A PREMIUM FOR DISHONESTY

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 978, 2 January 1883, Page 2

A PREMIUM FOR DISHONESTY

Eighty pounds a year is the sum paid by the' County Council to the Clerk and treasurer, an official who has the handling of thousands. We ask is that enough to secure ami retain the services of a first-class man? It may serve to keep one whose conscience will allow him to help himself from the public till, and thus supplement his miserable pittance. If he does so, are not the Council to blame for paying a paltry sum quite inadequate to the labour demanded in return. We should be sorry to think that the present Clerk would be guilty of dishonesty as regards the County or any other funds. We don’t think he even would receive money belonging to the Council and forget to pay it in until the Auditor preferred a polite request to “ fork out.” But we do not.think the Council will have the benefit of their Clerk’s services long unless they make the position worth his while to retain. At present we consider that there is a precious lot of work for a very little money, and unless the salary is increased the Clerkship may soon be “to let.” In which case it may fall into the hands of some unscrupulous individual who, encouraged by the two or three examples already afforded him, may make another levy on County funds. Then we should liave a repetition o£ tlie events of* tlie last three months, and all on account of two things. First, because the Council wont pay enough to secure an honest man and keep him honest; and secondly, because they do not interest themselves sufficiently in the details of his work to keep him up to the mark. Both of these faults we hope to see remedied at an early date. Prevention is better than cure, but up to this we have had no prevention and no cure.