Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1880. THE COUNTY ENGINEER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 100, 10 August 1880, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1880. THE COUNTY ENGINEER.

The Manawatu County Council cannot be congratulated upon the scheme it has propounded for the payment of its Engineer. Some two years ago, it will be remembered, Mr Hayns was appointed Engineer to the County Council and the Manawatu Highways Board, each body paying a proportionate share of his salary. He was also permitted to act as Engineer to the Borough of Palmersfcon North. But a month ago, the Highways Board, knowing that the separation of the Foxton, Carnarvon, and Sandon Wards was likely soon to take effect, determined to give the Engineer three months' notice that their arrangement with him would terminate, and warned the Council to that effect. Thereupon the Council, after several hours' discussion, evolved the following scheme : That a salary at the rare of £450 per annum be paid to the Engineer (Mr H. J. Hayns), for two months ending 31st December next ; after that time the salary to be £200 as Engineer, the whole of the slaughterhouse fees, 25 per cent of the dog tax, and a commission of not more than 3} per cent on the County rates, so as to make in all £450 per annum. If the County rates increase so that 3& per cent make (sio) together' with the othur items abovenamed, such commission to be reduced in inverse proportion, so that the salary shall not exceed £450 ; the Engineer's whole time to be devoted to Council work.

It will he seen from the quotation given that % multiplicity of offices is cast on Mr Hayns. He is to he Engineer, Rate Collector, Slaughterhouse Inspector and Collector of Slaughter Fees, and Collector of the Dog Tax. Passing by the indignity which is placed upon the Engineer by appointing him a collector of the dog tax, the policy of the whole scheme is open to very grave question. The County Council recognises it has not sufficient engineering work to require the whole services of the ! Engineer. They therefore devote £200 to him as Engineer, and then, as a step in the way of retrenchment, i pay him five pounds per week, to collect rates, hunt up unregistered dogs, and inspect slaughterhouses ! Verily, this is the very opposite of retrenchment, as there are scores of men who would be glad to accept the three positions for £\OO per annum less than Mr Hayns is to receive. But why is the Council so anxious to have the whole time of the Engineer? If they had sufficient work to keep him constantly employed professionally, we would say, "By all means keep him to yourself." Considering, however, that less, than; half. his whole. salary. i& te be paid for his services as -Engineer, we may fairly assume that only two days (or $wo.daja and a hali) in each week he will be County Engiu*

e %i Bifi^^n* should the County OounciELlopfc'ttoe " dog-in-the-man-gss iwwttde, and say to the other Ipcat boMiefe in the district^, "Me don't waji| the Engineer on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, and we will not let you have him?" We fail to see any reason for the *coursj|&da|^ed. Although the Manawatu^ighway^ Board has, because* of the projected Reparation, given the Engineer npjioe, it is certain that an. Engineer's services will be needed by both the Foxton, Sandon, and Palmerston- Highways- -Boards, and we think the Council has acted rather selfishly in making such arrangements with Mr Hayns as will preclude ajtlr* the other local bodies in the district from taking advantage of his valuable services and. advice.. The same ratepayers who elected the Councillors elect Wardens and Commissioners^ to the Highways and Local Boards, and we think that it would be quite easy to arrange with the latter a scheme by which , the Engineer's services would be open to them, while at the same time the Council would effect a considerable retrenchment. The plan we would suggest is, that the County Council pay Mr Hayns £200 per annum as County Enghieei*, and that he hold that position only ; that the Palmerston Borough Council contribute £ SQ, the Sandon Highways Board £l 6 tHe Foxton Highways Board '^50, and the Palmerston Highways B^ oatd. £50 per annum to the Engineer's salary, and have his services for neces,-. sary works in their respective districts. Each Board should pay its amount monthly into the County funds, and the Council should then hand over his total salary to Mr Hayns. By such a scheme as that every part of the district would have the advantage of Mr Hayns' services, for we hold it will be a gross mistake if the local bodies endeavour to do without an engineer, and ' unless the County Council is willing to assist them in the way indicated, we do not see the slightest chance of their obtaining one. Hundreds of pounds would be thrown away in the district every year, if the smaller bodies are compelled to work without skilled assistance and advice, while the very fact that as County Engineer Mr Hayns is constantly visiting the various districts points to him as eminently fitted for the position of engineer to the various smaller bodies.

Many objections may be urged to the scheme determined on by the Council, to make up Mr Hayns 1 salary. Take for instance the 25 per cent, of dog tax, which forms part of his salary. Is Mr Hayns to take over the whole responsibility of this impost ? Is he to collect the amount himself, or will be allowed to appoint deputies, paying them out of his 25 percent? "We presume the latter course will be adopted, as local know* ledge is absolutely necessaiy to prevent this tax being evaded. Yet, we question very much it, out of 25 per cent., (or Is 3d per dog) Mr Hayns will be able to afford anything for his deputies, so that not only are his returns from this likely to be small, but also the tax must of necessity be badly collected.

Then, again, there is the Rate Collectorship, which Mr Hayns is to assume, and for which he will he paid at the rate of 3i per cent. The resolution says he is to he paid " a commission of not more than 8£ per cent, on the County rates. If the County rates increase s*o that 3£ Iper cent make together with ; the other items above named [sic more than £450], such commission "t» be reduced in inverse proportion, so that the salary shall not exceed £450." The above is extremely vague. It is not stated whether the phrase "the County rates" means the total. amount of rates struck, or the rates collected. Is Mr Hayns to be paid 8£ per cent, upon all rates collected, or upon what he himself collects ? According to the amount collected last year for rates — £3,846 — upon the assumption that Mr Hayns is to be paid 3£ per cent, upon all rates collected, he would make about £130 per annum from this part of his work, for which sum we are certain the Council can get a man to do the work far better than the Engineer will be able to do" it, owing to his other duties. Also, there is the probability that Mr Hayns would (like any other man) during the first part of the year devote his time chiefly to collecting the rates, to make up bis salary, meantime holding the Engineer's duties with a tolerably slack hand, and after he had got in that amount he would be extremely unlike most men if he did not " slow down," and let the rates go to either Hanover or Hong Kong. The Council have led up to this by resolving that if the County rates increase so that 8J per cent, make together with the other items more than £450, the commission paid is to ie proportionately reduced, to prevent Mr Hayns making move than £450. That is the plain English of it. Under these circumstances we think Mr Hayns would be decidedly greener than we take him to : be, if he did not slow down after he had collected sufficient rates to earn his salary. There are other difficulties in the way, e.g., the manner in which the striking of a Bixpenny^ftt» would affect the Coltec-* tor, the fact that the present Collector will -have got in the principal parti of the current rate before Mr' Hayns

can begin, and other similar points. Looke^fttjfrom any standpoint — the collect|aii|of the rates and dog tax, fctoje mgilflry* ofjthe Council. and^its^ Engineer, the|swantis /of fbne owier local bodies, or the work proposed to be done: for the salary,, — the proposed arrangement is the greatest." patch " that could be devised. If the Council would arrange in the manner,suggested for the payment of the Engineer, as an Engineer, by the other local bodies, and then pay o, Collector 3£ per cent, on rates and say 10 per cent on dog -tax, allowing the Engineer say one-half the slaughter fees collected as 1 ft travelling allowance, we believe both the public and the official concerned would be better satisfied than they will be with the scheme the Council have accepted. We protest most strongly against an official being paid at the rate of £450 per annum, the greater part of whose lime is occupied in collecting rates and dog tax.