HAPPY=GO=LUCKY EXTRAVAGANCE. Hang the Expense.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 96, 3 May 1902, Page 8

HAPPY=GO= LUCKY EXTRAVAGANCE. Hang the Expense.

MR Win. Ferguson, secretary and engineer of the Wellington Harbour Board, is a fortunate man. Up till last, week, he was m the enjoyment of the munificent salary of £1000 a year, and was, perhaps, ths highest paid official in the service of any local body in New Zealand His reputation has spiead beyond the colony, and quite recently an offer has been made to him from outside of a position commanding much higher emoluments, with greater liberty for private work and a five years' engagement. The matter was laid before the Harbour Board :n committee on Friday last, and, with charming celerity, and in the most offhand manner possible, they agreed unanimously (so the papers say, Messrs. G. Fisher and T. M. Wilford not being present at the meeting) to offer Mr. Ferguson an increase of salary to £1750 a year, and a five years' engagement, if he will only consent to stay on. • • • Now, in the first place, we think it highly improper that a matter of so much importance should be settled m such a hole and corner way. Why was it rushed through at a committee meeting Why no prior announcement that the offer had been made, and that a proposal would be brought forward to nearly double the officer's salary, and fix it so for five years? In the second place, apart from the hasty despatch of this business, which gives one the impression it was all cut and dried beforehand, we question very gravely whether Mr. Ferguson is worth £1750 a year to the Harbour Board. • • • Not that we have the least doubt of his professional ability That is beyond cavil. What we mean, is that there are plenty of thoroughly competent harbour engineers available who will, for much less than half the £1750 voted for Mr. Ferguson perform most satisfactorily all the work the Wellington Harbour Board has in hand, or is likely to undertake for the next ten years. In short, a harbour engineer at £1750 is a luxury beyond the means or wants of this community. • • • Even the Premier of the colony only gets £1600. Some people, however, have got it into their heads that there is only

one engineer extant, and his name is William Ferguson. He made W°llmgton, and Wellington cannot oxist without him If he unhappily were lured away the bottom would be almost sure to drop right out of the haibour It is a sacred notion, w Inch the daily press piously cherishes, and to throw doubt upon it is, of comse, the rankest heiesy. * * * But the Haiboui Board is not Hie only sinner m the way of extravagant living. What about the City Council ? It seems to deal with thousands of pounds as if a few thousands more or less was a trifle of no consequence whatever The electors sanctioned the borrowing of £50,000 for a Town Hall. Plans were prepared for a building which, it is found, will cost £60,000 or over to build, and it is to be gone on with at that figure What is £10,000 m a Town Hall contract 9 The merest flea-bite Go ahead with the work, and hang the expense * • • Then, again, the City Council has suddenly made up its mind that it must have a brand-new town cleik at £800 a year, and all it stipulates for is that he must have a knowledge of municipal affans Well what is the matter with Mi J E Page, the present Town Clerk, who, for thuteen yeais, has filled the office, and done the work at £500 a year ? Why is he to be shunted into a subordinate position m ordei that a new man may come m and learn the business at £800 a year ? Presumably, it is the Council's method of punishing Mr Page for that bit of absentmindedness over the purchase of the Byko corner, m which it burnt its fingers so severely. In that matter Mi. Page very manfully assumed the sole responsibility, but a full share of the blame must be saddled on the Council itself * ♦ • The staff was undermanned at the time, and the Council knew it Since then a committee clerk has been appointed, and this assistance, together with some minor additions that might have been made to the permanent staff, would enable the present Town Clerk to overtake all the work of the office, and reduce to a minimum the risk of another absentminded slip We cannot, for the life of vis, se ; the wisdom or the sense of shunting Mr Page at £500 and, with his thirteen years' experience, into the office of treasurer, in. order to introduce a. new man as Town Clerk at £800 a yeaa-, with the risk that he may turn out an airant failure. * • • Both local bodies seem to be determined to carry on quite regardless of expense. And, while they call the tune and slap on the expenses with a liberal hand and a devil-may-care spirit, the poor, patient ratepayer m the background is left to pay the piper. It is about time he made his voice heard — especially m Harbour Board affairs