BOROUGH BALANCE-SHEET.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18792, 30 May 1923, Page 9

BOROUGH BALANCE-SHEET.

(To the Editor). Sir,—l have been looking through the borough balance-sheet, and find some things that I do not understand; this is not to be wondered at, for experience teaches that when one looks for trouble he is sure to find it. I may be accused of impertinence and ignorance, but I cannot help it. I always want to know things and do my utmost to see that everything is above board and understandable. The part of the balancesheet that to me needs explanation is the Opera House and library accounts. In the former the income is shown as £8262 5s sd, being rents, receipts from pictures, etc. This is very creditable, being a trifle over £26 for every night in the year except Sunday. But the other side of the page does not seem so good, and leads one to think that someone is doing pretty well out of the business. The first item of expenditure is £7392 4s 9d for salaries, commission, wages and charges, being a fraction over £23 13s for every night in the year except Sunday. This account shows that interest and sinking fund amounting to £277 8s has been paid out on £3580 loan money, and £506 Ils 6d transferred to the general account, leading to the conclusion that the Opera House showed a profit of that sum. A reference to the statement of public debt discloses that loan money due on the Opera House is £9266, with an annual I charge of £675 9s sd. The difference between this amount and £277 9s paid by the Opera House is £397 Os sd. Therefore the profit, instead of being £506 Ils 6d, is in reality £lO9 Ils Id, and I venture to say that this can, or should, be increased very materially if business methods 1 were adopted. I of course may be wrong, and will be pleased to be shown that I am. Perhaps some of those who were writing on borough finance prior to the recent election will have a shot at explaining the position. Now let us glance at the library account. There one sees that the ratepayers pay £735 2s, the readers £438 19s 2d, yet salaries, wages and office cost the alarming sum of £612 Bs. I have in my mind another library much larger, and with many more readers, with a salary and wages account little more than halt. Ratepayers are a long suffering people, but some day they will awake from the spirit of inactivity that prevails, and then great will be the fall for some. 1 am, etc., A SEEKER FOR LIGHT.