RE-ORGANISING THE BOROUGH STAFF!

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8537, 18 September 1907, Page 5

RE-ORGANISING THE BOROUGH STAFF!

MATTER AGAIN BEFORE THE COUNCIL. ...., PREVIOUS MOTION RESCINDED. TOWN CLERK AND ENGINEER RECEIVE LEAVE OF ABSENCE. The re organisation iqf the, Borough; staff was further discussed at the meeting of the Masterton Borough Council, last evening, when the fol-, lowing notice of motion by Cr Temple came on for consideration :-* "That the resolution re Borough, staff passed at last meeting be rescinded, with a view to considering the whole matter on the following basis:—(l) Tha.t the Town Clerk be granted two years' leave of absence, and an acting Town Clerk aopointed; (2) that with regard to the other off cers, they be given an opportunity to resign instead of dismissal. The men employed on the roads to remain as at present." I The space in the chamber allotted to the public was filled to overflowing, and considerable interest was manifested in the proceedings. Those present audibly signified their approval cr otherwise of the statements , of the various speakers. When Cr Temple proceeded to explain his motion the Mayor interrupted him, saying that there were really three parts in the motion, and before the last two portions of it could be discussed the previous resolution of the Council would have to be rescinded. Continuing, Cr Temple said he approached the matter with a certain amount of diffidence, and he offered no apology for bringing his motion forward. He believed that there was n.st a Councillor present who would not be glad of the opportunity to remedy the injustice that • the previous resolution had done to the officers. When the Council passed the last resolution they had no idea that it would ba telegraphed broadcast all over the colony. All he asked now was that the matter should be considered in the spirit of British fair play. He considered that not a single charge had been made against the Town Clerk. Mr Brown had piloted the Council for over thirty years, an,d not one member of the Council could honestly say that he had been unfaithful in his duty. That was what the Council' 3 motion said, however. He contended that before the motion was carried the officers should have been interviewed. ■ The speaker then proceeded to deal with the question of two years leava of absence to Mr Brown, but the Mayor prevented him. The Mayor said that that matter could not be' touched upon until the previous resolution had been rescinded.

Cr Ewington rose to a point of order. He held that if the motion were lost Cr Temple would not be able to give his reasons for bringing the matter forward. The Mayor: Excuse me. I'm in the chair.

Cr Ewington: I like to see fair play anyhow. Cr Elliott seconded the motion. He would lika to say that in Mr Brown they had a man who had been a servant of the Councii for over thirty years; in facta man who had educated every Mayor that had occupied the chair. Mr Brown had not only served the municipality, but he had taken a keen interest in all the affairs of the town. He had joined the staff of the Council in the prime of life, and now.that he was an old man he was going to be treated in such a manner as the previous motion defined. "To put it milfHy,*' said the speaker, "the Council had committed an action that they should be. ashamed of, and I feel ashamed to be associated with such' a body." A Bill was going to be brought before Parliament, said Cr Elliott, providing for the payment of a pension or compensation to officers who had served local bodies for a certain number of years. The present state of affairs practically meant robbing. Mr Brown of that privilege. Mr Brown, he contended, had never been better at his work than he had been during the last three months. '

Cr Ewington considered that the Council held themselves up to public ridicule by the manner in which they had treated their officers. To say the least it was malicious and contemptible to rob men of their good name. It might not have been done intentionally by the Council, but certainly that was the result. This was particularly so in the case of Mr Brown, who had had no charge laid against him. He considered that' the Mayor or Cr Yarr should have approached Mr Brown before the motion was brought forward, and if anything were wanted, ths speaker was sure Mr Brown would have been only too willing to help. Considering there was no charge against the Town Clerk, it was altogether wrong and cruel to have carried the former | motion. The speaker had moved an amendment which he thought would have met both sides, but it had not been accepted. Cr Yarr's resolution might be said to be illegal. The Mayor: No, it is not illegal. I can't let you tell the Council that. Cr Ewington: "In my opinion the motion was ultra vires. I have good authority for saying so. The meeting had been called to consider the reorganisation of the staff, but the Council had dealt with a matter altogether foreign. Each officer should be treated separately. For my part, I will not agree to allow Mr Brown to resign even. He should be given a chance "to participate in the proposed superannuation scheme after such long service. There is no doubt that if Mr Brown had committed next to a criminal action, he could not be treated worse than he has been." Cr Morris said he did not think there was a Councillor who even thought that the previous motion would do such an injury to Mr Brown. "The people of Masterton won't tolerate it," declared the speaker, "and every man, woman and child in the town will rise up against it." (Applause from the public). The Mayor (turning to the public): "You'll have to stop that. I can't have the meeting disturbed." Cr Morris: "You might allow them a little latitude, your Worship. I know their feelings, and they can't be any stronger than mine. If

I were to stop here until to-mor-row morning, I could not sing all the praises of Mr Brown. Mr Brown has always acted courteously to every Councillor, and in his office he can do as much work as any two men because he: has everything at his fingers' ends. Mr Brown does not deserve such treatment, and I hope the Council will not see itself brought into. ridicule, but will rescind the previous motion, and allow, the matter to be properly considered. The Mayor's action in the matter is hardly excusable, whatever excuse there might; be, for younger Councillors, as he ! was ]an old Councillor and knew Mr Brown well." • (Applause). Cr Ewington (to the Mayor): "I understand you have some correspondence from ex-Mayors. Would it noc be as well to nut it on the table?"

