PAYMENTS BY ROAD BOARDS.

Southland Times, Issue 1639, 27 September 1872, Page 3

PAYMENT S BY ROAD BOARDS.

Flß, —ln a previous issue of your paper you favored us with a description of the Road Board Ordinance, and Amendment Ordinance. Would you now be kind enough to allow me to pass a few remarks, regarding Road Board Committees f I am not aware whether the Road Boards or the Government is to blame, but one thing I kuow — that there is a great injustice done to contractor* taking work from Road Boards, in the mode in which they are paid. It is very otrange that contractors cannot receive money any sooner th«u from three to four weeks, and sometimes two or three months, after the completion of their contracts. And even when progress payments are to be msde, it oft«n happens that these progress payments are only made a week or ten days after the entire work is finished. However, the contractor has to pay his men, whether he himself gets paid or not; hence he haa to put himself to an inconvenience, and sometimes runs the risk of losing his credit in endeavoring to get funds to pay his workmen. It ia very inconsistent to suppose that contractors taking small jobs, or even those taking large jobs, are men of capital. They all more or less depend on regular payments from head-quarters, unless otherwise specified. It frequently happens that some treasurers of Road Boards iosue cheques, which, on" being presented to the bank, are returned d-shonored, with the answer, "No funds," or II Not sufficient funds," showing that the banks in which they keep their accounts have but 7ery lit:la faith in their ays:em of doing business, or they would surely never dishonor the credit of any public Board for the Bake of a few pound?. Another great mistake which sometimes is made, is in appointing a treasurer, or clerk, who has neither the time nor the will to attend to his duties. Men appointed for such work ought to be those who would consider it part of their duty to attend to it, and who are capable of knowing all the necessary requirements connected with Road Boards, It i§ to be hoped, however, that the newly constituted Boards will endeavor to remedy these mistake*, and also have the funds placed in such a manner as to be able to meet their liabilities whenever justly deman.led. On account of the importance of my subject, I trust you will accept of my apologies for i intruding on your apace,—l am, &c, P. O. <3-. Jacob's Kiver, 10th Sept., 1872.