REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 122, 22 May 1873, Page 2

REP O R T OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE

Appointed to inquire into and report « upon the subject of the resolution' of May, 1873, viz: — ; „.' "That the falling-off in revenue, arid the urgent necessity that exists fpr the formation of roads in several districts imposed upon the. CourieiU the duty of exercising strict. economy in , the departmental and miscellaneous expenditure." r.i After carefully considering the items,. in the Estimates under tbe .above headings," and making full inquiries relative thereto, the Committee have come to the7fqllowipg conclusions, which they respectfully submit for the consideration of the Council:— 1. In considering the items under the heads of "Executive" and "Executive Establishment," the Committee having in view the fact that several df the salaries are proposed to be increased, and that the large sum of £147 18s 6J was incurred for travelling expenses by these departments during the past year, recommend that no travelling expenses whatever be allowed to officers of those departments, as the proposed salaries are on a sufficiently, liberal scale to allow of all such expenses being paid by the oflicers themselves. 2. With respect to. tbe remainde** of the Government officials (except the Provin-" cial Engineer and the Police) the Committee, whilst they have not endeavored to' economise by cutting down salaries, or by dealing with the officials iu a niggardly, spirit, strongly recommend tbat the travelling allowances be confined to the actual, expenses incurred for horse and f*oach hire, 1 steamboat fare, and items of a like, nature, exclusive of any allowances for persppal hotel expenses ; by adopting the, recorns mendations contained ih the last two paragraphs ; an approximate .saving, v-will be effected of £ without dealing with 'the M officers in any other than a fair and liberal spirit. 3 With reference to the : department; "Landand Public Works,'' the Committee recommend that the salary of the Superintendent of Works shall include hi"s ; travelling expenses, considering that many of the roads in the settled districts are under the control of the Road Boards,, who employ their own officers, and the* duties of the officer in question are thereby greatly : diminished.; , 4 That the services of the Clerk of the Works, S. W. Goldfields be dispensed with, the Committee believing that if the Works are let by contract according to resolution of the Council, the? Engineer and Survey Staff, can easily perform the duties. ; ;:: ' 5 That the salary of Assistant Surveyor, shall be the same as last year, viz., £200, x instead of £225 as proposed. A similar remark applies to tbe salary of Assistant Surveyor, Westport, to be £225 instead of £250 as proposed. •'•■■'* That the item, Engineers' contingencies; £150, be struck put, and the words " Travelling expensed" be added after' thp word " stationery " in the next line. That with respect to the Nelson Land Office,. the Committee regret Jhat the: iin-; formation at tbeir disposal does not' enable them to recommend any immediate .reductions ; nevertheless, they desire to point -out that , neither the amount of. work performed in that office, or the revenue received • through; '\v,< seem to warrant its maintenance at the present, cost; these recommendations will effect" a saving of £325, besides travelling expenses. "" p.. 7 ; y-y With reference! to the department " Justice," the Committee recommend Thatthe Government make arrangements to dispense with one of the Wardens at the Coast, and that the item £1500 be reduced to £1250, the Committee believing thai the increased facilities for travelling now: existing will enable one Warden to do all the inland work.

