ECONOMY.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1561, 15 June 1885, Page 3

ECONOMY.

(To the Editob Inanoahua Timis.) Sir —That's a nice little name, butseems very difficult to practice, especially with our County Council, for it seems to follow it like the boy who plastered hi* bread over with butter and ate cheese with it, when his mother said : That's not economy Jack ? Yes it is, mother. How is that Jack ? He said the same bread did for both Now, I think that applies to our preujnt Council. The same bread ought to Jo for the Councillors as well as the servants of the Council. Let the same bread do for both. There being one cut at the servants of the Council, I think it ia only right the next cut should be at the Councillors themselves for receiving more pay for attendance than thoy have a reson&ble vight to receive. For the Act reads —that members living; ;it a distance shall Ite paid reasonable expenses incurred. Tis never intended to be a source of profit, but simply to pay the actual cost of travelling, not even to pay for lost time, for when members strive to obtain a seat its supposed to he for honor, not 'emolument. Now, to look what ia charged by the Councillors now : There are three of the members living in Reefton. They are supposed not to be paid. Next comes Mr Craig, of . Black's Point. He receives a guinea and mileage. Now as the distance in only a mile, I do not see he is entitled to receive payment. Nor do I believe the Act entitles him to receive it, but he gets it, not only for the monthly meeting, but also for the executive meetings, and you bet they mount to something. Then comes Mr Irving, two" and a-half miles. Surely ten shillings would cover the cost. Then conies Mr Duncan, and Mr M'GinTey. Surely one pound ought to be sufficient to defray actual cost. Next, and last, the heavy item of seven pounds fourteen shillings for three days work. It seems as if there was too much profit made there, I should think *n've pounds would be all that the ratepayers would consider reasonable. Now, considering that the present memhftn have mostly been returned on the reform and economical ticket, they cannot begin ton soon in curtailing the expenditure of the Council, and show the ratepayers that they are in earnest, by cutting down the exorbitant charges made by members for their attendance. And now we are on the subject I think there's one subject that economy wants showing. Same of the maintenance contracts expire in a few days. I won't individualise any particular contract, but some are a disgrace both to Council as well as the contractors, and I think that the engineer should receive instruction^ to look well into the specifications before he passed and takes over. I am etc. Economy. Reef ton, Juno 12th. 1885.