position of the general and water accounts for the last two years showed that in 1934 the credit balance was £4264, compared with this year’s £4329. Although there were lower assets this year as compared with last year, the totals being £lBl3 for this year and £3115 for last year, the council was really in a better position. The statement of total rates unpaid showed the position as follows, with last year's figures in parentheses: General £428 (£740); water £571 (£748); special £1521 (£2007); special (added area) £6O (£109); hospital £297 (£422), a total of £2877 (£4026).

Arrears of rates running back as far as the year 1925-26 and totalling £703 were written off, and this sum included rates on the Commercial Hotel amounting to £l6O 16s 2d which were remitted as part of the arrangement under which original lease was surrendered and the lease granted. The statement of receipts and expenditure showed that in the general account £12,740 18s 8d was received and £13,463 17s Id was expended. In the water account £5418 12s lid was received and £525 19s 3d expended. There was a debit in the cemetery account, £l6B 12s 6d. being received and £247 19s lid expended. Larger items among the estimated and actual expenditure at March 31, with credit on debit balances, are as follows: Public works, estimated £7560, actual £6976, credit £584; office, £1059, £llO5, debit £46; abattoir, £1127, £1064, credit £63; King Edward Park £l3OO, £1300; reserves £933, £307, credit £626; library £895, £752, credit £143; miscellaneous, £1265, £1206, credit £62, contingencies £2114, £2Ol, credit £1973. GENERAL ITEMS. Okaiawa Euchre Party and Dance. A successful euchre party dance in aid of the Variety orchestra, was held at Okaiawa on Tuesday. Prizes for euchre were won by Mrs. Aki Aki 1, Mrs. C. Mori 2; Mr. J. Katene 1, Mr. Temuka 2. Music for dancing was played by the Variety string orchestra. Mr. Wehe was master of ceremonies. ' Ararata Sports Competitions. In the sheep weight-guessing competition at the Ararata sports Messrs. Bettridge and Charlton both guessed the correct weight, Mr. Charlton winning the draw. Clock golf for women was won by Miss Hurley, with Miss B. Death second, and for men by Mr. E. Piper, with Mr. Cox second. Distance stepping awards were: Mrs. A. Robertson 1, Mrs. White 2, Mrs. Marsh 3. “Crucifixion” at Hawera.

A fine interpretation of Sir. John Stainer’s cantata “The Crucifixion,” was given by St. John’s Presbyterian choir and soloists at Hawera on Sunday night. The choir showed evidence of careful training by the conductor, Mr. Charles Lamb, and sang the choruses and chorales very well. Mr. J. L. Rowe accompanied on the organ with taste and effect. Mr. S. Horburgh, tenor, and Mr. L. Green, bass, gave excellent interpretations and combined well in a duet.

EASTER TENNIS TOURNAMENT. ABANDONMENT NECESSARY. Owing to a paucity of entries the Easter tennis tournament for Hawera, to be controlled by the Park Tennis Club, has been abandoned. In the men’s division eight championship singles, 12 handicap singles and nine handicap doubles entries were received, and in the women’s one championship, three handicap and one doubles entries were received. There were two pairs and four men over in the combined handicap doubles. The lack of entries is considered to be due to the lateness in the year of the holiday season. “GREAT EXPECTATIONS.” LAST NIGHT AT HAWERA. Many lovers of Dickens will heartily enjoy the thrill of seeing their favourite Dickens character come to life in “Great Expectations,” which screens finally at the Hawera Opera House to-day and to-night. Nothing in the whole range of Dickens surpassed this great story of love, intrigue and adventure, either in perfection of technique or in mastery of all the resources of the novelist’s art. Swinburne once said of it: “To have created Abel Magwitch is to be a god.” Henry Hull, who portrays the role of the convict, “Magwitch,” gives one of the most startling characterisations ever seen on the screen. The character, “Pumblechook,” enacted by Forrester Harvey, is -ctually better, more droll and truer to imagination on the screen than in the book. “Joe Gargery,” the village blacksmith (Alan Hale), is quite the most lovable character, with his simple and delightful philosophy. Of all of Dickens’ characters, “Joe” is one of the most attractive. The little boy, “Pip,” played by George Breakston, is a splendidly drawn picture of childhood, and no doubt Dickens drew upon his own experiences to show us so clearly little Pip’s view of life. The thrashing little “Pip” administers to “Herbert Pocket” (Jackie Searl). and the cementing of a great friendship, is one of the finest bits of sentiment. Then, too, there are “Jaggers” (Francis L. Sullivan), the inscrutable lawyer, “Sarah Pocket” (Elly Malyon), the mean and lowly relation; the halfwitted “Miss Havisham” (Florence Reed), and "Estella” (Jane Wyatt), her ward, brought up to make men love her and lay that love at her feet, only for her to scorn it.