ON BUSINESS LINES.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1919, Page 6

ON BUSINESS LINES.

RUNNING BOROUGH AFFAIRS, NEW PLYMOUTH LEADS WAY. (Auckland Star.) Much interest was expressed in local government circles in Auckland when there appeared a telegram from New Plymouth telling that the town clerk had been appointed general manager to administer the borough affairs, while the mayor and councillors would sit practically as a board of directors deciding on policy matters and controlling finance. The general impression gathered from talking to several well-known .officials, mayors, and councillors is that the change is viewed with marked favor. It is generally admitted that owing to the changed functions exercised by local bodies the time haß come to put the management on something more like business lines.

"Would any- sane business man allow hundreds of thousands of pounds capital to be administered in the haphazard manner that is the case in many boroughs at the present time?" asked one interviewed. He pointed out that in many boroughs the clerk at present ran the business, but in others the mayor was the "boss dog," and each time tnere was a change in the mayor the affairs of the borough were dislocated. Sometimes thousands of pounds were affected by the change of policy. If the town clerk was the man of the right type,' and really managed the borough's affairs, there would be a continuity of administration, jand to a certain extent of policy, which would save hundreds of thousands of pounds in some big cities. The linder-secretary of a Government department was pointed out as a parallel. One business man who was aßked what he thought of the matter indicated one thing alone in which a good general manager could save thousands of pounds of the ratepayers' money, and that was in the buying of material. At present in a big council many of the departments were a law unto themselves, and for want of a general supervision there was much avoidable waste.

It may bo mentionedjhat in England the town clerk is generally regarded in the light of the general manager, and the colonial practice of all and sundry on the council having a finger in the pie would not be tolerated for a moment.

A councillor mentioned a typical instance where management by a business man was absolutely imperative, and that was tramways. It was pointed out the utter confusion and the loss of thousands which would result from applying the ordinary methods of municipal government to such a department of a council's business. FOR BIG BOROUGHS.

■ "I have had it in my mind for some time," remarked with approval the yor of a local borough. "All of us, the mayor and the councillors, are, to my mind, something in the nature of a hoard of directors, the mayor being the chairman of directors, and the idea of appointing -the town clerk as general manager is an excellent idea. Of course, it will mean in some cases that the man now holding the position would not ho suitable for it under the new scheme; the general manager will have to have special business qualifications. As a matter of fact, the town clerk is in many cases at present the actual administrative officer, the mayor ,-.nd councillors depending on him for guidance, in the working of the borough. Where the right man is in the position he undoubtedly guides the local body to a large extent."

This interviewee made an important reservation. He thinks that it would be absurd to adopt the principle of making the town clerk .wneral manager in the small boroughs. He savs it would be impossible to pay a man who would combine ail the business and office know* ledge that would be necessary. The present system of mavor and councillors running the affairs of the local body should be continued in small boroughs, road board districts, and similar cases, but in the larger boroughs and cities the new departure was admirable. As an instance he mentioned that there were some businesses where the head man was proprietor, manager, and clerk all in one. In a big concern the duties had to be cut up, and it was just the same in local bodies. Some were so small that the present arrangenjent was economical and sufficient, vrfiile in others a great saving could be effected by having one executive head. WHAT WILL COUNCILS SAY? It is a very interesting development." said Mr. C. Hudson, the Mayor of Mt. Men "and it is the natural sequence to the new powers which have apparently been conferred on local bodies to engage in municipal enterprises and go in for housing, electrical, tramway and other schemes. It would mean that the town clerk to be so appointed general manager would have to possess qualifications of a general character, and the town clerk's office as existing at preaent would have to undergo a change, and would probably become a chiefclerkship, subordinate to tlie manager. There is in my mind a question as to whether local bodies will view witli approval the placing m the hands of a general manager the powers of administration, powers of which they are very jealous at present. On the whole, if borough councils are to engage in these new undertakings the departure adopted by the New Plymouth Council seems to be on t.lie right lines." Mr. Hudson went on to call attention to the peculiar method in which the books of local bodies are kept. "If this new departure becomes general." he remarked. "it, will he more imperative than ever for a change in the manner of kecnin:r the books which is at present imposed on local bodies. The books of a boroueh council should be kept in the same manner as those of any other business organisation. At present the fiovernment reouirements are simply a system of receipts and expenditure, and even if a local body were to institute n svstem of keening its books on ordinary business lines, showing receipts and expenditure, nrofit and loss account, and assets and liabilities, the present system would still have to be kept going as well in order to satisfy the C'tvernment Audit Department. Tn other words, it means that if we wanted to our borough councils on a business footing as far as book keeping is concerned we would still have to keep a separate set to eomplv with the law. A' present you could have tW>sand« of pounds of outstanding liabilities which are no* necessarily shown in the accounts." ANOTHER "RUSMA" FRIEND SAYS"I found great relief from the use of Rusma for superfluous hair." Rusma completely destroys the hair roots and is permanent in its results. Simple to apply, can be used in one's own home. Send for particulars, to dept. N. Mri. Hullen, 3A Countenay Place, Wellington.