Council Extravagance.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20455, 7 November 1934, Page 8

Council Extravagance.

Dear Sir, —Councillor Armstrong’s motion “ That a general public inquiry be set up for the purpose of deciding whether the ratepayers’ money is being spent in the most economical manner and to allow of any citizen to inquire into any detail of council administration ” makes pleasant reading, and whilst I will not suggest that Councillor Armstrong’s methods are the polished article in political technique from the point of view of attaining his political objective, I cannot but lend support to some of his suggestions for countering the extravagance of the Labour Council, whose control we must suffer for a few months yet. It becomes each day more painfully apparent that public apathy is such that they can get away with it just as they like. Even though he is an outsider on the council Councillor Armstrong’s recent agitation is deserving of very great public support. Prior to all the local elections in which the Labour Party has been participating the members have pleaded for votes on any old pretext and one of them has always been that the Labour Party is the only party with a definite platform and complete unity within itself. If such is the case how do the Mayor and his followers reconcile that with the fact that four of their members, including Mrs M’Combs and Mr Sullivan, left the House recently prior to a division to avoid voting against their party after Mr Savage had brought the party whip into operation? Recently I came across a council contradiction which I fancy will interest electors. Mr Sullivan and Co. raised the salary of Mr Barnett, Superintendent of Reserves, £SO per annum, and gave him the ridiculous amount of £3 10s a week to run a fourcylinder car. Allowing ten shillings a week (a ridiculously large amount) for upkeep. Mr Barnett would, if he were charged Is lOd a gallon for petrol, have to cover approximately 650 miles a week to use the money if his car covers only 20 miles per gallon, and if such is the case there is room for two more men on the job. On top of this extravagance they take 3d a week bicycle allowance from the city traffic inspectors and make them keep their own machines or walk on the job. Not content with such action from a working class point of view, they had the effrontery to demand a refund of the 3d a week already paid. Whilst upon the subject of the traffic staff I would also point out that the estimates show £250 or thereabouts yearly for traffic inspectors’ uniforms. and upon inquiry I find that they have been told that their present ones are good enough though nearly two years old. Though one must appreciate the care inspectors take of their clothes, where does the £250 go ? Characteristic of the action of the council, they will have the inspectors decked out in new uniforms for the Duke’s visit. In conclusion, allow me to appeal to the citizens of Christchurch to demand on their own behalf the public inquiry so obviously necessary to show whether the actions of the council are compatible or incompatible with the citizens’ interests.—l am, etc., JAS. W. R. SIMON.

On this letter being shown to Councillor T. Butterfield (chairman of the Reserves Committee) he stated that prior to the current year the Superintendent of the Reserves received a salary plus a bonus of £SO per annum. This year the bonus was included in the salary, therefore it did not amount to any increase. Regarding the maintenance of the car. the superintendent purchased the car and he is allowed £175 per annum for its maintenance and replacement, including registration and insurance at business rates. The life of the car is four years. The average mileage per year is 12.000 miles, and the cost of running the car is not less than 2Jd per mile. This makes the annual cost to the superintendent £IBB 15s (therefore he is out of pocket at the end of the year), made up as

i he .car is driven over rough country, including a proportion of hill work and sand. The allowance for bicycles was formerly £6 per annum, but owing to the reduction in cost of purchasing bicycles and maintenance it was decided to reduce the allowance to £3. But those receiving the allowance previously were still in receipt of it, with the exception of those who were given the use of a car or motor-cycle when carrying out their duties.—Ed., “ Star."

follows:— 12,000 miles at 2id £112 10 0 Depreciation on £305 (fouryear life) V 76 5 0 £188 15 0