WAIPA COUNTY EXPENDITURE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2875, 16 December 1890, Page 2

WAIPA COUNTY EXPENDITURE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sin.—lt often strikes me with surprise when I seo how eagerly the General Government expenditure is watched and scrutinised by the ratepayers, and how littlo interest they take in local matters, and the utter indifference as to who shall spend (or mis-spend) their local rates. 1 see by a late report in Thk W.UKATO Tutus, that the Wuipa Council have thought proper to increase both their engineer's and clerk's salaries by five pounds each, but what justification they can give for such a step, it is difficult to comprehend. I believe the Council wero pretty evenly divided for and against the increase, and those who voted in favour of the rise seem very doubtful of the wisdom of their act, as they requested your reporter not to publish the division, thus showing they did not feel quite satisfied with what thoy had done. Now, Mr Editor, I think it is a disgrace to the Council that tftoy should wish to hide from the ratepayers the proceedings of the Council Chambor; and Mr Editor, I cannot hold you blameless for complying with their request. It is truo you publish the monthly formal report of the eugineer wherein is little or no interest to the ratepayers. What we want is, to know who are the men who haye the interest of the country most at heart and who upend the ratepayers' money with the greatest economy. A reason Cr. Teasdale gave for increasing their servants' salaries was the faot that the debit balance at the Hank had boen greatly reduced, and he thought the Council could now afford to fce liberal. Mr Teasdale and the Council must be well aware that the county is financially in no better position on that account, for during all this time that the Council have been striving to reduce their overdraft the roads have been almost neglected, until thoy have reverted into u worse condition than thoy have ever been for tho last twelve yearn. It this lias been the inducement held out to the engineer no wonder so little fins been done, and the miserable patchwork way in which that littlo has been accomplished. Traffic on the Hainilton-Whatawhata swamp road will be entirely suspended next winter unless a considirabl't sum is spent on it before that time ; tho New-castle-Whatawhata road is now in a worse condition than it has been in for years, notwithstanding tho sums of money which ii ivo been injudiciously spent thereon this year.—Yours, etc., Inquisitive.