MUNICIPAL PICTURES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1215, 3 March 1914, Page 2

MUNICIPAL PICTURES.

THE NEW OPERATOR

A special meeting of the Borough Council was held last night to receive applications for the position of operator and custodian of the Coronation Hall. There were present; His Worship ;he Mayor (Mr G. H. Stiles) and Crs. Coley, Wfaibley, Freeman, Read, Henderson, Barber, Speirs and Chrystall. Forty applications were received for the position, eight of whom applied in person.

The whole matter was dealt with in committee, and it was finally decided to appoint Mr E. A. Fowler, of Hastings, to the position, subject to his testimonials being satisfactory.

The members ot the local Borough Council were set a difficult task to appoint one man to the position of operator and custodian out of 40 applicants. The applications received were from all parts of the Dominion, as far north as Auckland and as far south as Dunedin. After reading each application and testimonials the Council graded them, those considered to be likely ones being passed into the first grade and the others into second grade and oblivion. By this means the number was reduced considerably, about 25 failing to pass the first test. The advertisements inviting applications specified that they should be from married men and most of those received were in conformity with this condition, but a few were still in a state of single blessedness but expressed their willingness to alter that condition at an early date. One applicant, who applied in person, on being asked if be was a benedict, blusbiugiy admitted that he was not but that the event which would make him one was to take place on Wednesday. One Councillor facetiously suggested the appointment being given him as a wedding present, but apparently his other qualifications were not considered of equal merit to others, and he did not receive the appointment. Another applicant admitted that he was not married but stated that if everything went on alright he hoped to be at no very distant date. Another aspirant, who enclosed his photograph, a glance at which brought from Cr Coley the remark that be resembled the senior Councillor, stated that he had recently sold his farm in New Zealand and was desirous ot a change of occupation. His qualifications for the position were, according to his letter, to the fact that he had held the position of chief steward of a very large club in London, had also acted as instructor at a skating rink and was for some time with a firm of milking machine manufacturers. These excellent qualifications for the position were not considered sufficient and his bid was promptly graded second class. The strong points in the application of another of the forty were, a tramway condclor, 30 years of age and of smart appearance. Two others boasted of experience on the high seas, one an engineer and the other a sailor. Verdict: Not suitable ! Another had held the position of municipal engineer and also had considerable knowledge of the mechanism of sheep shears. An applicant from Canterbury in his anxiety to get the position offered to take it on at 10s per week less than was offered by the Council. Evidence of neglect of labour leaders in Canterbury to educate on the ideals of labour, surely ! “A great help in church work” was another applicant’s strong point. The want of a complete change of climate was one man’s decision for submitting his application. He stated he was not afraid of work, that he was a plumber and gasfitter by trade and that he could also do glazing, also that nothing would stick him. As an instance of his value to bis present employer he mentioned that he was being paid at the rate of is 7d per hour when the award rate was only is 3d. Councillors apparently considered it would not be fair to his present employer to take him away, so his application was turned down. A Dunedin aspirant for the position mentioned that be got his early training with a banking firm in Birmingham and that in that city be was also a member of an amateur dramatic society. He had afterwards toured South Africa as a member of a dramatic company, appearing on the boards in melodrama, also that he sang tenor. Since coming to New Zealand he had qualified for the present position by getting married and bad lately been employed as an accountant. He was a singer at local concerts, sft. 9m. in height and 53 years of age. He omitted to state his size in boots, which may have been the reason why the Council did not appoint him. Among the applicants was one who had worked at a steam laundry, a pianist and a photographer. The work of drafting out the best man occupied the Council for over thre and a half hours.