BOROUGH EXPENSES.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 957, 10 November 1882, Page 3

BOROUGH EXPENSES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I see by the report of the Council meeting that we have a very expensive establishment to keep up in Patea. It is well known that we have but few ratepayers here, and that before long we will lie taxed heavier than any (own in New Zealand. Our Patea fathers think of nothing else than borrowing money, although .up to the present time there is no provision made to pay it back. Now sir, I think I can toll yon the only way available'to save Patea. There is first of all the Mayor ; bis term of office is near about at an end ; that means £IOO a year. There is the Engineer : that is £2OO a year ; there is his office, staff, and other expenses, siy another £250, which is seen by 7 the Council’s last report. There is an Inspector of Nuisances, and a Dog Tax Collector ; this is another £SO. I think Sin you will see this will make £6OO. That is a very largo amount for a small population like Patea to have to pay annually for a staff of officers that I think could he very, well done without. I think that all • lioso officers shouffi fret notice at (lie first meeting of the Council,, that their term of office should cease .at the end of the 12 months. If we arc to have a Mayor it is an honorable position, and there are plenty of men in the Council to fill that chair without getting £IOO n year. As far as the Engineer is concerned he might think ae cannot be done without before the present works on hand are completed. Rut that is a simple matter. There are many waiting to fill that office quite as good as him. As for the inspector of Nuisances we are not a dirty lot of people in Patea, It is to everj' persons interest to strive to keep their premises as clean as possible, and I am happy 7 to say 7 that it is carried out in this district. And for the Dog-tax, Ido not think that we can afford to pay £5 for such a report as the last which was that one dog had been registered and got a collar, and that the inspector was watching for a few more puppies to come of age and that ho would have them enrolled by the next quarterly meeting. I hope that some one more able than I am with my pen will take this matter up. Yours &c., Ratepayer.