COUNTY AND ROAD BOARD.

Northern Advocate, 30 January 1922, Page 3

COUNTY AND ROAD BOARD.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —In the "Northern Advocate," <)f January 20 appears the reply of the ■county chairman to "Ratepayer's" accusations of maladministration of the •county funds, etc. Mr Jones states that Mr Woolley informed him, "that the work complained of was let to him and the rates of pay fixed by the late Marua Road Boad." That is not correct. When ex-Councillor Charters visited this part of his riding for the : first time, to inspect tthe bridge site 'Over the crcek in Sandy Bay, he informed "Ratepayer," whom he met accidentally, that Mr Woolley had told him about some work that wanted doing, and had offered to do the work, ;and "Ratepayer" has it from a member of the late board that the board 'had gone to rest some months previous to the above incidents. The fact still remains that the cadet drew, (or at least Mr Woolley did) 15s Cd per day for the part he played in the road draira, and this amount is a heap more than the ratepayers are themselves •earning. I notice the county chairman vas carcf.il not to ijcfcr to the manner in which this work was carried out, • tor the amount in round figures it cost the Council. Just a case of a workmen telling the Council, "I've been doing county work, give me a blank cheque." 'ITlie chairman then goes on to quote figures relative to the liabilities the late Marua Road Board handed over. Well, I am not much concerned about, those figures. Still I fail to sec how a free Government grant of £150 for the bridge can be summed up as a liability, and of course the late board-s machinery automatically became the property of the Council. What of it? The grader and scraper, at a low estimate, Trust surely be worth £120. So after laving sat up all night pondering over the county chairman's figures, T still fail to sco how a free grant of £l"-0 and £120, value of machinery, can come under the heading of a liability. Thanking you i<i anticipation, —I am, etc.,

RATEPAYER Matawouii, January 26, 1922.