COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4026, 23 November 1881, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

ELECTION OF COUNTY CHAIKMAN. The annual meeting of the above Council was held at noon this morning at the Council Chambers, Mary street. The Chairman (Cr A. Brodie) occupied the Chair, and there were also present Crs Coutts, Bagnall, Fraser, Thorburn, Bull, Deeble, Porter, and Murdoch. Cr Brodie said this meeting was held under the 67th section of the Counties' Act. The business of the meeting was to appoint a Chairman for the ensuing year. Cr Porter said it had been usual before electing the Chairman to settle the amount of salary to go with the office. Cr Fraser said if such had been the custom the Council had better not depart from it now. He would more " That the salary be honorary." He thought that men should be found willing to take the position without remuneration. If such were sot to be found it would be> useless

talking about the much desired local self government;. , This resolution lapsed for want of a seconder. Cr Porter moved " That the salary of the County Chairman be £150 for the ensuing twelve months." Cr Murdoch seconded. Cr Thorbura proposed as an amendment that the salary of the Chairman be £200. He thought the Chairman was fully entitled to that amount. . Cr Coutts seconded the amendment. Cr Bagnall said that his views in regard to the question of salaries were well known. He had always voted consistently, and thought £200 was a fair amount. Cr Fraser was entirely wrong when he thought the County could not recompense the Chairman for his services. He thought that in order to get work done properly they should pay a reasonable price. He found that those people who accepted positions without pay usually gave value for the money by the iunttentioa and.listless manner io which they conducted the business- No doubt Cr Fraser was a wealthy man, and could afford to do the work for nothing. In Auckland, Dunedin, etc., men in a large mercantile way were found occupying the positions of Chairman, aud in no instance were they unpaid. Indeed, in some cases they received four times as much as the present County Chairman, and he thought it a poor compliment to the Chairman of the Thames County , Council to think he should not be paid. Cr Fraser said that in spite of Mr Bagnall. he must adhere to what he had . j previously stated. As an ex&mpVl&hti: would state that .in ' the Bcrottfth the present occupant of the..-, oivie chair, had occupied the position for the last twelvemonths, and had doneijo without salary, and the people had shown their appreciation of the amount of work done by re electing him to the same office unopposed'for the next.year. Cr Porter said he. thought the sum ha proposed was quite adequate for the amount of work done. The Council knew that during the absence,of the County Chairman, the business was done just as well as when he wajjjfe&re v .There seemed to be an impression 'itf^ie, Council that the County was comprised yo{ the, ridings from the TararuCreeklotheHapeCreek. He considered that those ridings should pay for the maintenance of the County Chairman. He had.been a representative of the Ohinemuri Biding for a long time, and he had found that the Chairman's visit to bis district, had been like angels — few, and far v between. He considered that £150 was ample remuneration for the County Chairman. But he bc/yisd that whatever conclusion the Coun- . cif arrived at this time, they would not , elter it in the future. The last election the'salary was fixed, the ■ Council. saw fit to alter its previous decision. He considered that the Chairman could conduct all the business of the- County in the course of two hours in the morning. Tbe Chairman had been absent from the Council seven months to his knowledge within the last three ye.rs. • •,•'.! Cr Deeble said he had advocated paying the Chairman from time to time. He considered that the Chairman had enough to do to look after his work, in fact It was a business requiring the closest attention. He had always voted in accordance with . economic principle^, and should Vota for the salary being £150.

1 On the amendment" that the salary of the Chairman be £2GO for the ensuing year," Crs Bagnall, Thorburn, and Coutta voted. On" the motion "(That the salary be £150," Crs Murdoch, Deeble, Bull, and .Porter voted. ' """ The motiou was declared carried. Cr Thorburn proposed that' the Ohaii> man be Mr Alexander JBrodie. Cr Bull seconded. This was carried unanimously. Cr Brodie, in returning thanks, v said he was sorry the Council had suffered the loss of such estimable gentlemenas Messrs Brown and Carpnnter. However, he was pleased to see Messrs Fraser and Murdoch in the Council, as they were well informed members, and took an interest , in local matters. The Council then broke up, and at the invitation of Mr Brodie adjourned to the " Salutation," where the health of the Chairman and the new Councillors was drunk with enthusiasm. -