CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 230, 6 December 1878, Page 3

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The annual, meeting of the Clutha County Council which hstd t been adjourned from the previous Wednesday was held at noon on, FriSay last, in the Athenaeumhall. All ] the . councillors were present, !: viz., Captain Mackenzie, and Messrs Jowitt, Aysoii, Dallasy Brydone, Mosley, Jenkinsonj Scbßie, and Olark. Captain JMackenzie having been called to^he chair, explained /that. the. business of, the meeting was the election of Chairman , for the ensuing year. Having been. a^ member of] the. Council from the first he had opportunities of judging of the claims and qualifications of the various councillors for the chair. He considered Mr-. Jowitt in every respect -eligible and there-] •fore proposed that iie be Chairman. Seconded by Mr Ayson. Mr Mosi.BY saiathat in connection with the motion.! it would be as well for him to explain that the feeling of the electors of; Richardson Riding' was. that the salary: of Chairman was uncalled for, "and he had : been sent to. the Council to economise as. much as possible. He believed the busi- . ness of the 1 County could be so conducted, that the Chairman would have very libtle to do. He therefore would object to the. salary previously paid being again voted to the Chairman. _ Mi* Brydone suggested that it would be . in good time to discuss the question when the matter of salary was before the meet- ; in S.«- * .... Mr Jowitt addressed the meeting as. follows : — . , I am always opposed to unnecessary prolixity, and have nointention of detaining you long. Should you place me in the chair -I. will use 'my best efforts to do justice to you, to the office,- and to myself. With regard, to my ' deafness, I am aware that it will cause some personal inconvenience to councillors f but I trust that it tends;, and will tend, to make me mor.e painstaking. and careful than I might • be if I- had nb silch visitation to contend with. I may say, eh' passant, that I consider it a special, honor to. have had my name proposed aiid. secbnded by gentlemenwho sat with me during ..the whole, term of the late session, and whose views were more or less frequently at variance with', my own, , 'With regard %o the salary attached to .the office, I wish it lib be distinctly understood that I am not willing to be placed, in the chair at. any less re-; miineratioh than has hitherto been paid, as I think that is little enough. I'kmaware sbme ratepayers enquire, " What claims the Chairman has to a salary which do not apply to any other councillor V My answer is~: That whilst the duties of the Chairman in the. chair are important, and even arduous, they are not nearly so exigent upon either his time or his purse as those which with respect to the chair may be termed exfcraneons, and I am of opinion that the Chairman ought to make himself conversant with the requirements, of the county over whose business he presides, and also exercise a supervision — not , alone over the correspondence and finances, , but the works in general • sis well, which duties combined would unavoidably necessitate a good deal of travelling to secure satisfaction. I suggest an idea which lias occurred to me — which some persons may think ■ wanting in dignity,— but which I am quite willing should be applied to myself, and that is : That a certain sum should be guaranteed as salary, with the assurance that a like sum would be added by way of bonus at. the expiration of twelve months, provided that councillors are then of opinion .that the, duties of the chair have bee.n faithfully fulfilled. In . conclusion, I do not pretend to be well ' versed in the forms adhered to by public bodies, and in the event of my return I should be glad of any hints with which my fellow; councillors might favor me. The Chairman had nb doubt whatever that if Mr Jowitt were elected he would pursue a ' very different course to that adopted by the previous chairmam He would see to the business being systematically and promptly attended to. If the ' Council wanted to see a good man iix the chair they should pay him. Notwithstanding what Mi? Mosleyliad said he was; sure this was the feeling of the ratepayers. Mr Dallas had heard no outside objections to paying a ssalaryy y but he pointed . but that in some other Counties only LIOO was voted. r ,

Mr Clark said only one gentleman had been proposed for the "chair, and he thought the Council Should take him upon his own terms.

■After some furthei? remarks tile motion was put and carried^ unanimously. . Mr JowrTT accordingly took the chair, and sincerely thanked the members for their confidence.

The ' minutes of previous meeting were then read and confirmed, the Chairman explaining that according ' to his reading of the Act the ; minutes had to be read at every meeting; This concluded the business of the annual meeting, and the Councillors retired for luncheon. .