The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER, 13. 1915. COUNTY COUNCIL "ECONOMY"

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 October 1915, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER, 13. 1915. COUNTY COUNCIL "ECONOMY"

The Horowheuua County Council jii a discussion on the matter of advertising for applications Iroiu persons desirous oi filling the position oi county clerk, (showed indications of a searching of conscience concerning the skinflint action of its committee. Tlio advertising was done in the Wellington moriiing newspapers both of the country newspapers being passed by. Usually the council treats the local papers fairly in the matter of advertising, but in the latest instance there 'was an indication of at least unintentional unfairness. The advertisement could have been inserted three times in the Chronicle for lots (ordinary schedule rates) and doubtless the Otaki Mail's charges would have been ahotit jjic same. Three insertions of the advertisements in the two morning newspapers at Wellington could have been secured for £1 in each ; so that the total expense of advertising the vacancy, quite sufficiently, in lour newspapers, would have been approximately £3 lOjs. The reason advanced in open council by a member of the council's committee (Cr ltetter) lor parsing the county newspapers over, was "The committee thought no beneiit would accrup and tho ost of the advertising was saved. ft would only be throwing money away to advertise in the local papers." The logic of tin's argument looks queer in face of the fact that gratuitous notices of tlie vacancy were given in the local newspapers and that a local applicant secured tl;e appointment. Hut the absurdity of the committee's contention about "eaving money" lies ui the truth that while the committee ■saved thirty shillings h\ Levin and Otaki it wasted between C 4 and G5 by failing to notify the Wellington newspapers that three insertions of the advertisement would suffice. The advertisement appeared daily in both nmvspapere for about two , weeks, ;md the council's bill for such publicity is certain to amount to between C 5 and Cβ! The committee that was bent upon "saving money , ' ■will have opportunity for a few moro remarks and explanations when the bill comes in. The committee's action reminds us of the legendary brewer wito plugged the bunghole of his cask to prevent evaporation but left the spigot running , I