THE PREMIER'S FRIENDS

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 65, 17 March 1928, Page 12

THE PREMIER'S FRIENDS

AND GOVERNMENT GRAM),

COUNTY COUNCIL PROTBSTfIL

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS UPSET

At yesterday's meeting of the Waite* mata County Council a letter was read from the Public Works Engineer stating that during a visit of the Prime to part of his constituency application had been made by a settler for a grant for metalling a road to his property, and inquiring what sum the council would find by way of subsidy, as the applicant had signified the council's willingness to help.

The county engineer, Mr. Murray stated that this method of obtaining votes on the Parliamentary Estimate* upset the council's financial arrangements. It was well known thattiw Minister of Public Works a fixed sum per annum for authorisation to county councils for grant expenditure, and allocations outside those pot through the channel of the council and the Department counted as a curtailment of the council's vote. Last year a certain sum had been so placed on the estimates, and he was opposed to the practice. In this case the council had not been previously consulted, there was no authority to commit the council to any expenditure. Cr. Burns agreed, and protested votes being considered without the council's authority. The friendship of the Prime Minister with his supporters should not overbear the council's financial arrangements.

Some of the councillors took exception to the statement, and held that while 1 the council could not prevent ratepayers approaching their member, it was in their experience that the Prime Minister had always referred applicants to the proper channel.

Eventually the engineer was j n . structed to reply that the council could not see their way to contribute to any application for a grant not receiving their prior investigation and mcmmendation.