To the Editor of the Limerick Echo,

Dear Sir,

I am writing to provide my reasons for opposing the proposed increase in the secretary’s salary, as discussed at the meeting of the Limerick County Council on Saturday, the 19th instant. I believe this matter is of sufficient importance and interest to the ratepayers of County Limerick.

During the meeting, when seconding Mr John Bourke, I presented the following reasons for my opposition. The average salary of the secretaries in ten counties across Ireland is £344, whereas Mr Roche’s current salary is £380, which is £36 above the average. Furthermore, if we consider the permanent and temporary clerks’ salaries in these ten counties and add them to the secretaries’ salaries, the average salary for each county amounts to £739. In our county, when we combine the permanent and temporary staff salaries with Mr Roche’s salary, the total reaches £1,800, which is approximately £1,060 above the average of the ten counties mentioned.

Additionally, if we exclude Cork County, the average salaries of the clerical staff, including the secretary’s salary, in thirty-one counties amount to approximately £1,150. This means that the clerical staff in our county is paid £650 more than the average of the other counties.

Given these facts and figures, I felt compelled to oppose the proposed increase as much as I could. Unfortunately, in your report of the meeting, some of the above figures were inadvertently omitted. Therefore, I kindly request that you include these statements in the next issue of your journal.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Yours truly,

John Coleman
Ballycullen House, Croom
26th March 1904.

Limerick Echo – Tuesday 29 March 1904