Wanted—A Competent County Engineer.

Northland Age, 18 October 1904, Page 2

Wanted —A Competent County Engineer.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I noticed in your paper of 11th October last a letter under the above heading, signed “ A Ratepayer,” and also a letter in the “ Northern Luminary ” of the Bth October dealing with the same subj ect. I think both letters were written by the same pen, and with your permission, Mr. Editor, I would like to correet some of the remarks made by such correspondent. I have no doubt that “A Ratepayer” went into figures with the best of intentions, to furnish the ratepayers with a little information that they were not possessed of before, and I must say that he has done so; in fact, he has given me some information that I was not possessed of before, although I have been a member of the Council for a good many years. The County Clerk’s salary is £52 per year, and not £7O as stated by “ A Ratepayer ” ; and as for the Clerk’s salary being raised £2O, on conditions that a full report of proceedings of the Council be sent to the “Weekly News,” I think “ A Ratepayer ” must have been indulging in one of those happy daydreams when he wrote it. “A Ratepayer” is also greatly in error re the percentage paid for collecting rates, &c. The Council pays 10 per cent, for collecting the rates, which amounts to about £SO, and 15 per cent, for gum, vehicles and dogs, which amounts to about £9O, thus making £192 in all—not £340 as stated by “A Ratepayer.” As for a Clerk of Works, if the Council should see its way to appoint one he will not be paid more than £6O at the outside. It is very probable that the Council will appoint a Clerk of Works, to relieve the Councillors, for I can assure the public that it is no joke for the members of the Council to have to inspect all the works in the County—it is a big loss of time, and also a loss to their pockets which some of the members cannot afford. I quite agree with ratepayer that the rate collecting has been perfunctorily done in the past, but I will assure him that there will be trouble in the future if the work is not more satisfactorily carried out. The question of appointing one man to do all the work of the County, or the appointment of three men to do the work, will be decided at the next meeting of tho Council. I am in favour of giving the work to three men, i.e., Clerk, Collector of Licenses, and Clerk of Works, providing of course that we can get the work done by the three men putting in part of their time, at about the same cost of one man putting in his wtyole time. If this arrangement does not work as it should, then I say by all means let ms try an importation, for I do not know of a local man who is qualified to hold the position, —I am, etci w- J G. WILKINSON,.