THE COUNTY SWINDLE.

Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 169, 3 February 1888, Page 2

THE COUNTY SWINDLE.

(TO THE EDITOR).

Sir, — Kindly allow me through vour columns to point out to my fellow-rate-payers the wav in which we are being done by the Wairarapa North County Council. This will be the last time I shall try to get the ratepayers to stand up for their rights. If they do not do it at once, they will remember what I havo told them whon it is too late. In your issue of December 10th is a return o? receipts and expenditure within this Riding for eighteen months to 31st of October, 1887, in which the Council brings us £'so in debt, the receipts being, according to their account, i'OOo 14s Bd, and the expenditure £'7ls 14s Bd. You will observe how careful they were to put in 10s refund of wages by Mr Boyden, but they omitted to put m the £142 from the tollgate in the Gorge, the luost of which must have been clear profit. I have gone to some trouble in making up tho receipts within the Riding for the twelve months ending 31st October, 1887 I not eighteen, as given by tile Council), and taking the expenditure as shown for the eighteen months (i‘7ls 14s 8d) we must have a considerable amount to credit instead of i*so debit. The following figures are gathered from a reliable source, ami represent the receipts for twelve months :

In the County roturn I speak of you will notice we are charged for engineering anil clerical expenses £39, and for legal, advertising, &c., i'so 2s lOd. The engineer I presume is riding quietly through the Forty-Mile Bush and back again ; that is all the engineering 1 know has been done for the last eighteen months.

You must now boar in mind tho Ngawapurua toll-gate has been let for twelve months for the sum of i'3B3. Clause 120 of the Public Works Act says that if the road in respect of which the tolls are taken is not kept in proper repair, or that the tolls are excessive and unduly burdensome, after due inquiry the tolls may be abolished. Now it is quite evident the tolls are excessive and unduly burdensome, and also that the road is not kept in proper repair, and it is our duty as ratepayers to see to it at once.

You can see by my figures that I make receipts for twelve months uioro than the County clerk does for eighteen months. I hope some one will take the matter up who is better able to deal with it than I am.—Yours, Ac., 11. Manns.

£ a. d. Unit's, including .Crown ami Native Lands 15C 7 1 Hates codec led within Town District 10 0 0 Subsidy from Bead Board rates 25 0 4 „ „ Town lionrd rates 81 8 0 Gorge toll-gate 142 0 0 Ngawapurua toll-gate 807 0 0 .£'731 10 2