BOROUGH WORKS

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 December 1946, Page 9

BOROUGH WORKS

CRITICISM AT RATEPAYERS’ MEETING “PUBLIC TOO APATHETIC” Members of the Greymouth ■ Residents and Ratepayers’ Association, which met last evening, expressed disagreement with certain phases of borough work and decided to advise the council accordingly, and at the same time to suggest projects worthy of consideration. The chairman, Mr. N. Shallcrass, said he. would like ip as.k. the borough engineer, Mr A. J. Fairmaid, what the extension of Shakespeare street had cost to date.. “I don’t think you would get anywhere,” said Mr H. Herring. “The council has not got a costing system,” said the chairman, on whose suggestion it was resolved to ask the council how much the Shakespeare street extension had cost to date, and also how much had been spent on the mechanical digger hired from the Grey County Council. Motor or Horse Mower

“IL' the work the tractor-mower is carrying out in the Winnie streetFerotti street area is any criterion of its capabiliities, I would suggest to the council that it should get rid of it immediately and use the horsedrawn mower again,” said Mr Herring. He added that the use of the horse-mower would be cheaper, quicker, and more efficient. It was decided to draw the attention of the council to the suggestion. Also on the suggestion of Mr Herring it was decided to refer the council to the -work required to be done in Johnston street and in Boundary street next to McGinley park. After reference had been made to the question of staff, the chairman pointed out that five men. were still employed in the “pot-hole gang,” whereas two men had previously done the work. It was decided to suggest to the council that, while it claimed that there was a shortage of labour, it appeared that its labour force was not being used to the best advantage, particularly in connection with the “pot-hole” gang.” “I am sure that the borough workers don’t want to be in the position they are,” declared Mr Herring. “They want to work. I told the Mayor that he had five overseers, but he didn’t believe me.” Attitude of Public “It all comes back to the lack of a costing system,” stated Mr Shallcrass. “If we ask for one and are .then told that there is none, at least the public will know.” - “They know now,” said Mr Herring. “The public is too apathetic, said the chairman. He added that the council kept asking for constructive criticism, “but when we make constructive suggestions they won’t even listen to us.” He pointed out that even now a lot of people were not entirely satisfied with the new bus parking system. At the request of the chairman, it was finally decided to seek from the council information as to when the next local bodies’ elections would be held.