HONORARIUM OF MAYOR.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20108, 11 December 1930, Page 10

HONORARIUM OF MAYOR.

LIVELY DISCUSSION AT TIMARU. BOROUGH OFFICERS' ACTION. MOTION BY CR. HUNT REJECTED (OI'KO'IAIi TO THE PRESS.) TIMARU, December 10. After a heated and at times bitter discussion in connexion with the Mayor's honorarium, a motion bv Cr. W. H. Hunt, seconded by Cr. G. Benstead, expressing concern at the action of borough officers, was defeated by six votes to three at a special meeting of tho Timaru Borough Council this evening. Tho mooting was hold in consequence of a requisition under tho standing Orders, signed by Crs. Hunt, Benstead, and F. Chittock, "for tho purpose of investigating and discussing the financial position, and tho transactions of the Council generally in-so-far as they relate to any actions of the Council Finance Committee, and the borough Treasurer during this Council's term of office, and to investigate and discuss the general methods adopted in regard to the observing and carrying out of any expenditure of the Council." It was finally decided that tho matter be brought up at a date to be fixed in February. The Mayor (Mr W. Angland) presided. There was a gallery of over 30 spectators present. Cr. Hunt moved: "That this meeting of this Council views with much concern the actions of the Mayor, the Borough Treasurer (Mr E. S. Killick), and tho accountant (Mr R. A. Jordan), in connexion with the manner in which tho Mavor's honorarium of £250 was paid on April Ist, 1930. seeing that bv so doing the Mayor had actually drawn £SOO in less than eleven months from tho date of his being sworn in as Mayor of this borough." "In Fighting Attitude." "My words will be few and to tho point," said Cr. Hunt. "The Mayor lias turned mo down twice in connexion with my resolutions regarding this matter, and I am now in a fighting attitude with the gloVcs off. I have documentary evidence for everything I brought forward. Every cheque was supposed to be examined by the Finance Committee before it was passed. I have been blamed, and I admit that I was at fault in signing the two cheques; but it is not so easy when you have from 50 to 100 cheques to sign just as a formal matter. I signed the two cheques unconsciously; but I had no sooner signed the second cheque when I thought that it was not in order. I saw tho Town Clerk (Mr Killick) about the second cheque of £125, and asked whether it was in order and if it was a payment in advance. Mr Killick said 'Yes,' and I told him ho was not fit to be treasurer if tho payment was made in advance. Mr Killick replied that it had been done undor pressure, and made the excuse that lie had drawn the money in order to save discounts. I told Mr Killick that I would never sign a cheque for money in advance again. "However, on April Ist, the borough accountant (Mr Jordan) called on me and asked me to sign another cheque for the Mayor's honorarium. I refused to do it, and lie took it to Cr. Hawkey, who signed it lilco a lamb. That made £SOO drawn in a little less than eleven months. Such a thing had never happened before. It is scandalous, unconstitutional, and on the border line. Tho cheque had been signed on April Ist, and stamped by tho Finance Committee on April 24th. It was the most absurd thing I have over heard of. Tho Mayor had made the statement that all cheques were examined by tho Finance Committee before they wero passed. I say that tho Finance Committee.never saw tho cheque until 24 days after it had been paid." Cr. Richards: Is that a slur on tho committee? Cr. Hunt: I am not saying anything about the committee. The voucher for paymont bears the words, "Service duly performed." How could it be due and owing ono month and eight days before the year had commenced? Mr Killick as our treasurer recommended this for payment. Nobody knew anything about it, except the Mayor, tho treasurer, and Mr Jordan. I don't blame tho Finance Committee. They didn't know anything about it. It might be high financo as understood by Mr Killick, tho treasurer, but I cannot understand it. Tho whole business is irregular. Cr. Benstead, who seconded tho motion, said ho did not wish to speak at the present stage. Statement by Mayor. The Mayor said that on November 10th he made tho folllowing statement to tho Council: "In regard to my allowance, this amount I draw at any time during the financial