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every item is placed to a personal and impersonal account, and thus, in addition to the
state of the account of every debtor and creditor of the Vestry being shown, the
expenses under different headings, such as Town Hall Establishment, Highways and the
like, are readily ascertainable. Not only is a record kept of the actual receipts and
payments during the financial year, which is all that many Vestries attempt to do, but
the income accrued due and the expenditure incurred for the year is also shewn. Without
this it is impossible to ascertain whether the year's revenue of the Vestry has exceeded or
been less than the year's expenditure. For instance, if a Precept of the Guardians for
£5,000 becomes payable on the 20th March, and is not actually paid before the 25th
March, any calculation of the year's expenses based on an account of receipts and
payments only would be misleading to the extent of £5,000. So, on the other hand, if
£5,000 of rates are outstanding on the 25th March, a similar misapprehension as to
income during the year would take place, and when it is remembered that many of the
receipts and payments in any year are in respect of the previous year's working, the
difficulty of reckoning the results of a year's administration increases. No man of business
can properly ascertain his year's profits or losses without keeping an account of income
and expenditure in addition to actual receipts and payments, and it is a matter for
surprise that none of the Metropolitan Vestries, nor even the London County Council,
keep an account so essential to a clear apprehension of their position. It must be some
months before the Vestry's old books can be properly closed and the new system put in
thorough working order, and the change of system and working up arrears will throw a
vast amount of detail work on the Accountant, but the Vestry will shortly be able to
rest assured that their finances are recorded in a more perfect manner than those of
any ether Metropolitan authority, and that their system of book-keeping leaves
nothing to be desired.
DUSTING AND SCAVENGING SCHEME.
The Committee appointed to cai-ry out this work held 11 Meetings in the year, and
made arrangements for securing a lease of De Beauvoir Wharf, Kingsland Road. The
various steps to be taken in launching the scheme were also considered, but the very
important transactions of the Committee for putting the work into execution, will be
recorded together in next year's Report.
MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTIONS.
Higham Park Purchase Scheme.—Epping Forest.
It was Resolved on the 24th June, 1890
''That this Vestry hereby offers to Sir T. F. Buxton, Bart., J.P., and Mr. E. N.
Buxton, J.P., its hearty sympathy in their endeavour to bring the Scheme
to a successful issue, and also takes this opportunity of thanking them for that
liberality in the past by which the Forest area has been greatly enriched."