Manamatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1898. Appointment of Town Clerk.

Manawatu Herald, 14 April 1898, Page 2

Manamatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1898. Appointment of Town Clerk.

The importance el the appointment of an officer who ia the chief adviser of the Mayor and Borough Council, makes the meeting to be held tonight by the Borough Council one of much moment to the town. We believe Councillors will be only actuated by tha desire to do that which ia best for the ratepayers, though we do think the matter was not so fully discussed as it might have been when the Council went into Committee of the whole on the night the resolution was decided on to call for applications for the position. We have no desire to interfere in any action the Council may take, all we want, and we believe ail the Council want-is to see a good man, capable of carrying out his dutiss, appointed. We have previously endeavoured to point out that in such a multitude of offices of Buch varying character being placed on the shoulders of any man, n.akes it almost certain that in some of the offices ha must prove a failure, whilst in others he might prove excellent. We are therefore seeking an im possibility and must make up our minds to a disappointment if the applications are considered upon the conditions as advertised. If Councillors view the matter in a different light to what they did the oihernight, and two Councillors were no!; then pre- i sent, there would be a fitting opportunity to discuss the advisability of remodelling the duties of the office before reading the applications, and the altered conditions conld theu be conveyed to the applicants to find whether they would still be willing to seek the position as altered both as to duties aud salary. We all admit that the sum of £100 a year, the amount offered to the holder of the amalgamated duties is not sufficient to induce a first-class man to seek the position, and unless he had private means the sura would not bo sufficient to keep him. If the offioes were divided under different heads we have residents here, having other occupations, who could do all the work of the Borough, each one having that share that his qualifications fitted him for. However much we desire to see fresh faces atnongst u?, it is travelling wide of the mark to offer fair " bread aud-butter " to tho?e wh) have be n pleased to live out of the place, when there are so many here, who have borne the heat and btmlen of the day, who could do the work and who would appreciate Ihe pay. The appointment of an officer with the amalgamated duties simply means that ho obtains £iOO a year, and two of our townsmen lose their billets, whereas by a readjustment of offices we can give six of our townsmen an addition to their present in comes, as there would be a Town Clerk, a Valuer, a Returning Officer, a Librarian, an Inspector of Nuisance?, and a Road Overseer. Tb.p Council has an opportunity to gladden the hearts of six ratepayers at a less expense to that of pleasing the one, who may not ba a ratepayer, who might bo appointed Town Clerk