LAVISH COUNTY EXPENDITURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1502, 28 August 1880, Page 14

LAVISH COUNTY EXPENDITURE.

TO THE EDITOR. Slit, — An article appeared in a late number of your Clutha contemporary entitled " Economy and Exfcravaganoe," which should engage the minds of all thoughtful and interested men. It calls attention to the fact that whilst the whole rate of the Clutha County amounts to no more than £1399, the salaries required to pay for the administration of that amount are frilly onehalf of the whole proceeds, without taking into consideration contingent expensps, which everyone who has had anything to do with the administration of funds belonging to public bodies well knows invariably amounts to a considerable Bum, According to this an expenditure of £107 will be incurred on every £100 administered. In other words, for every £100 paid for construction or repairs of roads, £207 will be required to meet it. One can scarcely credit that a body of sane men, seleoted from amongst the ratepayers, can be induced to carry out such a ridiculous scheme as represent cur county laws and their administration in this Instance. It has long been a matter of astonishment and regret to many that our various counties should be saddled with such an unthinking, untoward, and unrighteous administration. Whilst those couuoiea who have grown fat uader the Provincial administration are basking in the sunshine, outlying counties are shivering in the cold slough, of despondency and despair, unheeded and unoared for, with no roads, and no hope of roads, as thtogs now stand. Settlers who in years gone by have assisted to make Bplendid roads in counties near the oentre of population, whioh oounties have long been and are now reaping the benefit of those days of prosperity in this respect — having large sums in the bank and able to pay large sums to chairmen to preside at their puny debates, with perhaps little or no sympathy for those who helped to make things so grand. I say grand, and I aay it advisedly. Let any one just look at a farmer in this district trying to get his produoe to market, What will he see? panting steeds covered with mud, wheels bogged, the man/a eyes, e>re, and vary often

his mouth, plugged with mud, absolutely preventing him either blessing or cursing. No chairman in his buggy is found on these roads, nor sympathetic dollars roll this way to amend matters. This ought not to be in a young country. We helped them under Propincialiam; they should help us under Abolitionism, or whatever "ism" they may choose to call it. We do not want the name but the nature of the thing, that will operate beneficially for the whole community. Whilst this glaring instance of failure as respects the enormous cost of administration in the Olutha County, requiring an expenditure of L 207 for LIOO of benefit received, road boards can bo and are administered at a cost of loss than LlO per cent.— l am, &c, Hopeful.