CORRESPONDENCE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 12001, 19 October 1906, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

Municipal Affairs.

TO THB EDITOB.

Sir, — The Mayor's defence to my complaint of the serious manner in which he is playing " ducks and drakes"' with the ratepayers' money in the matter of engineering reports, fees, and legal expenses in connection with tramway proposals and loans generally is " poor indeed." The point as to whether Mr. Jtackay is a bona tido ratepayer by reason of being rated for an infinetisimal amount for a portion of Mr, Liffiton's office, rented by him, I leave to your readers to judge. Mr. Mackay says not one word in justification of the amounts referred to by me beyound pointing out that the amount paid Mr. Battle was overstated. Neither does he refer to my demur that the loans proposed will bring up our indebtedness to some eleven thoiteanj pounds (jGII,OOO> in excess of a quarter of a million sterling (,£250,000). Neither does he cay anything of his inconsistency in asking the ratepayers to foot a further loan bill for the gas works, whilst he would supply gas at cost, and raise the rates (vide his public utterances). Mr. Mackay's insinuation that his predecessor left the borough finances in a bad state is a baseless one, and has no foundation in fact. I do not know what is the position of the borough accounts now, but I have the balance-sheet for the 31st March last before me as published in this morning's Chronicle, which every ratepayer should read, and see whether Mr. Mackay's statement is true or not. They will find that the total debit on District Fund Account is <£3566, whilst Gas is in credit J51601. Is there another borough in this colony whose finances are in so good a state with a rate of 2s 2d in the £, or any other rate? The balance-sheet is to the date Mr. Bignell left office. I have also seen the balance-sheet of two (2) years previously, when Mr. Hatrick retired. I have a fairly good idea of the state the accounts will be in when Mr. Mackay's year of office is up. No doubt Mr. Mackay has also a good idea, hence his questionable tactics in insinuating that his, predecessor will be to blame. If Mr. Mackay found the borough finances in a bad way, will he explain why his very first act was to raise salaried officers from ,£2OO to .£3OO per annum, and give others considerable increases. Is that what a prudent man would do, or is it in keeping with Mr. Mackay's election pledges It is high time that rate-payers-powners of property — took an interest, or they will find when it may be too late that our affairs are in serious financial trouble, with nothing for it but a heavy increase in rates. The constant 1 bickerings at the Council table, under Mr . Mackay's regime, together with his continuous improper reflections on gentlemen who have preceeded him at the Council table and in the Mayoral chair, have no parallel in Wanganui municipal history. — I am, etc.,

EX-COUNCILLOR Wanganui, 19th October, 1906.