CORRESPONDENCE. BOROUGH WORKMEN.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4538, 12 March 1923, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

BOROUGH WORKMEN.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—in view of the approaching election for new borough councillors, would it not be as well for the ratepayers to look around and see if it is not possible to discover candidates who would lay themselves out z to do something to clean up our town, more especially the filthy side streets and drains ? These have been in a deplorable condition for months past. All manner of grasses and noxious weeds decorate the paths, scarcely leaving a sufficient track for pedestrians, and the drains ar,e completely blocked and merely act to harbour the putrefying vegetation which goes into them. Apart from whatthe local beautifying society has done recently, next to nothing (excepting the sewerage contract) has been accomplished by our City Fathers. To my mind this state of affairs is likely tp continue until such time as some real, live, and conscientious men are employed to do the work. For over a month past three men, including the foreman, have been leisure.y employed repairing the footpath on one side of our main street —a mere botch, with tar splashed all over the place—which should have been done in a week. They are now turning their attention to the other side of the street, from the Paeroa Hotel to the Bank of New Zealand. How long, Sir, do you give them to complete this very necessary work ? One great obstacle to them completing anything, or doing a fair day’s work, is the fact that there are far top many race meetings. Whenever one of these are held, and they occur almost every week in the year, these employees are to be seen daily, hanging over the end of a shovel or hedge clippers discussing with all and sundry the probable winners, or rushing up and down the street, with shovel on shoulder, looking for doubles on the event, thus wasting time which might be devoted to work on the side streets and drains. Not only do they do this, but are invariably seen on all adjoining racecourses when meetings are held. Who gives them perimssion to absent (themselves from their work so frequently ? It is also quite amusing (to those who do not pay rates) to see a decrepit old man brushing water along the channel in the main street every Friday, all to no purpose, for his back'is no sooner turned than both water and rubbish, which he is supposed to remove, is all back in the gutter again. Occasionally one sees three men, wi|th dray and horse, sweating over this job. Surely, Sir, there is some stricter supervision required if we are to have our town cleaned up, and are to get, value for our money, and it is to be hoped that present loafing methods will soon give place to greater efficiency and something more energetic. ONE WHO PAYS.