year. Therefore, after taking office I drew my allowanco in the usual manner. This year's allowance I drew on April 2nd, 1930, which I was entitled to after the end of tho financial year. "From the statement made by Cr. Hunt in his interview with the Press," continued the Mayor, "he gives the public the impression that I dictated the position, and received my honorarium as I liked and when I liked. After I had been some days in office, Mr Jordan, the assistant Town Clerk, came to me in the Council Chambers, and asked me how I would like my honorarium paid. I replied that I would take my allowance in the same way as Mr Wallace did. It has been stated and inferred by Cr. Hunt, and in the correspondence columns of the Press, that I am the first Mayor to receive the Mayor's honorarium in advance. Passed by the Auditor. "Now, in contradiction of this dospicable line of argument of Cr. Hunt, I will give the dates and payments made to my predecessor in office, which you will see, gentlemen, were given at approximately the same periods as mine. Mr Wallace's dates of payment were as follows: —June 21st, 1927; September 19th, 1927; April sth, 1928; October Ist, 1!)2S. My payments were made on May 22nd, 1929; October 9th, 1929; and April f lst, 1930. "This clearly shows to you, gentlemen and citizens of Timaru, that I was paid my honorarium in the usual manner. I regret very much in having to bring my predecessor in office into this discussion; but as my character is being impugned I must of necessity defend, myself, as after all a man has every right to defend his name.. Such being the position, why should Cr. Hunt state that the payments made to me wero unconstitutional when lie could have found out all these particulars beforehand Why should Cr. Hunt bay that he had not been given the opportunity

to get all the particulars, and that the opportunity was denied J 11 ™- . t say the least of it, is wholly mcprrect as I gave tho whole of the particulars 011 November 10th, and the town clerk furnished all particulars, and also a" particulars were placed before the Coun cil as to dates and payments. , Passed by the Auditor. j "Now, as to his statement about my j payments being unconstitutional, y answer is that you wiH see that they are purely a personal attack to damage mo in the eyes of the public As. to Cr. Hunt's statement regarding the audit well nsk Cr Hunt how is it unconstitutional, seeing that both Mr Wallace s and my own payments have been passed by the Government Auditor 1 '' Again, Cr. Hunt makes another misleading statement when ho excuses self for signing the first two cheques by stating that he signed them amongst a lot of other cheques. My reply is that ho did nothing of the sort, as he himself has pointed out that those cheques were paid before being passed by the Fmanco Committee. Also, he signed the two cheques od their own, and was well awaro what was being done when he signed them. Now, as to Mr Jordan . going to Cr. Hunt's house to get_ a cheque signed for my payment, it is a common occurrence for cheques to bo sent out to Councillors to be signed m between meetings, as every Councillor knows: but Cr. Hunt wants to infer that my cheque was special, and therefore wants to suggest to the public that sending Hiy cheque to his house was improper. * • "Again, to help to blacken my name, Cr. Hunt says I drew my allowance on April Ist, 1930. This is correct; but also Mi Wallace drew his allowance on April sth, 1928, a difference of four days; and both vouchers were before tho respective Finance Committees some days later, and were checked by the committee and passed by the Government auditor. "Now, gentlemen and citizens, such being the position, is it right that Cr. Hunt should make use of tho following insulting remark in reference to myself: 'What do you think of a man like that? What is his motive, election propaganda or to ruin my reputation? "Again, Cr. Hunt said, 'I am going to put another proposal, that the attention of the Audit Department be drawn to the measures whicn have been taken by the Mayor to procure his honorarium.' In reply I wish to state that tho Auditor-General has passed Mr Wallace's and my pitymcnts of allowances, which clearly proves that Cr. Hunt has no ground for making such a statement. Town Clerk Explains. Tho Town Clerk (Mr E. S. Killick) said that he did not remember Cr. Hunt saying that he was not fit