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MUNICIPAL NUTS TO CRACK.

TO THE EDITOR, Sib, —I am an old resident in the Bay, and for the last 8 or 9 years have been a resident of your town, and having some spare tune on my hands, and taking an interest in all public mutters, amongst others, those connected with our municipal affairs, my attention was specially called during the late elections to questions propounded to the various candidates. Mr Kosie, our respected townsman, ascended the platform, but owing to the noise and inierrupiions, 1 was unable to learn the gist of his enquiries, but his letter published iu your valuable piper gave the nee ssary information at which I was much astound I —viz., —that; the salaries paid by the Borough Council amounted tu the large sum of £9O(J annually. Ihis led me to look into the matter, and upon inquiry 1 find that Air Kosie mis understated the amount. At considerable trouble I havr- fossicked out the items specified below us the expenditure for salaries alone of the Council and Harbour Board.

Town Clerk and Secretary, £250, Engineer, Inspector of Nuisances, &c., £lOO Koad Overseer, £124 16s' Cadet, £6 Solicitor, (retaining fee), £lO 10s* Custodian, (free house), ... £25. Engineer, (fire), £l2 10/ Wharfinger, £l39’ Lam,, juter, £gg’ Clerk of Works, (temporary) £44* Total £1076 16 I find that tho valuation tot, up lo about £z4,Uoo, this at a Is in the £ rate would ) iebl a revenue of £1,200, so that the whole of the ral<-s with the exception of £123 is spent iu salaries ) oilier working expen es such as rent, printing, advertising, stationery, office exp. uses &c., may safey be put down at au additional £3OO, thus making a grand total of £1,376 16s per annum for running the muui. ipal Coach, or about 50 per cent on the gross revenue. Aow Sir, I consider the above expenditure much above wiiaL it should be • surely sometiling could be done to reduce this expendi tiiro to within a reasonable amount, as i-ugards the revenue received, and I woul i suggest the following stale which I consider could be wisely aud fairly carried out. Town Clerk and Secretary, £2OO Engineer, Nil. Inspector of Nuisances, £5O Road Overseer, £124 16s. Cadet, Nil. Solicitor, (retaining fee), ... Nil. Custodian(fiee house), £25 Engineer, (fire), £l2 10s. Wharfinger, £l3O. Lamplighter, £65. Clerk of Works, (temporary) £44. Total, £650 16s. If this scale is adopted, a saving of £456 a year would be affected. The above figures may I think be taken as fair and equitable for the following reasons. Four years ago when we were in receipt of “Government Grants in Aid,” our revenue was in excess of what it now is ; the same books or nearly so were then in use; the £lO,OOO loan has been expended, the vexed question of the foreshore is all but settled, which must considerably relieve the duties of the Town Clerk ; the Harbour Board is in fair working order, by-laws have been passed, the wharfinger keeps the books, collects the dues, so that the principal duties of the Secretary is to receive the money and attend the meetings of the Board. The clerk could also act as dog registrar, as it is mostly all office work, and if the County clerk does not consider it infra, dig and fulfils the duties for £2OO a year, 1 don’t see that it would be any hardship on our worthy clerk. I would do away with the expense of an engineer for at least the next twelve months. I find that the Borough Council are overdrawn to the amount of about £6OO, and that liabilities have been incurred under contracts to the amount of between £BOO and £9OO, so that a sum of £1,500 must be provided from the balance of rates due, aud will likely absorb the whole of next year’s rates. So that no new works of any magnitude can possibly be undertaken, unless by an increased rate or raising another loan. But I think the ratepayers will be adverse to both, remembering that the present special rate will be in force for the next four years. With a good overseer at the salary quoted I do not see there can be any difficulty in carrying out the works without the aid of the Engineer, and should any new works be undertaken there must be any amount ef speci-

flcations and data in the office, which with slight alterations might be made to answer, In reference to the wharf contract, a clerk of the works has been appointed, and having the plans and specifications to work from he cannot go far astray, as if reliable as a clerk of works, his knowledge as a mechanic would enable him to dispense with being overlooked by an engineer. The position of the Harbour Board so far as I can learn is that they are indebted for the purchase of the wharfs £6OO and contracts let fur about £1,400, so that they are not likely to incur any further outlay for the next twelve months; for any other works such as water supply, drainage schemes, Ac., let tenders be called for from competent persons, and pay them for the work done, and for that only, but if the Council are ambitious to have a genuine C. E; at their beck and call, why not appoint a consulting Engineer at a nominal salary, and

nay him only for services rendered. When the new Engineercomes to take office I should advise the Council to tender him a cheque for a month’s salary, and tell him they will call for his services when necessary. Inspector of Nuisances, Ao., &c. I should reduce this officer 50 per cent., and also allo* cate his offices as fo lows : —lnspector of weights and measures (which has to be done aboutonco in a twelve month), dog tax collector—amalgamate with Town Clerk and ranger, handed m er t > the poundkeeper, and let him be responsible (w iioh w done in many Boroughs), leaving only In peotor of Nuisances. Now, we all know that. Air Fa ram has discharged '•is duties most satisfactorily, but we also know that Mr Faram it an excellent tradesman, and in constant employ, it therefore follows that the performance of his duties must be principally done during over hours, and if he is relieved of all duties other than that of nuisances, I think that £5O a year (his original salary) would afford a very fair addition to his weekly wages. For the same reasons given for a reduction of the Town Clerk’s salary, I consider the services of a cadet can be dispensed with. A retaining fee to a solicitor I consider as altogether unnecessary. Such are a few suggestions which I throw out for the benefit of all concerned, and if any of t >om are found practicable, or if the whole are adopted, a saving of about £5OO a year will be a disideratum, and even then the gross expenses will amount to about £lOOO per annum. Perhaps, Mr Editor, you will lake the cudgels up, and the Councillors, new and old, will specially devote their attention to the much needed subject of retrenchment.—l am, &c., Hard Nut.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PBS18830918.2.12

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1357, 18 September 1883, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,208

MUNICIPAL NUTS TO CRACK. Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1357, 18 September 1883, Page 2

MUNICIPAL NUTS TO CRACK. Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1357, 18 September 1883, Page 2

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