CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1570, 1 March 1879, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

Friday, February 28th. A special meeting of the Council was held at 7 pm. Present—His Worship the M&vo- " Gapes, Cas *, Ayers Lezard. JenkYnsi Tremavne, Wilson. •-; a riinsteadi K "CfiGANISATION OF THE STAl'l'.

His Wor-hip said that this meeting had been called to consider the re organisation of the staff and affirming their duties. This was a resolution which had been carried by the recent Council before the elections, thus showing that some change was considered necessary in the conduct of the public business of the Council. He thought they ought to fed glad that &uch a time had elapsed since the election a 3 would enable them to approach the question without any of those feelings which an election wouid be sure to bring up. It would, perhaps, on the duties of the officers, be ths proper way to remit the matter to a committee, who could take evidence and bring up a report as regarded the chief officer of the Council, the town clerk, it had long been evident to him that, from the growing importance of the city and its prospective importance also, it was a necessity that the town clerk should be also city solicitor, and that the office should be filled by a duly qualified legal practitioner. In this they had the experience of towns in England, where it was a common practice. They had now to pay a salary of <£loo a year to the town clfrrk, and during the year their legal expenses did not roach a less sum than <£2OU. Thus they had a payment of .£6OO per annum, and he might say that he thought they could get a very good man to fill the posts of the town clerk and city solicitor for say, .£7OO a year. Besides the ,£6OO actnal salaries now paid, it must be recollected that they lost [hundreds of pounds during the year through various causes, which he thought would not take place if the offices were combin..d as he suggested. He threw out thn suggestion with the hope that tbey would carefully consider it. They could not disguise from themselves the fact that for soma timo past the work of the Council had not proceeded smoothly. This had been found by the late as well as the present Council, and they had had heads of departments working far from amicably with each other. They _ had had in times past the Inspector of Nuisances doin? office work, and the collector of rates also. Therefore the works iu these departments fell into arrear. He trusted that the Councillors would approach the subject with care, and that they would discard all ten.

Or Wilson said that he should like to hesr the resolution convening the meeting that evening The Town Clerk read thfe resohit on as follows : —" That a special meet ng of this Council bo held to consider the advieablencss or otherwise of reorganising the Council staff."

Cr. Wilson said that he would venture to say that none of the newly elected councillors were aware of the object they hud met for. His Worship had, he "ventured to say wandered quite away from the sn> ject. They had not hid the business put before them, and he ventured to say that they had the best stuff in any public office in the colony. He them could they get a finer or a better town clerk, surveyor, en<rinoer, or assistant town clerk. He should defend the-n to the last, and it would be unwise t> change those who had serval them for so inaiy years. Ho met that evening under tho impression th it they had to charge the officers of the Coun-il with not having done their duty, and to dismiss them.

The Mayor—there is nothing of the kind mentioned before tho Council.

Cr. Wilson—Well I should litre your Worship to explain. I can only think that reorganisation means dismissal.

The Mayor said that Cr. Wilson had spoken entirely under a misapprehension. There had been no word of dismissal. Ho had called that meeting in compliance with a resolution passed by the Council unanimously at its last meeting. He had made no charge, nor had any been mndo. All he had done was to indicate the general principles upon which the reorganisation should proceed.

