TRUST SECRETARY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 February 1940, Page 6

TRUST SECRETARY

REDUCTION IN SALARY BY £lOO MOVE OPPOSED BY SEVERAL TRUSTEES. APPLICATIONS BEING CALLED TO FILL POSITION. Opinions differed sharply among' members of the Alasteilon Trust Hands Trust last night, concerning the remuneration of. (he new secretary, for which position applications are to be called forthwith. Several Trustees maintained that £250 per year was insufficient and held that £350, the sum paid to the - late secretary, should still be offered. Mr A. Owen Jones moved that the position of secretary should be advertised on the conditions set out in the schedule, at a salary of £250 per annum, with free use of the Trust office. The motion was seconded by Mr J. Macfarlane Laing. Mr E. G. Eton said he took strong objection to the reduction made in the salary, which he considered was too low. The secretary, he said, held a very responsible position, one of trust, in which large sums of money were handled. In the past the Trust had paid £350 per year and now the Trust asked for a new secretary at £250. “And it will be rushed,” observed Mr H. H. Daniell.

Mr Eton considered the Trust, as a local body, was setting a very bad example. He regarded the position as pretty well a full time one and he moved an amendment that the salary be £350 per year. Seconding the amendment, Mr R. Krahagen said a salary of £350 would attract the very best men in the district. Any number of men would not put in an application with the salary at £250.

Stating that: he could not support the amendment, Mr Laing said he favoured a lower salary. It was his opinion that at £250 a secretary was well paid, taking into account the nature of thework to be done. There was a responsibility on the Trustees as well as on the secretary as far as the position was concerned. The greatest drawback to the conditions was that the Trust required the secretary to do the work in the Trust building, as that might affect applications from well established business men who had their own offices.

Mr C. E. Grey said he was surprised to hear Mr Laing talking as he did, as not very long ago Mr Laing himself was the instigator of the last secretary’s salary being increased by £5O. Mr Laing: “Only when we got a demand from our solicitor and when we had no Option except to increase it, in accordance with salaary reinstatement provisions.” Mr Grey said he considered £250 was not sufficient to get the best men. He would like to see it £350 or at least £3OO.

Mr Daniell said he had asked the late secretary as to the amount of work handled. The receipts averaged 46 a day (20 day month), there were 28 or 29 letters a month, or 1-J- a day, an average of under 12 accounts to bepaid per month, or half a one per day and about 20 cheques per month to be paid or one a day. For that work the Trust proposed to pay 30s a day. The thing was ridiculous and was wasting Trust money.

Mr Jones said that in supporting a salary of £250 a year he claimed he had a little knowledge of the work required in the office. He said it was a golden opportunity for anyone to start in business at that amount, with a free office. Mr J. H. Handyside said he could not see the reasoning of Mr Daniell on the basis of actual transactions, as a secretary had to be in the office throughout the day. Mr Eton reiterated his opinion as to the inadequacy of the salary proposed and said if the Trust was to get the class of man it required it would be necessary to pay £350. It had to have a man of. experience. If £350 were paid for a full-time job and no other work was to be taken in, Mr Jones pointed out, the Trust might consider it on that basis. The amendment, on being put to the meeting was lost, those voting against being Messrs Hugo, Page, Jones, Daniell and Laing and for, Messrs Eton, Krahagen. Handyside and Grey. Another amendment to make the salary £3OO per year was similarly defeated. It was decided to call for applications forthwith, to close on February 19 for consideration at a special meeting of the Trust to be held on February 20, the successful applicant to commence duty on April 1.