REORGANISING THE BOROUGH STAFF!

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8533, 11 September 1907, Page 5

REORGANISING THE BOROUGH STAFF!

A DRASTIC RESOLUTION. THE STAFF OF THE TOWN CLERK AND BOROUGH ENGINEER'S DEPARTMENTS RECEIVE THREE MONTHS' NOTICE. The chief feature of the special meeting of the Masterton Borough Council, held last evening, was the discussion that took place as the result of a resolution moved at the last, meeting by Cr Yarr and carried, "that a special meeting of the Council be held to consider the reorganisation of-the Borough staff." The result of last night's discussion was that the Town Clerk and the Borough Engineer and all those connected with the departments of those officials received three months' notice, terminating their engagements with the Council. Cr Yarr, in bringing the matter forward, moved "that all the staff connected with the departments of the Town Clerk and Engineer receive three months* notice, terminating their engagements with' the Council." He explained that his motion excluded the Gasworks, Park, Abattoir, Reading Room, Library and all the employees connected therewith. In bringing his motion forward, he thought he was doing that which was best in the interests of the ratepayers. Dealing with the Town Clerk's office first, the mover considered that the staff was too large for the amount of money that was being handled by the Council. The accountant had made out a good case to the Finance Committee, and if that official was doing the work he said he was, Cr Yarr considered he was certainly entitled to a salary of £4 per week, and that all the other members of the office staff were not doing their share of the work, and there was, in addition, no reason to pay other high salaries. The speaker then went on to criticise the large amount of rates outstanding which, he contended, should not be the case. The Council had a large overdraft, and was paying heavy interest on it, and such being the case every- effort should be made to bring in the outstanding rates. He had a report from one official in which it was stated that a distress warrant had been issued against one defaulting ratepayer to recover the amount he owed in rates. He (Cr Yarr) would like to know by whose authority the distress warrant had been issued? No official, he contended, should take it upon himself to issue a distress warrant without the authority of the Council. Discussing the position of affairs outside the office, this speaker held that everything appeared in a state of confusion. If the Engineer was not getting sufficient salary it should be raised. He criticised the work in Pownall Street and Cole Street extensions, and Essex Street. These were new streets, and should not require any more money to be expended on them for some time.But this, in the speaker's mind, would not be the case. More money, he considered, would soon need to be expended in these streets, and this should not be the case if, he contended, they had been constructed according to the Engineer's specifications. The speaker also dealt with certain other works in a similar strain." One morning, the speaker alleged, he saw a sweeper engaged in sweeping a road crossing near the railway station, where nobody required it, while the same morning Queen Street was in a very muddy state, and its crossings were not being swept. There was, he considered, a great waste of money in every direction. He would add that he had not one word to say against any of the Council's employees. They were all excellent men, but in the interest'of the ratepayers and in the interests of the Councillors themselves as business men, he had brought his motion forward. Cr Prentice seconded the motion. He said that he had come to the meeting with the intention of moving a before"the meeting. Because the Council had seen tit to reduce the estimates of the Works Committee for outside works, he had intended to move that the office expenses be reduced by about £3OO or £4OO. Cr Pauling said he considered that the staff required reorganising, and he was pleased that the matter had been brought forward. Cr Pragnell expressed himself in favour of the motion. Cr Ewington spoke against the ' resolution. He contended that it was [ carrying things too far. Mr Brown ! had been Town Clerk since Masterton had been a Borough, and were the Council going to dismiss him in this sudden fashion? The mvtion was altogether too drastic, and, in his opinion, there had been not a sound argument raised in favour of it. Because the Council chose to cut clown the estimates was that a reason why the Town Clerk should be dismissed? Councillors did not seem to know exactly what the Town Clerk had to do. Did they know that he had to come back to the office nearly every night to attend meetings, and that he hardly had any time to himself during the week" through attending to the Council's requirements? He contended that no definite charge had been made against the Town Clerk, and until that was done the motion should be rejected. If the resolution were carried, did they think that all the dismissed employees would come back air! apply again for their pusi tions? He thought not, whatever the "man in the street'" might say. Cr Yarr had criticised the Engineer, and for what? Nothing, as far as the speaker could see. There had been no charge laid against this department yet. According to Cr Yarr, certain streets had not been properly made, but the Council had only Cr Yarr's word for that. He asked, was the Council ffoing to dismiss the Engineer because the. roads in Renall's Estate had not been made properly by the Renall Trustees themselves? With regard to Cr Yarr's allegations in connection with the sweeping of street crossings, the speaker, contended that that was only a matter of opinion. Cr Yarr's charges | regarding outstanding rates were easily answered. The rates were not struck until late in the year, and six months had then to lapse before the penalty could be put on

