1878-Annual Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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15 An appropriation of $500 was made for constable and police, $150 has been expended, leaving a balance of $35o unexpended. TREASURER'S SETTLEMENTS. In compliance with a vote passed several years since, quarterly examinations of the Treasurer's books and accounts have been made, and they were found to be correctly kept and balanced. It will be seen in the final report of the Treasurer, that one note for $3,000 and another for $I,coo have been paid, during the year. As these notes were bear- ing 7 per cent. interest, and as there was a st.rplus of money in the treasury at the time they were paid, it was thought best to pay them, and if necessary more money could be obtained for 51 per cent. We are happy to state, the finances are in that condition, that we have not been obliged to borrow. As the town debt has decreased $I I,000, in the past two years, with no additional appropriation, except $4,000 for the Centennial Debt, if no unforseercasualty should occur to demand a large expenditure, if also the annual expenditures should be economically made, without any increase of the rate of taxation, over the per cent. of the past two years, there is no just reason why the entire debt of the town cannot be paid within the next seven or eight years. The town has by vote expressed a wish that all ex- penditures should not exceed the appropriations. This vote ought always to be in constant view, as no other course could be pursued, without sooner or later prov- • 16 ing detrimental to the interests of the town ; yet cer- tain unavoidable exigencies may arise, which will de- mand immediate action and involve expense beyond the appropriation, for instance should the highways become impassable or dangerous to travel, as was the case a year or two since ; or if the appropriation for the poor, which is an imaginary appropriation as to its sufficiency, as it is based upon the present needs, irre- spective of prospective wants, should prove inadequate to meet the demands, an over draft would be excusable. As the number of bills presented for payment the past year were nearly goo, and as these have to be classified for payment from twenty-seven different ap- propriations, and numbered and recorded each under its respective grant ; it would indeed be a marvel if there was not some misclassification or irregular recording. If such should be the case, the aggregate in the amount would not be changed. We have endeavored to get all outstanding demands for expenses incurred the past year, in for payment before the close of the financial year, and there is only one small bill, to our knowledge, that has not been presented for payment. The Treasurer's statement can therefore be consid- ered as substantially a correct account of the financial condition of the town. In the forgoing papers, we have briefly spoken of the principal subjects in which the town is interested. As each inhabitant and tax -payer, serves to make a part and parcel of that which constitutes the town, and as each individual's interest is inseparably connect-