County Council Clerkship.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7899, 15 August 1905, Page 2

County Council Clerkship.

o Mr Mills' Resignation Accepted. A special meeting of Hie T&ranaki County Council was held on Monday to consider Hie resignation of Mr C. T. Mills as clerk. There were present ; Mr 11. Okey (chairman) and Cra. Andrews, Hill,. Gray, Hopsoii, Mown .ami McDonald.

Cr. liray moved that Mr Mills' resignation be accepted, and that steps ijfc taken to fill the vacancy. Cr. Andrews seconded the motion, remarking that the matter had already been discussed. Cr. McDonald said he would move as an amendment that the question be deferred till the next general election o( councillors in November. He considered the new Council coming in should not be placed in the position of having a new clerk. He considered that Mr Mills had been an obliging, courteous and hard-working olli-ct-r, and that the question could well be deterred. Cr. Hill seconded the motion pro forma.

Lis. Hopson and Andrews thought it

the- duty of the present Council to deal with Hie resignation. The Chairman said he was against deferring the question. He was sorry that Mr Mills had decided to resign after twelve years' service. Mr Mills

had been an efficient and able officer. The Council had met him by raising his salary,,.but the matter of getting

the rates and licenses in had been; delayed too much iiy Mr Mills.

After further discussion the amendment to defer the matter was rejected. Mr Mills, invited to make a statement, said that the amount of work he had to do was too much for oneman, and the consequence was that after paying for clerical assistance and providing office accommodation his nominal salary of £2OO was reduced to £134 a year. To show this was totally inadequate, he (quoted the position of other clerks of local 'bodies. Instancing the Stratford County, he stated that the clerk of that Council had a far better salary and

no engineer's work to do like he had,

such as making out and keeping data of all contracts. He thanked tho

Council for their courtesy in the past and said that with the extra assist-

ance recently granted he had pulled up a good deal of work in arrears. In reply to a councillor, Mr Mills said he Would remain until the vacancy was filled ; he was never afraid of work.

The motion to accept the resignation was, after some concluding words by the Chairman, put and carried, Mr McDonald dissenting. Cr. Hill : You can't make a man keep a billet if he wants to resign. Cr. Andrews moved : "That the Council obtain suitable office accommodation, and that applications be called for the position of Clerk." Seconded by Cr. Gray and carried. The matter of obtaining office accommodation and furniture was referred to a committee consisting of the Chairman and Crs. Andrews and Hill.

The question of the Clerv's salary was then discussed.

The Chairman moved : "That, the salary of the new clerk be fixed at £l5O, with 2£ per cent, commission on general rates, licenses and rents icoll-cctcd." There would be commission, be-stated, on about £5500. This would mean a/salary of £330, exclusive oi office rent.

Cr. Gray seconded the motion. He thought the commission would stimulate the clerk to get the rates in. Cr. Hopson moved as an amendment that a fixed salary of £250 he paid, the Council to find offices. Cr. Andrews-seconded the amendment, which was lost. Cr. Brown moved as a further amendment that the salary be £125 with 2J per cent, commission. rhls amendment, seconded -by Cr , Hopson, was also lost. The Chairman's motion was them put and carried. For the motion : The Ch a i„„ all and Crs. Gray and Hill; against, Crs. Brown, "Hopson , and Andrews. Cr. McDonald was abv C o<„ Jlif ° hairma " gave his casting vote with the ayes. It was agreed to rc-imbur.se Mr anr! „n <h SUm n' M PaM tOT «■**- ance on the rolls, and that Mr Srthrr^ ceteretaincdtoc ° m -