Cr. Gapes thought Cr. Wilson was unaware of what he was speaking about. There had been no charges made, but the Mayor had simply called the meeting in response to the resolution of the Council. So far as tho mover of this resolution went, he understood that the reason was that the duties of the respective officers should bo defined in order that no clashing might take place betw en them. He was at a loss to know what Cr. Wilson's remarks mcaut, nor did he think he (Cr. Wilson) did either. Cr. Binstead said, as mover of the resolution, he might say that he thought Cr. Wilson's remarks were entir- ly premature. Ho might say this, that no charge had been made. What was wanted, and what his resolution went to, was that an exauiinat on of the books should be had, and if necessary taking evi dence, so as to see if there was any necessity for reorganisation, .r rior to ; is coming into the Council he had seen, and afterwards far more clearly, that the relations between the city solicitor and the town clerk were not of the most amicable nature, which was opposed to the best interests of the city. Therefore he had thought that it was necessary an enquiry should be made, so as to see whether or not there was reason for reorganising the staff. If there was not, then the city would sse that they had done their d ;ty. Cr. Ayera said he thought they had come to that meeting for nothing, if they had before them witnesses and the books, it would ta e them days. He thought they should have a small committee, to whom the matter should be remitted. Cr. Wilson again reiterated his opinion that the Mayor had c died the meeting for nothing. Cr. Biustcad was prepared to move that a small committee should go into the matter, and report to the Council. Cr. Lezard thought it wou'd be met unsatisfactory to have a small committee. It would bo better, if the work had to be done, that the whole Council should do so. The Mayor said that it appeared that the councillors were fighting shy of tho question raised by him. Cr. Gapes said that he was afraid that the proposed amalgamation would be too expensive. They would have to pay £7OO a-year, and then they would have an assistant 'J own Clerk at, say, £3OO. Thus they would have about £loiio for two officers only. He thought he should be within the mark if he said that £2llOO would not cover the office expenses, which he thought were too much at present. Cr. Clifford said he felt sure they could get a good solicitor to act in the double office for £tioo a year. Cr. Wilson—Question. Cr. Ayers said that he felt sure they would not be able to get a good mm for the amount mentioned by the Mayor. Ho thought it was more than probable that they would have to pay the assistant to the town clerk £3OO or £4OO a year. He had asked the question, and found that the Council would not be able to get any one to act for the money. ~,'., The Mayor said that the legal gentleman acting as town clerk could practise as well as any other legal gentleman. Cr. Ayers desired to point out that the whole of the official documents had to be signed by the town clerk, and that officer had to represent the Mayor at the office. Hence, he would require to be at the office as the town clerk now did, and they could not get a man for anything like the money mentioned by the Mayor. Tbe Mayor said that there was no resolution before the meeting. He understood Cr. Wilson some time back that he was preparing a resolution. Had he it ready ? Or, Wilson—l have been dividing my attention between the discussion and writing tho resolution, and I have made several mistakes. Cr. Tremayne would have liked to have seen some resolution before the Council. He agreed with Cr. Ayers that they would be unable to get a gentleman to fill the combined offices of town clerk and solicitor for the money _ mentioned. Besides this, ho thought tho experiment would be a very costly one, and one which i hey were not warranted in incurring until their rateable value reached some £SO 000. Cr. Clifford said that h* took it they would find themselves in the position of losing their solicitor again if they went on in the present way. By-laws had been made without consultation with Or. Foster, consisting of a conflagration of by-Uwa. Cr. Wilson—What ? Will you explain yourCr. Clifford meant that by-laws had been takon from' Duuedin, from Wellington, and from all parts of the colony, and Dr. Foster ha J only been made aware of the existence of aby law, when he was called into Court to defend it. Cr. Ayers said that he would move—" That a committee be appointed to enquire whether the staff are carrying out their duties with efficiency, according to their engagements, and whetner any change is necessary ; the committee to consist of the Mayor, Crs. Jenkins, Wilson, and the movar." Cr. Jenkins seconded the motion. Cr. Wilson would move, as au amendment—- " That, in the opinion of this Council, the remaining officers of the Council shall continua to hold office until some distinct breach of fHity is brought against them. No such charge having been brought against them, thi.-i Council is of opinion that it would bo unwise to cast any reflection upon them by dismissing hem." He might say tha't he was surprised that Cr. Ayers should have forestalled him when ho knew that he was writing a resolution. He asked His Worship's ruling on the point. His Worship said Cr. W ; ' , could not be taken as »- - son * resolution Cr. Ayera' «~- ' . - amendment ±. (v -a datum whs then put and agreed .. vViUon only dissenting. Cr. Wilson then moved his resolution, supporting it in a speech which was an echo of his previous one. The resolution was not seconded. After some delay, caused by the exchange of memos across the table between Crs. Cass and Wilson, when the former said he was getting some light from the latter, His Worship said that concluded the business of the evening. The Council then adjourned.