THOSE BUILDING PERMITS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 23 August 1917, Page 3

THOSE BUILDING PERMITS.

To the Editor. SIR, —I must again ask for a short space in your paper, to reply to Com. Graham's brief letter, ir which he wishes to make me look idiotic. I did not know I would be called on by Com. Graham to enlighten him on town finance. I understood ■when we elected him that he was going in for improvements, and that he knew all about the finances of the town, and if more money was required he would know how to manage it. Now, in my idiotic letter, as he calls it, I pointed out how ':, JEIOO at least might have been made in ~^ the past, and he can surely see that my scheme of a sliding scale for building permits will bring in a large sum every year, and the sooner it is attended to the better for the town. Now, Mr ifiditor, what we want from our Commis--4 is itrict economy in tha spending jßPfcyx rates. I now want to know what y^Q^' become of a very important plan of I ' che town on which all the levels were ' given. That plan, if I remember right, cost the town £60. The town will require another plan giving the levels, which will cost another £60. Perhaps the present Commissioners do not see the position in which the town will be placed in tha future. Well, sir, the position is this: If I ask for the level of my building site, and the Board don't give it, and I erect my building, then they will be liable for damages-if they make a filling in front of my building ; for it may cost me hundreds of pounds to raise my building. Now, what is the position in Commercial Street. Until that street is cut down to its right level, a man in building may be put to heavy expense for want of the level. I might just mention that when I was a Town Commissioner many years ago, we (the Commissioners) saw that the levels were most important,, and we had this expensive town plan made with all the sections on it, and giving the puttings and fillings in feet and inches for every section. I have now given Com, Graham one item of £60 wilful waste in. the loss of this map, and if he wants moi-e enlightment on finance, he can. just study out another expense

which is going on. I allude to the money spent between Graham's corner and Stewart's store in digging out of grass. I have noticed the two men who are in charge of town work spend perhaps onequarter of their time in digging up grass on each side of the road. Com. Field drew our attention to a reduction or saving of £100 the year he was Chairman, which I thought was very good. Well, sir, if that £100 with another £1.00 added it would have made the cutting down of Commercial Street, and the grass would not have bothered them for one year at least so there would be a saving of one-fourth of two men's wages for the first year, which would p?y interest and a sinking fund and wipe out the principal in a few years. They could then go in for permanent work in curbing where all or most of the curbing now done will have to be taken up and re-set. —I am, etc., I. McLEOD. Helensville, 20th Aug., 1917.