MUNICIPAL NUTS TO CRACK NO. 2.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1359, 22 September 1883, Page 2

MUNICIPAL NUTS TO CRACK NO. 2.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—On looking over my previous letter to you on Municipal matters, it has struck me that my statements and deductions may have seemed and are both crude, and onesided, which is in a great measure owing to my being entirely a Tooker-on, not possessing the entree, behind the scenes, and quite outside the pale of the “ sacred ring,” but so impressed am I with tho necessity for some radical change in the expenditure of local corporate bodies, that at the risk of wearying you and the public, and unnecessarily trespassing on the space allotted in your valuable journal to correspondents, I must crave your indulgence whilst I make another attempt to more clearly make a statement of how matters municipal really are. Of course my statements are open to correction, as they have been acquired from many sources. I can only assure the public that “nought will be set down in malice,” and hope that no gross mis-statements will creep in. Before proceeding further I would beg to make a correction in my previous letter which inadvertently occurred through the defective punctuation; I am made to say “ That I recommend the Town Clerk take the billet of Ranger,” along with his other duties—this should read, “ That the Ranger’s duties be handed over to the pound-keeper the bare idea of seeing our worthy Town Clerk driving or leading an unruly “colt” or obstreperous “cow” to the pound, must have immensly tickled the risible faculties of most of your readers. 1 shall proceed to take the supposed revenue and expenditure of the Borough aud Harbor Board separately. Borough Council —Renenue. Rates, LI,200; Licenses L 600; Dog Tax, L4O ; Endowments LISO ; Weigh Bridge, LI2 ; Money Lent at interest, LOO ; Pound feesL2o; Total, L 2,112,

Expenditure. Town Clerk L2OO : Engineer, L2OO ; In. specter of Nuisances, LIOO ; Road Overseer, L 124 16s; Cadet (piopurtion), L5O ; Solicitor, L 10; Custodian (fire), L 25; Engineer, (fire) Ll2 10s; Uniforms, &c., L5O; Grant to Hospital L5O; Grant Recreation, L5O ; Rent (will shortly be increased nearly double), L3O ; Printing and advertising L 100; Office expenses and stationery, L5O ; Lamplighter L 65 ; Total L 1,027 6s.

Harbour Board.—Revenue. Wharf, £BOO ; Ferry, £l2O ; ToUl, £920. Expenditure. Secretary, £5O; Engineer, £5O ; Cadet, £l5; Wharfinger, £130; Clerk of works, £44 ; Total, £289. Total Revenue ... L 920 Total Expenditure ... L 289 Balance to credit L 631 Liabilities of Borough Council. Under contracts, £864; Overdraft (about) £6OO, Total, £1,464. Liabilities of Harbour Board. Owing to Borough Council, £600; Under Contract, £1,385 10s. Total, £1,985 10s. It will thus be seen that the Borough Council are under liabilities to the amount of close on £1,500, and assuming that one*' half of the present year’s rates have beenl collected, nearly the whole of next year’s rates must be absorbed before they have a clean sheet; as regards the Harbour Board, at the present income, expenditure, and liabilities, it will take over three years before they are clear. As I believe this month terminates the financial half year, it might be advisable to ask the Town Clerk to lay on the table a detailed statement of revenue . and expenditure for the past six months! under their various headings ; also it would be interesting no doubt to the ratepayers to be made acquainted with the various items making up the expenditure of the £lO,OOO loan. I have not touched on the special rate, as I presume that all goes to the sinking fund, with the exoeption of the amounts lent out at interest, payments of trust commissisoners per centage &c. Not being an accountant, I have no doubt many faults can be picked out, but if this should in any way lead to the matter of retrenchment being earnestly taken up by our Councillors, or the ratepayers, the result for which this has been written, will have been attained. I am, &c. t Hard Nut. A CORRECTION, AND EXPLANATION. TO THS EDITOR. Sir,—ln your report of the Harbour Board meeting in Thursday's issue, you state that 1 had made application for compensation “ for work done, in connection with breakwater and Harbour works.” I beg to state that my application was in the shape of a reminder to the Council that these and several other works, which I consider altogether outside my legitimate duties as Borough Engineer, and quite beyond the terms of our agreement—have not been paid for, aud I always looked upon them as just debts, which I could at any moment A recover, and as far as I am concerned I think the present time most opportune, as our " relations towards each other are about to cease.

Cr. Townley considers that I have been too long in applying. Certainly he did not allow the grass to grow under his feet until he recovered the cost of his trip to Wellington ; the Government boat’s crew and the harbour muster also received a bonus for their services, and my reason for not forwarding my account was the paucity of funds at the command of the Council, and I could afford to wait the course of events i things are now altered—a Harbour Board has been formed, works have been contracted for, which must be paid for by borrowed money; the Council have just completed the expenditure of a LlO,OOO loan, and I hear it whispered are about te raise another for three times that amount, eo that I consider now is the time to push my claim. I. may state I have already received a slight acknowledgment in the shape of a letter thanks for my “trouble aud activity dis A played, etc., but as this barren honor is f not likely to be of any substantial benefit to ( myself and family, and if Cr Townley could not afford to forego the cost of his holiday taip, surely he cannot expect a professional man to give his time gratis.—l am, &c., John Drummond, Civil Engineer. Gisborne, Sept, 21st, 1883.

Total Revenue L2,112 0 0 Total Expenditure LI,027 6 0 Balance LI,084 14 0 w