PUBLIC WORKS GRANTS

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 22 May 1914, Page 5

PUBLIC WORKS GRANTS

NEW FORM OF PAYMENT

AN important matter was brought under the notice of Waitemata County Council in a report submitted by the engineer. It was in respect to a new form for use in applying for payment of grant money from the Government. The memorandum was as follows: "I wish to draw your attention to the new form issued by the Public Works Department for use in applying for payment of grant moneys. So far as the part of the form to be filled in by the local bodies is concerned, it is a big improvement on the old grant, also the permission to pay 75 per cent on the County Engineer's certificate ; but the extensive report to be filled in by the Department's Inspector, will, I fear, lead to endless delays in getting final payments. This also applies to bridges, wharves, etc., upon which there will be no progress' payments made without an inspection.

" Re applying for grants, we are instructed to make application through the Public Works Department for grants required to be voted at next session of Parliament, and to place the grants/ on the list in order of urgency. The practice hitherto adopted had been to make out separate lists for each riding, placing the grants in order of urgency on these lists and then sending these lists in separately. The Department makes out a list of the County requirements from the lists supplied, copying list after list. The consequence is that the riding that is lucky gets at the top, and the most unlucky at the bottom. This may account for the poor portion some of the Northern Ridings received last year. It would be far better if a County list could be made out in the proper order of urgency."