CORRESPONDENCE. BOROUGH WORKMEN.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4539, 14 March 1923, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

BOROUGH WORKMEN.

(To the Editor.) Sir, In your last issue, dated the I.2th inst., I read a letter signed ‘"'nt! who pays.” Evidently the writer is a local ratepayer, and as an old resident I read with much regret his remarks referring to “the decrepit old man” (whom we cannot mistake) cleaning out the water channels eveiy Friday. These remarks, Sir, I (and I am sure many other old residents of Paeroa will agree with me) cannot let past without voicing a protest. Readers of your paper may say that an anonymous letter of this description is not worth noticing or answering, but. ap unkind reference like this to an old local body employee, and one who has reared a large family in our midst, and who has seen fit to send several of his sons to the great wat, and experienced the grief and honour of knowing that two of them paid the great sacrifice doing their duty in protecting the weak and aged, is cowardly and uncalled for. This man habeen an employee of local ratepayers for at least 25 years, and, being still able, why should he not be allowed to keep his end up and earn his living honestly at the work in whicn he has been engaged for the best years of his life? Finally, Sir, the remarks concerning the go-slow policy of the Borough employees is a matter concerning the Council generally, and not, for me to discuss, but I feel sure that “One who pays,” if he could keep the borough spring cleaned with three men, should be an aspirant for borough honours, in which position he would have a fair field to prove his ability with only a limited revenue to handle. So my advice to him is, come out of obscurity rand be a contestant, on the 26th proximo. J. W. SILCOCK. Sir, —Your correspondent of March 12, who signs himself “One who pays/’ is evidently suffering from a disordered liver. Aft,er hoping that some more businesslike citizens will “lay themselves out to do something to clean up our town,” he unfairly proceeds to “ lay put ” the workmen employed by the Council. He should remember that it takes a good man to do as he is told,, and if progress in street repairing and cleaning is slow let him try his hand at the game with th - ..atiquated appliances supplied to these workmen. Let him try sweeping Belmont Road with a hard broom or digging jam tins and old sacks out of the so-called drains in the side streets. I, think the council could afford to buy a street sweeping machine and also fill up some of the drains to water table levels, adding a little cement to the filling at. the top. We must remember that the past season has been one of phenomenal growth of vegetation, and the metal bed only covers a portion of the side streets. With regard to betting or .going to races I am not aware of any by-law or rule prohibiting borough employees from participating in these amusements. ONE WHO KNOWS.