A PENURIOUS COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 124, 3 September 1910, Page 2

A PENURIOUS COUNCIL

STRUGGLES OF THE CLIFTON I COUNTY. | BIGGER REVENUE AND SMALLER STAFF. The ever-presem financial difficulty formed the principal subject of discussion at yesterdays meeting of the Clif- j ton County Council, and "X.s.F." loomed I large in the members' speeches upon | nearly every request or proposal lor expenditure of money. I SEPARATE RATE. I Cr. Musker moved, in accordance with notice given, that a separate rate of a farthing in the pound be levied over I the whole comity lor the ensuing year. He referred to the serious financial position of the Council, and said more revenue was imperative if the Council's overdrait was to be reduced. j In reply to Mr. McKenzie, the chairman said the revenue raised by separate rate must be spent in the riding where 1 collected. ! Cr. Sander said there was no necesIsity for the separate rate in the Ngatimaru riding, for its finances were in good condition. Crs. O'Sullivan and Musker queried the statement, and pointed out that the riding's overdraft was more than twice the amount of its annual revenue, to which Cr. Sander replied that during the past two years there had been a good deal spent on permanent and nonrecurring works. The chairman supported the motion. He .believed that the Tikorangi riding should 'be exempted, on account of its good financial position, but he was not going to ask for it, for he must act for the benefit of the county as a whole. Doubtless the Tikorangi riding would find some good way of spending the extra money. There was no doubt that the Council was in a horrible financial position, and they must do something to get out of it. His constituents would not thank him, he supposed, for what he was doing, and they might kick him out next time; but he couldn't help that.

Cr. Sander's amendment to exempt the Ngatimaru riding lacked a seconder, and the motion was carried without dissent.

The Council, later in the meeting, considered the following report of a subcommittee, comprising the chairman and Crs. O'Sullivan and Sander, set up to consider the methods.of administration of the Council:—

"As directed, your committee has given much consideration to the Council's business, and finds that expenditure has been in excess of revenue. Especially has this been the case during the past year, when day labor cost the Council £2912 la fid. On account of the broken character of the land and the nature of many of the roads, probably, day labor will' continue a large item in this .county's expenditure. Nevertheless, we consider the amount spent last year in this class of lalbor excessive, and an effort should ibe made to reduce it. In connection with this item, as well as in ' other directions, there has been a considerable expenditure incurred without the Council's authority. There has also been complaint that some of the metalling and blinding, has not been done in the best manner possible. The state of the Council's finances does not need comment from us, as members know the exact position; but we desire to state that, notwithstanding the higher rate levied this year,, even'if the separate rate of %d is imposed, it will be necessary for tliis Council to curtail expenditure with the object of restoring the bank overdraft to the position of a reserve fund that will be available in an ■emergency, such as the collapse of a bridge or other disaster. We therefore recommend: (a) That, when possible,! work be let by public tender, (b) That until the finances are placed in the position indicated, the Council limit its exthose ridings having heavy debit balances ,to maintenance, (c.) That no expenditure shall he incurred without the authority of the Council or its chairman, except in cases of washouts, slips or other obstacles to traffic of a like nature. In such a case the engineer, surfaceman or member for the riding may take such action as may be deemed best to restore the road, and shall immediately report what he has done to this office, (d.) That as a highly paid official is not required to supervise ordinary maintenance work, the engineer's services be dispensed with and a professional man be employed from time to time, should expert advice or supervision be required." The chairman moved the adoption of the report, and said the committee was unanimous in its finding. It would be felt that the Council's "affairs had got into somewhat of a mess, but the committee had not traced to whom this was due. Expenditure on day labor was too j'heavy, though, and must be reduced. In a local body they could not give every member authority to expend money. Expenditure should be authorised by the Council or by the chairman, and in that way only, and the chairman's action should be subject to approval by the Council. Cr. Sander seconded the motion. Cr. McKenzie thought it unfair, in the case of the Waihi riding, to prohibit mew work. To many of the ratepayers •there, mere maintenance of the main road would be of little benefit, for the side roads needed much improvement. He objected to pay rates year after year to make roads for other people, whilst he was kept "plodding through the mud." Cr. Sander said there were people in the Ngatimaru riding who had seven or eight miles of unmetalled roads to travel. Cr. McKenzie: You told us just now your riding was in a good position, and there was no necessity for new works. Yet you tell us you have ratepayers with no roads to their places. 'Cr. Sander: The people up there have been trained to hardships, and don't mind. Cr. McKenzie: I've experienced all those hardships, and I want to make things better for people. Cr. Julian said it would be necessary to have an engineer to supervise expenditure of Government grants. He suggested that Mr. Dowsett, the present engineer, might do the Council's engineering work on commission. The chairman said that there was no doubt that, unless the system of local government were altered, it would be necessary for the Council to have an overseer—not necessarily a certificated surveyor or engineer, but a good practical man. Most of our engineers were surveyors, and that was what they had qualified for. Answering Cr.' McKenzie's objection, the chairman said that he had raised a difficult problem, and all he could say was that the Council would always meet as fairly as possible the needs of the ratepayers in the various ridings.

The report was adopted, and a motion was carried giving the engineer one month's notice of the termination of his agreement.

Cr. Julian suggested that three.

months' notice would be a fair thing, but Mr. Dowsett said he did not ask for three months' notice. He a9ked, however, that the Council's future work be given to him on commission. As far as he knew, no Councillor had anything to say against the manner in which he had carried out the Council's work. Several Councillors stated i heir readiness to let the work on commission to the present engineer, and Mr. Dowsett was asked to prepare a schedule of charges to be considered at next meeting of the Council.