INDIGNANT COUNCILLORS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 18 January 1928, Page 7

INDIGNANT COUNCILLORS.

TRAVELLING EXPENSES REDUCED. PROTEST ENTERED. A general protest was entered by members of the- Eltham County Council bn receipt of the -envelopes oontainug their travelling expenses to the meeting on Saturday. Since- the Boember meeting of the council a change n the individual amounts payable to members has been effected in accord’ mco with regulations recently issued nder “The Counties Act,” which- set nit that the rate of travelling exIreuses that may be paid to members to ner all charges in respect -of attendance at meetings. Inter alia, the clauses stipulate that i, ment shall he made only in respect if fares payable for public conveyance, bet her the public conveyance is in fact used or the member elects to use ,v-ate means, and that where publicconveyance is not available, refund may ie- made of either the expenses -attaching to a member’s use of his own horse vehicle) at a rate of 8d a mile, together with actual cost of stabling or garage expenses not exceeding 5s for •ueh night that a horse or vehicle has oo be kept from home, or fares paid or a special conveyance. It is also provided that"when a member iis obliged fco absent himself from his home or place of business, living expenses at the -rate of £1 a day may) be allowed. A compo/i&son of the revised with the old rate of payment- shows the total amount paid for a full attendance of tlyc- Council to be now £4 14s- Bd, at against £7 15s under the previous systems, when every member received 15s a meeting with , the exception of Cis. Vl. W. Barker (20s), and A. McWiii'Jiam '3(Vs). On a mileage basis, councillors’ expenses on Saturday were paid as follows :—C. J- Belcher, Rawbitiroa, 6/S ; X. J. Knuckey, R-awbitiroa. 8/-; C. E. McGuinness, Manga toki, 6/8; E. J. Lifford", M-augatoki, 5/4; W. E. Carter, . atapa, 6/8; A". V. Messana, Kaponga, d/4; A. L. Campbell, Fra-sed Road, 1.0; 8; M. W. Barker, Awatuna, 11/4; A. MeWilliam, Omoana, 30/-. Distribution of the dividend was the signal for a full-throated, (unanimous voice of dissent, Or- MeWilliam recording a sympathetic vote, saying that so /ar -as his allowance was concerned, lie. aad a;’,ways been in the council’s hands >.nd his ratepayers had not considered the allowance extravagant. Members variously expressed then dissatisfaction of the new arrangpment, their remarks, (tinged at times with a broad sense of humour) going to show that- at the beet they were poorly recompensed for the time and worry expended in the interests of ratepayers. In one of these -sallies, Cr. Knuckej remarked that those responsible for tin? altered conditions were evidently aware of the value of the services rendered: Reverting to the serious aspect -of the matter, Cr. Campbell considered that a protest should: be- entered against what lie termed an iniquitous regulation, and on a suggestion being made that constructive criticism was .preferable to a mere • protest, moved -that -representations he made to the Department -ot internal Affairs, with a v-eaw to return to the old order of things. The motion was seconded by Cr. Carter and carried. . . It was further decided to bring this matter before the notice .of the Tx>oal Bodies’ Association for discussion and support.