LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2932, 18 November 1916, Page 10

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

' MUNICIPAL MUDDLING Sir,—Any ratepayer who takes au interest in city aliairs must know that tne corpora lion is "just muddling along" in many ways, Business methods do not dominate the council, nor is economic management its watchword. Take the cost ol : the Municipal l'iro Brigade. That runs to £8200 per annum. If the control was' placed under a Eire Hoard the cost would be about one quarter of that, so that £'6000 would be saved. 01' the £8!200 it ought to be mentioned that £400 is Government subsidy, and the ratepayers pay the balance. Under the l'lre Board (on which the ratepayers are represented) the cost is divided between the insurance companies and the corporation—say, eacli £3900. But the corporation lias now plant and buildings estimated at £40,000. For this the city would be paid 5 per cent, per annum, so that the actual contribution in cash from the city coffers, would be £1900 instead of £7900. Why will the City Council not do this? Because it would lose control, and certain persons in the community think thoy are doing groat things when they are only muddling along and wasting other people's money. Another reason is that the insurance Companies would put. up the rates of insurance. This is not so in Christchurch or Duncdin or Auckland. The Fire Board being representative of insurance com panies, would onl.y look after thos< parts of the city where tbfiir bigges' risks were. That is the lfrakesfc ex cuse, because insurance corapanie: want to prevent losses always, ant everywhere, and would take the utmos precautions to ensure the least. Then tile tramways are an unbusi nesslike proposition ; but one thing a a time... Ratepayers have been too loni quiescent about their own affairs am municipal extravagance and waste ar the causes of the increased rates, whicl the Mayor and his predecessors sail would not be raised.—l am, etc., RATEPAYER.