PUBLIC OPINION.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 7010, 17 July 1918, Page 4

PUBLIC OPINION.

Local Government Affairs,

(To the Editor).

Sir,— In your iasue of the 12th last, are two phases of iccal government that indicate a stats of confusion and muddle perpetrated by the representatives cf the people in local affairs. Mr George Walker's letter referring to the Wainaapu special loan shows that those responsible are embarking on a doubt ful experimental niakeshifc policy of trjins to do something good. b>id or indifferent. Men aro usually elected to the Council or other governing bodies not for any special qualifications they may possess for such pcsi Hons, but mainly becnuso they are decent fellows, perchance good sports. This system of choosing councillors is utterly foolish. Who arnopgst us would so act in his own affairs in selecting workmen io any capacity? Valuable time and money 13 lost and the deplorable B(ate of uia^y of the roads is the result of the everlasting policy of patching. Everybody knows the financial problem that councillors are faced with. What effort do coun ci'lors display to solve thoee question?? Imagine for instance the conundrum that awaits the solution at the hands of ratepayers in connection with the Wairaapu special loao. The ono sure thing about the proposal, if carried, will bo interest and sinking fund to be paid. Ratepayers ehould ? therefore, eiinjlv turn the proposal down until the tuggfstrd works are scheduled, so that those who have to pay iho piper cosy havo some knowledge of the tune. It is naiural ih&t whilst the cost of administration is soaring, ratepayer.; want to obtain tho best possible results. This is not likely to be achieved by leaving workmen, Maoiis and Europeans alike, in various scattered parts of the county roads without reasonable fcupervision. The council recently made a grant of somo 25 eases of betizine—tho gift is a novel method of gi?iog an iucreaeo of salary. The saving or stinting cf adequate remuneration to the supervisor is false economy, Apart from office expenses ondi councilors' travollin^ expenses, the fundo of the Council are paid away mainly to workmen, and it is of the first imcortauee that some satisfactory s) steai of supervision should bo in evidence. Members of the County Council mighf, therefore, with advantage follow the example of the Borough Council aucl appoint an Investigation Committee. The report presented by Or Lobbins, as published in your last issue, shows the danger of allowing things to drift. Boiough affairs should bo much easier to handle than the County, inasmuch as the farmer is within populous areas and thus under constant inspection of ratepayers, whereas tho latter is scattered and far from tho busy haunts of men. If the affairs of the borough are such as to call forth drastic changes, as outlined in Gr Robbies' report, is it not some proof that county matters might benefit by being overhauled in a similar fashion? Certainly no harm would ensue by such a report. Batepayeis did look forward, prior to last county election, also to previous-ones, that a slight infusion of new blood might leaven the wbolo. Nothing has transpired to shew that the. present Council ie any improvement on thesd of past daya ; yet these are successful men in the management of their own private affairs on the present Council, Would they, however, let me ask, be content to have men working on tho outskirts of their own farms without being satisfied thst a fair day's woik was being given in return for a fair day's pay? Are thG}- in this connection likewise satisfied with the result of their own management of countj affairs? If not, who is to blame and what is the remsriy?—l am, etc.,

RATEPAYER