That aa the Clerk at Westport receives £40 as Clerk 4s, {he District Conrt, and also the use"t6^|a house,' his Salary be reduced to £250^ exclusive ofijthese advantages. "'■ : -'' ' ':'" '% r £* x* ' Tbat the duties of Inspectoral' Leases at Reefton be dispensed with, and that the Clerk's vat,,JElee/ton, staud at £300! -the CorafnfteeJ^ing^f opinion.; tbat 1 one "officer can be dispensed witb, arid that the other with a salary of £250, and additional clerical assistance to the extent of £50, can perform the diminished work of the .;• I$e 4 eftpn- office.- • ■ J That the contingencies be reduced frora £800 to £400. The proposed saving in this department amounts.to £875, exclusive of travelling expenses. .T'WithTreference to the'departments of " Gaols," " Police," and " Harbors," the db v not propose any reductions with the trifling exception of adding to thodaties of Inspector of Police that of collecting the. " Dog Tax." That 'althbughthe expenditure connected with Ihe Nelsou Harbor exceeds the income by 1i£355,- s fhe 'Committeo have not proposed to interfere with, that' department,'ass they ?re,injpr.*hyd^^n^t;.the' .control will probably T;be;,y'eated in a Harbor Board, whose local knowledge will no. doubt enable them to -make the pcir.t. selfsuppbrtiDg. '//.' With ifeference io i the heading " Scab 'Act;," the' Committee recommend that the salary of Chje.f Inspector be increased to ,: £2^o,itic)u\iye'of his travelling expenses, which during the past year amounted to '£146 j. 14s';.6d. Tbat theVDeputy Inspector's ealaTy remain unaltered, but that he shall. not receive tbe payment of 20s. per ,<Jiem when on duty as at present. That' the services of the Deputy Inspector, Massacre Bay, be dispensed witb, as scab is almost'uhknovvn in that district. That -tbo contingencies be reduced from £200 to ; £100, as:the travelling expenses are pro-. 'vided for in the ribove-addition of £50 to" the Chief Inspector's salary. A saving of .fully £loo.on the expenditure of last year .will, be effected ih this department. With reference .to the expenditure of the. provincial Cquncil- the Committee recommend that the.Speaker's salary, including: honorarium, ba reduced from £200 to £150. That following the course generally ,ad6p,ted by .other legfslative bodies, the systemypf calculating the honorarium; at •!per diem be discontinued, and that pay-, ment at per session be substituted, accordTing to;the: followiug scale, viz. — >•'3O miles from Nelson ..: £25 15 do. do. . ... ! £20 4 ( do. do. ... £15. OWi'th < the. addi tioh of travelling allpwance of Is, per ipile one way. -.; This arrangement if effected will, together,; with-other advantages, insure a 'saving of 13 per cent on the outlay of previous years. That after this year the salary o'f'the Clerk be reduced from £150 to £100, the Committee considering that the present engagement prevents any alleratioh,this;year. <: "V7ith Reference to the estimated expenditure for charitable purposes, the Committee recommend that a list of persons , Receiving .permanent relief be published in some paper .generally circulated in the - province, with the monthly amount paid them. '>'■■'■'' ' ■-••''• : ■ ' - UnderUhe'head Education, the Committee regret that they feel bound to ' ; . Fjariremainder. of news see fourth page. :

recommend that the item, Nelson Museum •£SO, be disallowed. V . V Under .the head Miscellaneous, the Committee recommend That the item, Hire of Rooms 7 for Magistrates; £§2, be struck out, and that* 'the committees of country ----- libraries, in consideration of the votes granted to them, be expected to give the use of their rooms for the yMagistratea' Courts gratis, and that the duty of cleaning the same be included in those of the district constables. : That the item " Waterworks Contribution to Rates," be reduced from £250 to £150. That reductions* in the item, Printing and Advertising, are desirable, but can only be effected by the exercise of strict economy in the expenditure. That the item "General- Contingencies" be reduced from £2500 to £1 500, and that full and detailed accounts of its . expenditure be furnished annually, and that the words, " for items not herein --specified,'-' be added. The reductions' herein proposed amount in thejjross to about £3000, and the Committee, in bringing up their report for ./ the ; consideration of the Council, beg to ■ submit that the necessity there existed for so early a report. The imperfect character (on some of the most important subjects) of tbe information at their disposal, and their anxiety, whilst endeavouring to study the public interest on the one j hand, not to act unfairly to the public servants on the other, has prevented them from agreeing torecommend such large reductions as the state of tbe finances of the Province and the urgent need of Public Works would seem to demand. Wm. Gibbs, Chairman. LIST Off'PBOPOSED REDUCTIONS.

.;.'■•." * £ a. a. Travelling Expenses— Executive ... 147 14 6 Do. .Superintendent of Works ... 107 5 6 Do. Inspector of Scab ... ... 146 14 6 .; Clerk of Works, West Coast ... 125 b 0 -Assistant Surveyor, Nelson ... 25** 0 0 „ -Westport ... 25 0 0 . Engineer — Contingencies t 150 0 0 i, Wardens ... 250 0 0 Clerk— Westport 25 o 0 „ Reefton ; ... % 200 o 0 Contingencies 400 0 0 Scab Act — Massacre Bay ... ... 25 0 0 „ Contingencies ... ... 100 0 0 Provincial Council ... ... ... 170 o 0 Nelson Museum ... 50 0 0 Room for Magistrates ... ... 35 0 0 Water Rates Contribution 100 0 0 General Contingencies .1000 0 0 Total £3081 14 6'