DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 985, 22 August 1877, Page 2

DRAINAGE BOARD.

To the Editor of the Globe.

Sir, —In your report of the Drainage Board meeting in to-day’s issue 1 sec a claim by Mr Carruthcrs (with what he has already received) of £1750. Surely, if nothing more was wanted to show the gross carelessness and extravagance of the Board this would. Arc the ratepayers going to stand this any longer? It is time tiic Board was swept away, and it will serve those who have “to pay the piper” right if they find next year the present rate of 5d increased to Is in the £. What with tiiis £1750, £125 per week for another engineer, and yearly salaries of £BOO, £SOO, £3OO, and other expenses, it is time the thing should come to an end. Where can the Ratepayers Association be to allow such things to proceed ? What have we got for all the monstrous expenditure to the present time ? The Board have departed altogether from the original intention of its promotei’S and have shown a reckless disregard of the pockets of the ratepayers, that it will serve ratepayers right if they are ground into the dust with taxation, if they stand by and do not help to put an end to the Board altogether. Look here—One member thinks the ratepayers should be pleased that their engineer, who gets £BOO a year, is appointed Consulting Engineer to Wellington—that means that the £BOO does not pay for the whole time of that gentleman. The Government have just been compelled to promise to do away with their chief officers doing other work, and yet this member of the Drainage Board thinks that we should be proud to pay a gentleman £BOO a year with the privilege of doing extra work which should be left to other men who want it and have no large salary to fall back upon. But this is in keeping with the whole bearing of the Board. Yours, &c., DRAGON. Christchurch, August 20th.