TOWN CLERKS AND DUTIES

Chronicle (Levin), 4 March 1947, Page 8

TOWN CLERKS AND DUTIES

-Press Association

MINISTER SPEAKS TO ANNUAL CONFERENCE

By Telegravh,-

ROTORUA, March 3. "It is the prerogative of the people to say, though their elected representatives, what they wish to be done. It is the duty of the administrative organ isation to see that the people 's wishes are carried out with maximum efficiency but your duties do not consist solely in blindly carrying cut the instructions of your councils, " said the Minister of Internal Alfairs, Hon. W. E, .Parry^ in addressing the inaugural session of the eonfer'ence of the Institute of Town Clerks in Rotorua todayr. "As advisers to your councils you are requrrec! to see that „on any problem the . lay councillors, who cannot be expected to know teehnieal details, have full and unbiassed information on * which to form their -judgments and so to interpret these that they do., m effect, ad minister to the soeial welfaTe. Becaust the range of your duties is continually widening, it is an imperative necessary that you yourselves should be a&e quately equijjped to carry out your .asks, for the above reasons. ' ' I have followed with great interest the progress of the reeentiy found-1 ^d Loeai Government Administrative •Ufificers Institute arid recently I had an opportuuity to study the examination syllabus you have prepared. Far, too much emphasis has been* placed in the past on qualilication in accountancy t'or those who wish to specialise in pu'b Lic administration. Much elfort reqqir sn tn nualifv was wasted. ' '

The Minister referred to the proposed Local Government Oihcers' refresher course and menlioned that otficers of his department had been closely' associated with the Rehabilitation Dcpartmen and also with local government oflicers in arranging for this course. Primarily this course would be designed to give exservicemen a general background ot the constitutional, administrativ.e an: iinanciai set up of local government. D would have aiiother important elfect in that it would emphasise the organiv unitv of all local government services in the eountry with the creation of u single superrtnnuation scheme for ab local government oflicers. The year 1946-47 had thus been one of notablachievement for local governmeni oflicers. The president of the Institute, Mi T. W. Al. Ashbv, town clerk of Auek land, in his annual report, said tlnstrttus of the institute depended oh the statns of the town clerk in the community and on adeqoate recognition by council as well as by public. In oldei countries his place had been establishea by tradition and praetiee. There was the tendency in New Zealand for some mayors and counciilors to usurp duties which were properly within the sphenof administration This might hav>bee,n justified in yeais gone by but to day many oi' those towns had thrown oif their swaddling clothes. There was

danger in an untramed man taiung over in any degree, the duties of a spee ialised administrative offieer. However, there were many mayors and council lors who did not realise that the council 's job was to frame a policy and leave administration to the oflicer. The speaker felt certain that the pub lic was willing to pay adequately and indeed well fOr the eflicient discharge of local government, He deplored the praetiee of some munieipalities *of en deavouring to combine the duties of town clerk with those of" engineer. Ii s macleod of eheap jack administratioii but he was sorry to say it was being 1'ostered by some elected representa tives who should know better than to combine duties for vvliich the two sets of training were in a way analagous. The institute must resist this praetiee with every means at its disposal. If the Government intend'ed to make C.hanges afl'ecting municipal alfairs, _lei it do so early and whatever the poliey question might be, it might be well vvorth ihe Government 's while to invite the opjnion of the institute on the, p ro posed measures.