UNEXPENDED ROAD VOTES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 501, 18 September 1912, Page 5

UNEXPENDED ROAD VOTES.

A MINISTERIAL MISAPPREHENSION. At Monday evening's meeting of the Waitomo County Council the chairman reported on his recent visit to Wellington, and during the course of his remarks referred to the letter of the Minister for Public Lands which was published in last issue of Chronicle. Mr Scholes said there was a misapprehension concerning the suggested expenditure of small balances of grants. He did not pro po3e to lump balances together and expen'i them on any work for which they had not been granted. The position was that frequently after contracts involving the expenditure of grants had been completed small balances were left. He merely asked that provision should bo made empowering the council to expend these balance 3by day labour. If the formality of having plans and specifications prepared and approved of by the department had to be gono through with repect to all these small amounts, the system would be reduced to an absurdity. All that was necessary was an understanding that the council could expend the small balances on the work for which the original voto was granted, without having to go through the same process as in the case of contracts for substantial amounts. If a voto of £IOO was made on a certain road, and the engineer prepared plans and specifications for a contract estimated to costs £IOO, the contract might he taken for, say, £95, leaving a small balance of the vote. It would be ridiculous to prepare plans and specifications and call tenders to expend this balance. The council should have power to spend any such amounts by day lubour.