to be treasurer, or telling Cr. Hunt that he was acting under pressure. When the third cheque was ready for signature, ho had sent it to Cr. Hunt, as he wanted him to lodge his object.on. However, Cr. Hunt did not sign the cheque; but he did not make any protest. As Town Clerk, he had acted as ho had done for three reasons—he had followed previous procedure; he had acted on a legal opinion, and his action had been confirmed by the Financial Committee ; and Section 29 of the Municipal Corporations Act laid it down that the Mayor's honorarium was payable at any time of the year, and further that if he vacated the office there was no repayment of any honorarium received in advance. Cr. AI. H. ltichards expressed the opinion that the councillor who signed the cheques without knowing what he was doing was worse than the man whom lie was attacking. Cr. G. Benstead said that he was not seconding the motion for any personal reason, but to give Cr. Hunt an of bringing the matter forward. The Mayor: If that wero not the case, you would not have brought it forward. Cr. Benstead: It all comes back to this: I asked that it be done before, hut no accounts are ever laid on the Council table. The Mav<r; Keep within the province of tho meeting. The honorarium is not an account, but an allowance. Passage With Councillor. The Mayor: I have a right by law to draw tho honorarium, in advance. Cr. Benstead: The previous Mayor (Mr G. J. Wallace) never took £2OO in one hit. I don't believe that any Mayor in tho whole of tho Dominion draws his honorarium in advance. I suggest that the Town Clerk write to the various boroughs and ascertain tho position. Tho Mayor: There is no need for that. Cr. Benstead: You don't want me to get information. Tho Mayor: Oh, yes I do. Cr. Bbnstead: I object to the drawing of the honorarium on principle. I suggest that tho Council keep to tho Standing Orders on financial matters. • It is perfectly ludicrous that the committee passes an account twenty-four hours after the money has been appropriated. A chairman of tho committee, said Cr. Benstead, had said that he had never seen an account since he became chairman. The Mayor: That's what you say round the town. Cr. Benstead: What do you say round tho town about me. You say nasty things about me. I can say the same about you. Deputy Mayor's Opinion. The Deputy-Mayor (Cr. T. W. Satterthwaite) asked why tho matter had lain dormant for nine months and tlun been brought up. They wore making the Council the laughing-stock of New Zealand. He did not agree with the payment of the honorarium in advance. It seemed irregular. Tho Town Clerk previous to Mr Macllattie had not paid out the honorarium in advance. It was drawn at the end of every three months. It was irregular, in his opinion. Tho Mayor: It is legal. It is not irregular. The previous Mayor was paid his honorarium at approximately the same dates as I drew mine. Cr. Hunt, in reply, said that he was still of his previous opinion. He had had legal advice that tho engineer had as much right to draw his salary in advance as tho Mayor had to draw his honorarium. Tho Mayor: This attack is the worst attempt to blacken a man's character that has ever been made in Timaru. The Mayor's remark was received with sympathetic applause by the spectators. Further argument followed, and on the motion being put the voting Was: For: Cr. Benstead, Cr. Hart, and Cr. Hunt. Against: Cr. Sattertliwaite, Cr. Chittock, Cr. Richards. Cr. Hnwkey, Cr. Kennedy, and the Mayor.Oooncil's Decision. Cr. Benstead moved and Cr. Hunt seconded, "That the opinion of the solicitor of the Municipal Corporations Association be obtained on the following: 'Has a City Council or Borough Council the power to determine by resolution, at the commencement of the Mayor's term of office, in what instalments and at what intervals the JMayoral allowance shall be paid to him ?' " The motion was lost 011 the casting vote or the Mayor* A motion by Crs. Benstead and Hunt that _ a subcommittee be set up to enquire into and report to the Council on the administration costs of , the Council was carried; but the committee was not named. . It was finally decided, on the moum A,9 rs - Hawkey and Kennedy. lhat this meeting stands adiournod to a date in February, to allow the conveners of the meeting to bring forward subject matter in conformity with resolutions I. and 11, on the I agenda paper,**