LOCAL BODY REFORM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 229, 28 September 1931, Page 6

LOCAL BODY REFORM

TOO MANY EXPERTS. THE PUBLIC PAY. 'f Mr. J. 8. Barton, Commissioner at Napier, speaking to business men ol that town last week, had some blunt remarks to make regarding the overhead expenses of local government control. He suggests that very real economics would follow co-operation among the several main bodies concerned. “One of the most urgent needs is reform in local government,” said Mr. Barton. “As an instance, one of our first administrative acts of development in Napier was to engage an engineer at a salary of £750 per annum, with car allowance amounting to £lOO per annum. Within a month, the Napier Harbour Board had advertised for an engineer and the Rivers Board and Power Board also have engineers. Each of these engineers has an office with an assistant engineer, a of draftsmen and a large amount of plant at his disposal. Each with his equipment and plant must endeavour to shape the policy of the body by which he is employed. ‘‘You will see, therefore, that we have in this district at least six engineers whose salaries combined represent a sum in tho vicinity of £4OOO, all of which has to come out of rates, to say nothing of the sal. rics of the assistant engineers and others. You’re the mugs that tolerate this sort of thing, and you’re the boys that Mr Barton went on to point out thßt for a salary of between £l5OO and £lBOO they could obtain the services of the best civil and electrical engineer available,. ahd could get a competent assistant engineer for £lOOO, could unify their plant and everything else, and settle their polices by engineering principle. “I give you that as an example of savings by avoiding overlapping, and if you can introduce a few more reforms like that, you can pay all the interest on your loans and add to them the £6OO which I had to raise this year for interest and sinking fund on unemployment for 1927-28-29,” he said. Future of Napier. When they considered tho colossal handicap under which they were working, they were perhaps apt to conjure up a “blue” atmosphere. Napier had, for instance, about £70,000 locked up in tramways, and the trams were not running, but they had cither to default, or meet the interest and sinking fund on tho loan. “I can name no magic method of seeking a way out,” said Mr. Barton. “I can only tell you that in this year of grace, with the towm flat and the general depression, by (\are and economy, watching carefully all avenues of expenditure, both interest and sinking funds on this and other loans are going to be paid and say that by the exercise tho same qualities, interest on all loans is going to he met next year. If they can be paid in those two years, it is up to you to see that they arc paid in the same manner in the years following ”

There was also the big problem of sewerage and drainage which had to be met. The community had coma to their assistance here, and they had the money of interest for five years. Diuring the five years they had a proportion of tho huge sum involved spent in tho town as an offset against business disarrangement. He maintained with confidence that if thor could get through the two years of 3931-32 with tho interest on such loans no to date nnd make common-sense reforms in their municipal governments, tho people of Napier had no need to fear when taking over their rehabilitated town.