Poverty Bay Standard. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS. Thursday, February 2, 1882.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1031, 2 February 1882, Page 2

Poverty Bay Standard. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS. Thursday, February 2, 1882.

At the meeting of the Borough Council on Tuesday evening last Councillor Somervell brought under notice a subject Avell entitled to the consideration of the ratepayers. A careless habit prevails of allowing, when works are undertaken by contract, supplementary work amounting at times to large sums to be performed by the ■contractor under the head of 44 extras.” The “ extras ” in some instances nearly amount to the total of the original contract. Cr. Somervell pointed out that in works carried on by the Borough Council the 4 ‘ extra ” work done ■was at times very extensive. He thought that the Borough Engineer should not, without the sanction of the Council, expend a sum exceeding £5 under that head. An instance was before the Council where a sum of £23 ■was claimed for work done which the Council had not authorized, and which was in excess of the amount the tender stipulated. In both the County and the Borough Councils a strict watch is required. The mal-administration of local bodies unfortunately is of too common occurrence Nothing hardly is of greater importance to the ratepayers, or in more need of demanding the attention of those elected to represent the people than the exercise of a careful supervision over the disbursement of the local revenue. In the County Council the same looseness exists. Not long ago the County Engineer applied to the Council to be permitted to expend without special appropriation sums of money up to £2O upon different w’orks, according as he might deem necessary, without

such works being submitted to public tender. Such a demand is difficult to adequately characterize. The principle of placing uncontrolled power in the hands of local officers, strikes a death blow at true local government and reduces the representatives of the ratepayers to the condition of being mere nonenties. It is the duty of Councillors to watch with a zealous eye over the interests of the ratepayers. If they will not do so —if the task is too irksome, it is better far that they should retire from the position they have been elected to fulfil, in order to make room for abler and more competent men. Cr. Somervell has struck the keynote. Councillors should not hesitate in bestowing their earnest attention upon the point raised.