REFUND ASKED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 93, 10 December 1931, Page 6

REFUND ASKED

P.W.D. WANTS PROPORTION OF COUNTY COUNCIL FINES TRAFFIC INSPECTOR SUBSIDY Exception to the action of the Public Works Department, in requesting a refund of fines collected in the county, and also querying various items of expenditure in connection with the employment of the county traffic inspector, was expressed at yesterday's meeting of the Rotorua County Council. The Department pointed out that since it was subsidising the employment of a traffic inspector in the county, £ for £, it was considered a fair thing that a proportion of the fines collected by the Council, should be remitted to the Department. Accompanying this letter was a request for the payment of £51 as half of the fines collected by the Council since October 6, 1930. In a further letter, the Department also stated that it was unable to subsidise such items of expenditure as the traffic inspector's phone charge and the comprehensive insurance policy on his car. y The County Clerk (Mr. A. Bellingham), said that the Department was not subsidising the expenses of the inspector £ for £. It was paying only £90 a year, and if the other items referred to were deleted, the actuai amount would be. reduced to £60. Only S'nce January So far as the request for the refund of fines was concerned, the subsidy 'had been paid only sinee January. yet the Department was claiming a refund for a period before that date It was pointed out that the Council also paid solicitors' costs on the prosecutions and that this was also a charge on the Council. The opinion was expressed that if the subsidy was removed on the inspector's phone and insurance policy. ■the Council could not continue to meet the charges. Without a phone the inspector would be seriously handicapped while the nature of his employment demanded a comprehensive car policy. Under these circumstances, the opinion was expressed that if •the Department persisted in its attitude, the Council might have to dis.pense with a inspector altogether. "Economy is all right, but this sor;"of thing is hitting the ratepayers." said the chairman (Cr. H. P. Ford). Cr. J. E. Martin: The way they are going on there won't be any ratepayers before long. They will chuck it in. . After some further discussion. the Council conferred with an officer of tbe Department , who was invited into the meetng. It was finally decided to take up the matter with the Department in an endeavour to arrive at a .satisfactory arrangement.