TOWN CLERK’S SALARY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3733, 20 December 1906, Page 2

TOWN CLERK’S SALARY.

The Borough Council meet tomorrow night to deal with tenders for services for the year 1907. We hope they will also settle the question of the Town Clerk’s salary. It is useless to hang the matter up indefinitely. Councillors and the public are alike convinced that the present salary paid is out of all proportion to the amount of work done, and as the clerk has stated that he is willing to wait till the commencement ot the financial year, (Ist April) before drawing the increase, why de.lay? In the interests of the public, however, we should like to see the Town Clerk’s office open daily, instead of only tri-weekly as at present. One often hears of this

drawback. The public, however, cannot expect the Town Clerk to remain there every day for a beggarly pittance of 18s 5d per week— considerably less than is paid for day labour. In a previous issue we pointed out the great difference paid to the clerk in Foxton as compared with clerks in boroughs of a similar size, and we urge the Council to rise to the occasion, insist on the borough office being open daily, and pay the clerk a fair salary, say ,£2OO a year. It is an evil policy for a Borough Council to pay a responsible officer with thousands of pounds passing through his hands a sweating salary and to expect him to efficiently carry out the duties devolving upon his office.