OUTRAM TOWN BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22020, 1 August 1933, Page 8

OUTRAM TOWN BOARD

TO THE EDITOR. < V' ' V gut—For the enlightenment of "Ama£ carnation," "Ratepayer," and "Groper I append the following comparison or emoluments (that is, salary and attendance at pump) received by the clerks ot the Outram Town Board during the last 10 years. In 1923 the clerk received in emoluments £94 per annum on an actual revenue of £307. His successor received - at the rate of £l3B per annum on a revenue of £351. The present-clerk, on taking over in the same year, 19,!4, received £BB per annum on a revenue of £351. This was reduced to £SO per annum on the installation of an automatic pump in 1925, which unfortunately functioned intermittently, with ihe .result that the clerk still attended the pumping station until the present water system was installed. During the period 19251933 inclusive the valuation of the town district "increased by £lo,ooo* and the average annual revenue over this period was £5lO, and the clerk's salary rose gradually to £7O in 1930 at which figure it now stands. Owing to the reduction in rates for the year 1933-4 the estimated * revenue is lower than it has been during the previous nine years, but even so this revenue is higher than in 1923 and 1924, and the clerk to-day is receiving £24 i less per annum than the clerk in 1923 and at the rate of f6B less per annum than his successor in 1924. These figures are taken from the audited balance sheets and speak for themselves. With refer- / ence to the salary cuts, the £5 for reporting the meetings, and the omission of the tit-bits, I will leave the members of the previous board to reply, as these matters were fully discussed more than once at the board meetings. This is not a defence of the retention of the multitudinous local bodies in New Zealand, but simply'a comparison in emoluments of the respective clerks with relation to the revenue received.—l am. etc.. A. J. Stewart. Cleric, Outram Town Board. ,