ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SELECTMEN.
<br />h offering, for the consideration of the Town, the
<br />Annual Report, brevity becomes a necessity, as some
<br />of the topics which have heretofore claimed attention
<br />are now passed; and if some of them are remembered
<br />with regret, they may, perhaps, serve to check hasty
<br />conclusions, or inconsiderate advice, and thereby avoid
<br />a repetition of some of the town's past experiences.
<br />There are several subjects of sufficient importance
<br />to merit something more than a passing allusion, and
<br />to which your attention is hereinafter called.
<br />As we all individually find our pockets, in a finan-
<br />cial point of view, an indispensable requisite or neces-
<br />sity, and as the same necessity exists in regard to the
<br />interest or demands of the town, we will direct your
<br />attention first to its financial condition.
<br />By an unintentional omission, the subject of mak-
<br />ing provision t -o meet the payment of a note for
<br />$12,300, maturing April, 1, 1882, was not presented
<br />to the town at the annual March meeting; conse-
<br />quently we were obliged to take such measures to
<br />meet the payment as we thought best. When the
<br />note became due, the Treasurer was instructed to
<br />take the $2,000 received from Mr. Samuel J. Bridge,
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<br />intended for the Bridge fund, also $1,300 from unap-
<br />propriated money then in the treasury, and to borrow
<br />$9,000, for one year, at Four per cent., of the Com-
<br />monwealth. This course was adopted for the reason
<br />that a notice had been received, that Mrs. Cary had
<br />bequeathed to the town the sum of $5,000, and that
<br />payment could not be made, by the laws of the State
<br />of New York, until one year after the decease of the
<br />donor. It was hoped, if the bequest should be received
<br />in season, that that amount, with what might be in
<br />the treasury at the close of the financial year, would
<br />meet the payment of the $9,000 due April 1, 1883,
<br />without resort to taxation or borrowing. This mat-
<br />ter will be presented to the town at the Annual
<br />Meeting.
<br />Quarterly examinations of the Treasurer and Col-
<br />lector's books and vouchers have been made, as
<br />required by the vote of the town.
<br />On the final examination, on the 31st day of Jan-
<br />uary, 1883, there appeared to be $3,245.28 of cash in
<br />the treasury, and • ,763.93 uncollected taxes; making
<br />a total of '...,009.21.
<br />The next note of the town becomes due in 1887,
<br />and is for $5,000, and held by the Treasurer of the
<br />Cary Libary. $25,000 will become due in 1890. It
<br />would undoubtedly be a. wise and judicious policy to
<br />set aside and invest a portion of the surplus money
<br />that might be in the treasury at the expiration of
<br />each financial year, to meet the maturing of these
<br />notes, and thereby be relieved of a burdensome taxa-
<br />tion at that time. We venture this suggestion, with
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