1879-Annual Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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ANNUAL .REPORT OF THE SELECTMEN. The advent of a new year furnishes for every reflec- tive mind an appropriate opportunity to contemplate the past, consider the present, anticipate and resolve in relation to the future. As another financial year of the town has passed, and another new year begun, and as each citizen in town, whether considering the fact or not, serves to form an individual part of that number which, in the aggregate, composes the municipal corporation of the town, and as the interest of each citizen in relation to the administering of the affairs of the town, is so in- separably connected each with the other, that it be- comes an act of wisdom and prudence, before making appropriations to meet the expenses for the coming year, to recall to mind, and carefully review the man- ner in which the officers of the town have performed their duties, whether economically or otherwise. The wide -spread, protracted and severe business de- pression which has been experienced for several years past, has enforced such rigid economy that many of our common and much desired enjoyments are denied, in order to provide means for obtaining the absolute necessities of living. With these facts in view, it is due to the inhabitants of the town that the report of their officers, or rather servants, should be so minute and explicit that all of their official acts and proceedings may be critically ex- amined and judged, so that changes and improvements can be thoroughly considered before taking measures to meet the expenses of another year. In presenting this, our third annual report, it is our desire to furnish, in accordance with a vote of the town, a full and correct account of the present financial con- dition of the town, and the expenditures of the past year upon each appropriation, and such other matters as have demanded attention, or are still re- quiring notice ; in offering suggestions in relation to the future, or in commenting on the past, our object is intended for the interest and welfare of the town, The earnest and unanimous desire for retrenchment is a subject demanding universal attention; in order to avoid "the penny wise and pound foolish course in our eagerness to reduce expenses, a thorough in- vestigation and correct knowledge of the liabilities and necessities of the town should be had. One of the first and most natural, as well as useful inquiries that is made is, "Is the town annually im- proving its financial condition by reducing its liabili- ties ?" " Is the method of managing the affairs, a4 pursued in the past, susceptible of improvement?" If in answering these pertinent inquiries, we speak, particularly of the method we have pursued for the past three years, and the consequent results, as well as the reasons or causes which influenced us to do as