IMPORTANT TO COUNCILLORS,

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 84, 24 December 1887, Page 2

IMPORTANT TO COUNCILLORS,

At the County Council yesterday an account was received from Cr W. King for a sum of £25 for timber delivered to the Council. Mr Warren, the Clerk, said he had been asked by Mr Ball, clerk to Cr King, whether the supplying of the timber would disqualify Cr King from acting as a couneillor, and he had said that he did not consider the Act applied to such a case, as it wae not contract work or work done for the Council within the meaning of the qualification elaqssa of the statute. Mr Warren also added that the timber could not have been procured elsewhere but from Cr King. The clauses under which the question arises are as follows i—“ Any person be. ing concerning or participating in any contract with, or work to be done for the Council, if the payment of such contract or such worn exceeds five pounds, his office shall ba vacated, and such vacancy shall ba deemed an extra, ordinary vacancy.” "He shall not ba able to recover any amount from the Oornoration for the work done, or the services performed, and should the Council pay any such amount it shall be unlawfully paid away.” The Council, of course, have witheld the payment of the amount until legal opinion of the point has been obtained. To us it appears clear that Cr King must forfeit the amount, but what seems peculiar is that the County Clerk should have given the advice he did on a point that affects the dir qualification or otherwise of a Councillor. The Council have now to go to the expense of obtaining legal advice, whereas if Cr King, who seemed to be aware of the law, had got advice before he supplied the timber, this would not have been required, and he would have been acting on a surer footing.