Manamatu Herald. SATURDAY, APRIL 2. 1898.

Manawatu Herald, 2 April 1898, Page 2

Manamatu Herald. SATURDAY, APRIL 2. 1898.

The Borough Council. »■• The next meeting of the Borough Council on Monday night will be! full of interest and we may add, of responsibility. This will be the first meeting after the loss of the late Town Clerk and the Councillors will at once realise the comfort that was theirs when, during the transaction of their business, they bad a trust worthy and experienced Clerk to appeal to. This will be better ap preciated now that the loss i 3 sustained than it was during the time the deoeased gentleman held office. Almosb the first duty as the general meeting will be the proposal of the usual condolencies to the widow and family and then the earnest con sideration as to how his place is to be filled. To gentlemen who have occupied seats at the Council table it is not necessary to point out the many qualifications neces-ary in the holder of the responsible position of Town Clerk, as though Mayors may come, and Mayors may go, and Councillors flow on for ever, lht> Town Clerk is stationery and to him it is deputed to point out the way business has been carried on in the past and how it should be for the future. He becomes the dial of fixed duties round which the peopled representatives travel and argue. The duties of a Town Clerk are those similar to the chief engineer of a fin< j steamer, the Mayor is the captain cf the ship of state, the Councillors are the petty officers, but should th« engineer Town Clerk nob keep th j steam up, that of collecting th<monies which makes the mare to go, why no one could get the ship along The careful finance of a responsible Town Clerk is the greatest advantage a Borough has, for there comes, at times, a wild desire for progresp, especially if it is the formation d roads or footpaths past the residences of Councillors, which, without a word in season from the Clerk, might land the >» Borough in tern porary financial difficulties. Whether the Council will see its way to appoint an officer right off the reel, or invite applications for the same, remains to be seen, but the one point which Councillors must bear in mind is that there is little time to loose. In considering the matter of such appointment we trust there will be no attempt to save a pound or two by reducing the salary. The difficulty whioh faces the Council will be the obtaining of a suitable person at the sum the Council can afford to pay, which is too small to enable the bolder to live upon the salary and thus reduces the selection to applicant! who have other mean 9 of livelihood. We remember many years ago during a wild time for retrenchment, the old Town Board invited persons to tender for the position of Clerk, and the result proved the foolishness of the proposal as many tendered at such ridiculous low prices as proved they had no idea of the. character of the work. What has been foapd most satisfactory is to fix a sum that a local body will pay for the duties it desires shall be performed, and then invite applications for the position. We believe our Council has a proper appreciation of the position and [ expect that they will act, as is most necessary, promptly and wisely.