THOSE DRAIN PIPES.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1010, 16 March 1883, Page 2

THOSE DRAIN PIPES.

TO THE EDITOR. . Sib, —I was amused at a letter signed “ Factotum,” in your last issue, and as yow have been kind enough to invite the publu to make use of your columns, I ventuietc send you a few lines. “ Factotum starts by giving’ his'version of the celebrated drain pipe transaction, with a “wipe at “ Gian Aber,” whoever he is. I shall leave that gentleman to reply for himself, if he thinks it necessary. _ Your correspondent s remarks about the pipes are, I think, scarcely correct. He says the Engineer was asked by Mr Dale if he would take a cer-

tain number, of referred tbe matter to the Mayor, who assented. Sir, I understand that the Engineer ordered the pipes long before the Mayor came into office, so that in the first place he could not have agreed to the purchase. What really took place, was that the Mayor was asked by the Engineer when the pipes came to hand whether he should take them, and the Mayor replied that if he (the Engineer) had ordered them, they would have to be taken. In giving this assent, he understood that a small quantity of pipes for Leicester-street was. referred to, but the Engineer went and bought all Mr Dale had. The Engineer protects himself under coyer of his report which was adopted by the Council, and considers that that is sufficient authority for him to act upon. I for one don't think it is, and if everything that was adopted by public bodies was straightway carried out we should want a bank to pay the piper. “ Factptmn ’’ says something about a “ shady linoleum transaction.” There was nothing shady; about-if, and I think it was rather mean of the Mayor to refer to it in that way. He knew very well, or ought to have known, that a minute was passed that the late Mayor should procure furniture, for the Council chamber*. He had in fact carte blanche to do as he liked. Nowwhat did he do. He bought the floor covering and a lamp, in all about £B. What is there “ shady ” about that. 1 think he deserves credit for being so careful of the ratepayers’ money as he could have spent £SO on furniture and then could not fairly be charged with extravagance. “Factotum” winds up with a. fling at the Town Clerk because he gets a salary of £l2O a year and compares that with Hawera where they pay £IOO. In my humble opinion I think our Council commands the services of a first-rate man for a very reasonable sum. He has to be at the office every day, while the Town Clerk at Hawera only attends three days a week. It is rank to talk about inviting applicaH|ns, “ Applicants to state salary expected.” You must pay a man sufficient to keep him honest, and if we were to go in for the tender system we should probably find ourselves in tbe wrong box before we krieVr where we were. A word in conclusion to “ Factotum.” There is a vacancy ,in ■ the Let him come forward and effect some of the reductions he talks about.. He will find it a much harder task ,than he imagines. Some reductions ought to be made in the Borough expenses, I admit, but I don’t think anything can be lopped off the Town Clerk’s department. Perhaps some abler pen than mine will ventilate the sulject a little more. —I am, &c., Concrete.