NGATEA PUBLIC POUND

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5430, 29 May 1929, Page 4

NGATEA PUBLIC POUND

SYSTEM OF CONTROL. COUNCIL TO MAKE A CHANGE. ' The Ngatea public pound is to be put on a different basis of control, and applications are to be called for the position of poundkeeper and ranger. At last Wednesday’s meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council the treasurer, Mr E. A. Mahoney, reported as follows :— “The Audit Department’s inspector on his last inspection took exception to the system by which the pound is conducted. To date Mr Shaw, poundkeeper, has controlled the pound, paid for sustenance of impounded stock, and retained driving fees, sustenance charges, and surplus of sales unclaimed by the owners. The auditor insists that any surplus be paid into the county fund. This means that the poundkeeper must pay driving fees and sustenance and bear any loss on sales, while he cannot benefit by any profit. The only way to overcome this is by putting him on a similar basis to the Waitakaruru poundkeeper, i.e., a wage of £25 per annum. The council will then have to sustain impounded stock, pay driving fees and other charges, but all money derived from sales will be paid in. Councillors took the opportunity of complaining of straying stock in the county. The inspector said it was very difficult to deal with the matter owing to the trouble in getting the stock to the pound. Unless the animals were claimed from the pound there was no satisfactory proof of ownership. He had issued warnings to over 20 offenders, and these cautions could be taken into consideration if the owners of stock impounded were prosecuted. It was decided to call applications for the position of ranger and poundkeeper.