OUR BOROUGH COUNCILLORS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81874, 26 October 1906, Page 2

OUR BOROUGH COUNCILLORS.

TO THE EDITOR. 1 Sir.—Whilst not at all disposed to ( dcii-Dd the Borough Council as a ( whole from the charges made against | them of incapacity and extravagance, , Ido not think that it is fair to rir- ' culaie some of the rumours now current or.to leave them uncontradicted. I have heard it said that the Mayor travels at the cost of_tfic ratepayers, and that some of the councillors do >-o also, and the instanced mentioned were the Mayor's going to Wellington to attend at Mr Sed'don's funeral and his intended visit to the Christchurch Exhibition %nd also Councillor Bellringer's trips respecting Fire Brigade business and to attend the Municipal C-.nrerenco held lately at Wellington. It is said also that when the Borough Councillors and their Clerk lunched recently with the Governor here it was at the cost of the ratepayers. Now I am informed on good authority that all this is untrue: Mr Dockrill receives £IOO a year (as 'Hd Mr Cock before him) to enable lum without cost to himself to defraly such expenses and to subscribe in a manner befitting a Mavor of a townj. and probably no doubt to have something substantial over at the end of the year for his time and trouble. Before Mr Cock took office I think only £SO a y-ar was paid and before that to other Mayors nothing at all. When the. 'Council were considering what should b.< paid to Mr Dockrill this year, he painted out, when urging that it should "be £IOO instead of a lesser 1 sum. that he would have to pay for entertaining the Governor. It is aiiaurd to suppose that he would after this let the ratepayers pay for such Itiings, or that tho Councillors would permit him to do so. As to Councillor Bellringer (not a penny of his expanses as to Firo Brigade matters dimes from the ratepayers, and it v a» not he, but his brother the Town C lerk, who went to Wellington to the Municipal Conference. —I am, etc., FAIR PLAY.