Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1885. "MEASURE, NOT MEN."

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1157, 27 June 1885, Page 2

Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1885. "MEASURE, NOT MEN."

The County Council, at its last meeting, was seized with a sudden desire for retrenchment, being forced into that position by the growing magnitude of its overdraft, along with increasing demands v for new , werks. That the members were quite in earnest in their wish to curtail expenditure by every legitimate means at their command, their self-abnegation proves ; but, at the same time, while commending both members and Chairman for agreeing to forego traveling, aljojpaace and salary, we think the, decision of the Council to dispense with the services of the Engineer a very questionable means of effecting a, reduction of County expenditure, Ji the ©embers of th.ci

Council will just glance back over the very large quantity of workycarried out in an entirely successful manner during tl^e seyen'.and a-halfr years that Mr acted as County Engineer, convinced that^ha^fche professional part -of these works'^ beenC done by commission, the County would have been mulcted in expenses very much beyond that entailed in paying the salary of a resident" Engineer. And, again, if the members of the Council will take a general look at' the imperative Works stating theth in' the face yet to be undertaken, they must one and alHjonie to the conclusion that the services of a resident Engineer are indispensable, both on the side of economy and satisfactory workmanship. If these works have to be engineered on commission, the expenses not be lessened in any way, and it is scarcely to be expected that a stranger to the County can perform the necessary duties so well as one who knows all its requirements. When the,, very great amount of work Mr Smaill was called upon to perform under thq Roads and Bridges Construction Act is taken into account, and the long hours of extra time he has devoted to tta County generally, we think the public will bear us out in saying that in the tianner of his, dismissal — for it amounts' to little, else — the Council has done hra scant justice. In short, such a mod^of procedure is altogether unheard bf, and will have a damning influence should the Council at any future timj decide to employ a resident Engineefi as we feel satisfied they will be compiled to do; for no man of any professional standing would place himself\ in a position where he would be lisfyle to summary dismissal at any timewhen the Council happened to find its finnces in an involved state. The Coincil may succeed in getting a quaked Engineer, with the smell of the dfice fresh upon Mm, for a moderate saary or commission ; but in the end the temporary saving thereby effected rill come out on the wrong side of the ledger as a material loss. There is one chaige that can never be made against Hr, Smaill, and that is that he has done inferior work. On the other hand le has been blamed for doing every wore he undertook in too thorough a manner, when less expensive works might have served the purpose equally well. But this fault — if fault it be — is an entirely commendable one, and that his work will bear inspection, the G-overnment Engineer's reports on the Beaumont and Roxburgh bridges and other works establish. There is little danger of the bridges constructed under Mr Smaill'g. supervision tumbling to pieces, and if the first cost of some of them is greater than it might have been, still it must be borne in mind that repairing expenses will be very light for a long time to come. Then, again, Mr Smaill has had such long experience in road formation that; the County with its very heavy burden of road-maki^gf would only be consulting its own most intimate interests in retaining the Engineer's services either as before or on commission. We take up the cudgels on behalf of Mr Sraaill simply because we think he has been unfairly treated ; and because we imagine the County will make a tremendous blunder if it fills the place with an inexperienced man at a trumpery salary.

The representations made to the Colonial Secretary in reference to the continuance of the Hospital subsidy at the rate of £3 to £1 have been so far successful that the G-overnment have agreed to meet all outstanding liabilities till the end of the present quarter. After that all charitable institutions will be placed under the provisions of the Charitable Aid Bill now before the House of Representatives. The disbursements from the public purse fort charitable aid purposes have hitherto been most inequitable, and to place the whole matter on a fair basis the present legislation is undertaken. The Hospitals and Charitable Aid Bill provides for the management of hospitals and charitable institutions, and for the distribution of charitable aid generally, but does not apply to lunatic asylums or industrial schools. Under the provisions of the Bill, the Colony is to be divided into districts conterminous with the Education dis. tricts of the Colony. Local Boards are to be constituted, consisting of Mayors of Boroughs and Chairmen of Counties within the districts, along with a certain number of. members nominated by the Government; but the members so nominated must not exceed one-third of the number of offi* cial members of the Boards., Within four months of the passing of the Act, existing administrations , may petition the Governor to be incorporated as separate institutions under the Act;, but if they do not wish to be incorporated they must notify the local boards to that effect on or before November 15tb. Subscribers to charitable institutions may also petition for incorporation, and may elect their own trustees ; but district boards have the power of objecting to the incorporation of an institution »ot required. ■ The funds for charitable aid j shall consist of — Bents and profits > of land and endowments vested in the boards, rents and endowments set apart fop paptipular i^tj^tip^s npt separately incorporated under the J^.ct f voluntary contributions and donations, grants from local authorities, and subsidies from the consolidated t fund. In the event of any board being short of funds, a subsidy will be granted on tfte following spale:-rTen shillings fpr every voluntary pound contributed, the same for donations and bequests,and also contributions from local authorities, the maximum subsidies being fixed at £§OQ. If a Jopal body refuses or fails to pay the amount levied as contributions, such amount may be deducted from ordinary subsidies payable to

local bodies under any Act* and paid over, to the institutions requiring it. jjocal bodies will be empowered to levy rates for charitable purposes. >< Pro* i vision is made* for the maintenance of indigent: patients, who have no near Watries tij^os^who&L claim*? ''can be made, and inspectors will lie' 'appointed whose duty it will be to make surprise visits when they choose, and report before the first day in each year. The provisions of the Bill are very elaborate,' and it is evident that an attempt is to be made to place the whole question of charitable aid on a -more •. satisfactory footing ; but whether .the Government have made a happy solution of the difficulty or not can only be decided when the operations of the Act are carried into effect. ' *' ■