The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JUNE 11,1886. COUNTY RETRENCHMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2318, 11 June 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JUNE 11,1886. COUNTY RETRENCHMENT.

When the Wairarapa East County a short time ago reduced the daily wagea of the surface men in their employ wo approved of the action taken well knowing how unpopular such an expression of opinion might be, Wc felt that retrenchment was necessary, and that nny local body undertaking a disagreeable duty of thiß kind was entitled to support, We nover, however, for one moment dreamt that Councillors, in dipping the wages of their employees, intended to place the money saved into their own pockets, and yet, apparently, they have done this, and done it, too, in a most objectionable manner. At the last meeting of tbe Council it was reported that the Auditor General objected to the form in which travelling, expenses were charged, This of course was ft mere technical objection, which could have been adjusted by a clerical entry, but the Council took advantage of it to nearly treble their own allowances, thus sweeping into their own pockets the Baving they have effected by cutting down the daily wages of their roadmen, It is of course the height of übsurdity to suppose that the Auditor General called upon them to increase the rate paid to themselves and making his letter a pretext for ..sponging On the county funds renders their, conduct all the more open to censure, ' Last year the allowances paid to councillors amounted to £il. For the future, under the new scale adopted by the County Council on Tuesday last, the sum will be over £2OO exclusive of special meetings which will probably increase the total, The operation of the new scale is based on the payment of one shilling per mile for distance and ten shillings per diem for time, We work it out as follows :

Each ordinary meeting [ai, the .Council may np.w be exp'ecied to cost seventeen or eighteen pounds:instead,: of ..six., or seven pounds as'formerly .'There.;ias been.a good'dealiof.talk about county and; about the old ixmnty.:ring

I^'rigl'iroken;.i)pj i lbut; : tl)e'Btep recently .taken iti. the intitter. ul travelling allowances confirms. .the opinion we have long' enteriftined".-t.liiit v the ...County Gdunoil is degerieiratirig. It is possible ■that'--!o6un'oillors'-; : miiy'■ have affirmed this-, nß,w ; inefctod :pi plundering .the .Connty without duly .considering Hke efliect of their action. We ;hbpe,Vfor the; credit of the distriofc, 'that/the'' not bus not been a deliberate :pnei,\ir it has been, we are of the QpinipivVthat the time htm.arrived to place pur; much abused County on the shelf.. .

Jiameol Tta wallowCouncillor am* . Mileage Total 6, H, & 8. D, McCardle 30 49 3 19 0 C. Good 30-, 40 3 10 0 E. Meredith 30 30 3 0 0 Maunsell 30 28 i 18 0 Hawkins 20 16 1 16. 0 fljlftl 10 6 16 0 Dagg ' dO, :4: ■ 14 0 Beetham. '■10 10; 0 Mackay ■10. .;. M