MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 555, 2 April 1913, Page 5

MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.

The Editor. Sir, —"Public borrowing breeds extravagance just as surely as drought breeds dust." And loose, careless management constitutes a form of ex travagance. Apart from certain imprudent actions of the Borough Council plainly evident to every ratepayer in Te Kuiti, there are details in the administration of the affairs of the town which the public are apt not to notice. Please permit me to draw attention to a piece of mismanagement. About twelve months ago it occurred to certain members of the Borough Council that it would be a good thing to acquire more land in close proximity to the council offices, and the matter was in due course brought up and considered at a council meeting; with the the result that it was decided to take compulsorily a piece of land adjoining the council's property. Accordingly, the borough solicitor waß instructed, and he served upon the owners and lessee the notices required under the statutes. No objections were raised by the parties interested. The council made no move in the direction of' issuing the proclamation, and after a period of four months had elapsed, the lessee asked the council to make an offer for her interest in the land, hoping that the matter would be attended to in some way, The council made no offer. More than seven'months after serving notice of its intention to take the land, the council informed the persons affected that no further action would be fuken in the matter, and the land w&3 not taken. The lessee now claimß from the borough some £l4 refund of rent and rates paid in respect of the section for the period during which the council had deprived her of all saleable interest in the land. The claim has, I understand, been referred to the borough solicitor for his opinion. If he advises payment of the money the amount is a dead loss to the ratepayers. If he advises the council not to pay, then there is the probability ofa legal action, when the claim would not be confined to a sum representing just actual cash out of pocket, for other damages will be asked for also. But what I desire to point out is, that whether the claim iB paid or not, the ratepayers (through sheer lack of common business method on the part of the borough council) will have to pay lawyer's costs in connection with drawing and serving the notices under the Public Works Act, and for advice in reference to the claim. If court proceedings follow, there will be more municipal expense, no matter what the decision. —I am, etc RATEPAYER. Te Kuiti, March 31st, 1913.