CORRESPONDENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19032, 9 June 1924, Page 11

CORRESPONDENCE

(To the Editor.) •if,—Yow report of me last meeting of the Ratepayers’ Association contains some mope abuse of too borough finances, and the terms “mesa” and "muddle” were apparent, ly freely used. This sort of thing dees not do much harm inside a town, but it does serious harm outside, and I feel compelled to ask the gentlemen in question to confine themselves to helpful criticism- What precisely do they mean? Most complicated subjects look like a mess and a muddle to anyone who does not take the time to master them, but if they have really mastered the borough bal-ance-sheet, they would do less harm and mere good by pointing out the *xaet location of the mess ana muuuie.

Do they think the trading departments are overcapitalised? Or wastefully managed? Do they think the works rjepartinent spends too much money? Or is it the reserves or the library? Or is it that they find the balancesheet as a whole confusing? I have no hesitation in saying that the borough finances aro in an infinitely better position than they were three years ago. The raising of the antecedent liability loan on a favourable market and the sale of the steam plant have reduced the borough liabilities to reasonable proportions. I do not say that money is not wasted. I admit there is plenty of room for economy yet. but that is being attended to. My point is that our financial bam* is neither a mess nor a muddle. —I am, ete., C. PALMER BROWN