the rates. Concerning the distress warrant, the speaker contended that the official concerned had only done his duty in recovering the rates, and because of bis so doing be was going to be dismissed. He asked the Council not to pass such a drastic resolution before giving the staff a chance to deny the statements made. Cr Morris opposed the resolution, in favour of which he considered only "lame" arguments had been The Town Clerk had the confidence of the Council, and his ability was known to the ratepayers. With regard to the Engineer, he considered th<it the question arose whether an engineer was required in the Borough. He contended that an engineer was an absolute necessity, and he asked, could the Council get a more suitable man for the position than they had at present? There were plenty of suitable men in the colony, no doubt, but would they prove as good as the servants the Council had now. He considered that the motion was altogether too drastic. Cr Temple said he was somewhat in accord with Cr Yarr, but the better course, in his mind, would have been for the Works Committee if they found fault with the Engineer to have brought in a recommendation to that effect, and not have allowed a member of the Finance Committee to take the initiative. He contended that money had been waited all over the Borough, and the question of the reorganisation of the staff needed very serious consideration. With a little mors care, the speaker considered that various sums of money could be saved, and the overdraft considerably reduced. As he was not in the office himself, he was not going to say anything against the staff in that department. Taking all things into consideration, however, he could not support the motion. Cr Elliott considered that the Works Committee should have submitted recommendations if the outside staff required reorganising, and if the office staffi required the same treatment, it should have come through the Finance Committee. He could not see how the office was going to be managed cheaper. Even in a small place like Dannevirke the Town Clerk required an assistant Cr Haughey "supported the motion. He considered that Cr Yarr deserved credit for bringing it forward. The Council, he was of opinion, was not getting value for its money. The Mayor said he was a little disappointed in the manner in which the matter had been brought forward, but he was going to suDport the resolution as it stood. Before he said anything concerning the office he would like more data as to what it cost to manage the offices in other Boroughs. With regard to the outside work he would say that he had not b2en srt'sfied for some time past. The:e had been several complaints made about works. This shouM not be, and could be avoided by proper care on the nart of the officials. As far as he was concerned, as Mayor, he was going to get bet'e'-results for money spent in the Borough. The present position of affairs was not satisfactory, and he did not see how any good could result by discussing the matter with the officers. Cr Ewington moved as an amendment that a Committee consisting of the Mayor. Crs Pauling, Yarr, Temple and Ewington be appoi ted to go thoroughly into the matter and report. Cr Elliott seconded the amendment. Cr Yarr, in reply, said he had thought the matter out as carefully as he could, and had reluctantly arrived at the resnlution he had, moved. It was not a pleasure to him by any moans. He had only done what he thought to be.his duty. • The amendment was then put to the meeting and lost by six votes to four, the voting being—Ayes: Crs Elliott, Temple, Morris and Ewington. Noes: Crs Pauling, Haughey, Pragnell, Prentice,. Yarr and the Mayor. The motion was then carried by six votes to four. The voting was— Ayes : Crs Pauling. Pragnell, Haughey, Prentice, Yarr and the Mayor. Noes: Crs Elliott, Temple, Morris and Ewington.