The Mayor: "I'll deal with that in my own time." Cr Yarr said that, seeing that one speaker had said that Mr Brown had educated the Mayors, he would like to add that it was a pity that some of the Councillors who had spoken had not benefited by that education. He was inclined to think that the "gallery" had been packed by Crs Morris and Ewington. He would repeat that his motion had been carefully thought out, and was, in his opinion, in the interests of the ratepayers. He would not be afraid to meet the people on the matter tomorrow despite what Cr Morris had said regarding the people being up in arms against it.

Cr Haughey thought that the resolution that the Council had passed was the right one. He had nothing against Mr Brown, but he must oppose the motion. The Mayor considered that the remarks made by some Councillors more than a direct pose to the public. Had the matter been discussed in the business-like manner that characterised other motions before the Council, he would have little to say. He would like to point out that the present matter had been before the Council for twelve years, and a good many of the old Councillors would have liked to have brought about the present state of affairs if it could have been done in a pleasant way. Cr Elliott (emphatically): "No, no!" Continuing, the Mayor said that the mover of the motion was one who,had helped to bring matters to a head. The question had been considered very carefully in a businesslike manner, and the majority of Councillors had arrived at a decision which he thought was the best. Cr Temple: "Why did you not do it in the right way?" The Mayor went on to say that he was even now in accord with the resolution already passed. The side issues were nothing. Undoubtedly re-organisation was wanted. Cr Ewington: "My amendment gave you an opportunity for that." Continuing, the Mayor said that it was the terms of the previous resolution that he disagreed with, but the principle had his support. He had not receded one iota, but the motion before the meeting had his support. He was anxicus to do the right thing. might say that he held the resignat'o'is of the Town Clerk and Engineer in his hands. Cr Temple (to the Mayor): "You can't tell me that dismissal is'reorganisation. You have bsen forced into your remarks to-night, and now you are anxious to be fair. Wiiy didn't you say so before Cr Yarr's motion came in." The Mayor: "I did not know that the motion was coming in." (Cries of "Oh!") Cr Yarr rose to explain that nobody knew about his motion until he submitted it to the Council. He did not want the assistance of any Councillor or the Mayor. He wanted the assistance of. the ratepayers, and did not care a "snap of the fingers" for the Council. Cr Temple (to the Mayor): "What Iwi-hto explain is that before my nptice .of motion appeared in the papers, you did not consult Mr Brown." The Mayor: "It's an absolute untruth." The motion was then put to the meeting, and declared carried on the voices. Crs Temple and Ewington asked for a division. • The Mayor: "You can't get it." Cr Ewington: "It's or privilege, but it suits you to rule that way tonight." Cr Temple then moved that Mr Brown be given two years' leave of absence on full pay. He only desired the principle affirmed, and would not care if the Council reduced it to twelve months. Cr Morris seconded the motion. Cr Yarr said he was surprised at Cr Temple bringing forward a motion of this kind. He considered that Cr Temple had only done soin order to pose in the public gaze as a friend of Mr Brown. At the last meeting Cr Temple had said that he did not know sufficient about the office to support the motion then before the meeting, but two and a-half days later he had found out enough about the office to table a motion to give Mr Brown two years' leave of absence, and vote away £550 of the ratepayers' money. The speaker considered that Cr Temple had thereby proved himself incompetent for the position of Chairman of the Finance Committee. As for Mr Brown, the speaker knew him as a gentleman, and a man he respected, and he would be prepared to vote a fairly large sum of the ratepayers' money without their consent, but as their representative, in recognition of Mr Brown's past services. The f Mayor moved as an amendment that Mr Brown be given twelve months' leave of absence on full pay. Cr Pragnell seconded the amendment which was carried unanimously. Cr Ewington moved that an agreement be drawn up with Mr Brown today, and the seal of the Borough attached thereto. This would prevent any further rescissions. Cr Morris seconded the motion. The Mayor ruled the motion out of order, as he did not see how he could accept such a motion. On the motion of the Mayor, it was decided to give Mr Dobson six months' leave of absence on full pay. The Mayor read a letter from Mr Dobson intimating his intention to resign at the end of the six months. In answer to a question by Cr Temple, the Mayor explained that all the other officers of the Council remained as they were before Cr Yarr's motion was carried. It was resolved that the leave of absence in both cases should take

effect from October 15th. The Council decided to meet on Thursday to consider the question of the appointments of an acting Town Clerk, and acting Borough Engineer. Before the meeting adjourned, the Mayor read the following letter:— "We, the undersigned, having each held office as Mayor of Masterton, during the Town Clerkship of Mr R. Brown, desire to express our deep regret that Mr Brown is about to sever his connection with the Council, and to acknowledge the ability he has displayed in such office, and the assistance that we have received from him during our respective terms of office. We respectfully suggest that his long term of office and his valuable services to the Borough for the y ast thirty years call for special recognition, and morally entitle him to a pension, but as that cannot legally be granted, we trust that the Council will see its way to grant to him an extended term of leave of absence on full pay, so that he may enjoy the rest and compensation he has well earned.—M. Caselberg, George Heron, C. A. Pownall, Philip L. Hollings." .