COUNTY COUNCIL STAFF

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10385, 2 May 1925, Page 4

COUNTY COUNCIL STAFF

PROPOSED INCREASE. MAN TO REPORT ON ROADS. "The County Council cannot look after from 14,000 to 15,000 acres of land with its present staff of two engineers, and with the help of the members," said Mr W. T. Li 11 at the meeting of " the County Council yesterday. "I suggest the employment of a man who could report upon condition of the roads, plantations, and other matters requiring attention. He would be controlled by the engineer, whose time is too 1 precioois to be spent on the smaller matters of business. Our plantationsare being illegally stocked with cattle, to the detriment of the younger trees. I move that the services of such a mam be employed at a salary of £3OO per annum. The lato engineer (Mi* C. F. Dyer) was criticised for not attending to these matters, but the Council put upon him an impossible task." The chairman (Mr W. G. Gallagher) said he was quite in sympathy with the motion. There was no check on the amount of stuff that was going out of the plantations. The Council had a credit balance of £I6OO last year, and could save much more by giving effect to the motion. Inspection _ off small matters by, the Works Committee took up a good deal of members' time. The assistant engineers' services were now mainly concerned with specifications from Highways Board. The Council had! Eractically a new staff, which did not ave a really first-hand knowledge of all parts of the county. Mr A. J. Magson: "The advocates, of the abolition of Road Boards told us one engineer and an assistant could do all the work of the county." It was decided that a notice of motion was necessary. Mr Lill therefore gave notice.