TOWN CLERK'S SALARY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2499, 13 January 1887, Page 2

TOWN CLERK'S SALARY.

The,following discission: took place- in

the oil Tuesday-evening - Town' Olork was read, requesting an increase of salary, • -W-v',...

. After the Clerk hud been requested to' retire, the fttuym'.said that if the Borough lie divided iutiMVjirds, tho. new; Ciiuncil should deal. witbsuch nil linunrtant, question, and unlv be fair, to the L'ow'ti .Clerk that the present Council should-discuss the merits of their officer; for the guidance of,the new Council.Ci'Piiv?oii3 asked uvliat was .{lie present ajjnual salary of the Clerk. - ' 'The Mayor replied; that it .£IBO, and was voted ahout'si-x years ago,- .which included the duties Officer, jollwtor of rates', then the duties-had increased considerably, and the' . Council had offices from Queen Street to its present chambers, whereby.the Town Clerk hatf ..been compelled'to relinquish his pi|ji|igal business. •If they wore to compare 'fe'.work done by their Town Clerk witli-otlier Boroughs lie thought they would .find that Mr •.Hrnmnvas übdurpnid foi'liis-setviceß. Ci\ Perry would, like to see (lie salary of the Clerk raised. They must all agree .that tie was worth - it,., same 'tiine lie did not think the pniaeiit Counqil could do iimro than leave it on the records for the guidance of. the; new' Council.

Cr Parsons said before attempting to, fix'ii salary for the Clerk", ic wiiufd lie weotmey to know whaihis'futu'redutp would-'bff, .! y-f i

Tlie Mayor ptiinted out the amouht''of itf&cei by the. rititnidui'tioii'.of 'tliolGas-works.;'. Glikmbtfvlain' eaid. tliere would l?e L&QiNsiditfiibly: ; thore.-^,wufe^hen.; the i Borough-was divided into; wards, ; : #' ~.<: o r Gapperreferred; to'thßflarg;e business that the Town 01erk hsd x wheh. ilia, offioe wm in - ifj.keeptan.HS.suitaht.'i) All this, had :been' f pßt through the shifting"of tftei' OJouncil , ; an.d, no rocsnijien.so. '.had; been; made ti» their officer, considered^' was entitled to extra salary, asHiis whole , time was. tha Borough; work. If it was not i^ : thdir province to, increase the Clerk's; ?alaty,:he'!;would, move" That the sura 'of £35 be vOtcd as. a bonus trithe.Oleik.for the lie has done. . j .. .The Mayor aid'hf-would, rather'tsee .thft.v Council Settle the' 'quest pii' ;-of<- an increase of 'salary first,■ and L "then' fhey cuiild discuss the wiestion of a bonus. . - Cr Parsons iisked'whether Or Gapper's niotion forni brnius win to be dation to the lniiiimilii; Council, 'or-(lid lie wish it to t)e givtfn' ; effect to 'by the 'present Council:; " 4 ''' ;Cr Gapper shid lie;'did not think the .'Oimncil was* in to do more than ' make a • reoomiiieiidatioii for •il'n-increase,but as - thuie was extra ivork, such "«s Gas,' Library, Fire Brigade, and "other tilings 'addikl to the Clerk s duties! he thought' they should reciisjiiiie it by voting the - bonus, and ho would he in favor of increasing it to £SO, and.inoved'^ordingly.

!: V'T.lie.\fayii^'fhi<ught tliuy were working in tiie cUik, '■■' The Council did _nnt kr=ow Vw h'ab amount their Clerk expected, and if .they viitiift a'smii Willi the idea-of acting liberally,' jt. might nut he thought, so by the Clerk:Ho .thought it best call tht) Clerk j'n and ask hiiu ivlint amount he expected, so th)it'it :\vouU. !ict as a guide to them in discussing-it...;' ! •(; : On the Clerk being asked lip. said he had 110 fixed expectations and would prefer,, to leave, (Jie- caso entiroly in the handi.of the Copticil, He then withdrew , ■; ■ *

Cr Mason said .they would all ; adihit that the salary of the Town Clerk ; was not sufficient for tho (if work ,he .'did, ■mid would like' the question thoroughly gone' into; to..'. Th'ero Jvara things that the Council/had not the pre-sent-opportunity of finding out, which would assist them in their,, deliberations, ,and he' would much prefer to see,a.Committee appointed to consider: thd.' matter ami ■ report at the next meeting.: : Cr Parsons thought it would bo wise for the' Council to pass a decided opinion" 'that oveiiing, as it bg/'the laat time they, would ha'vo the opportunity of. meeting. •• He'woula\ like' to see their; opinions recorded for the guidance of their successors, as no doubt it would in a.irefit measure influence "''the future' deliberations. They all felt that jhe Clerk was worthy of some : conaidefat?on,and the fact ot having worked : six years at tlia-eame salary, considering :tHe areat. .nrngreas mitde by the. Borough, entitled him to some compensation.,

Cr Muir would like 1 to" know' if the Town Clerk was to devote his whole time to the Borough dufica. as he was holding oue op tw<Hifhar offices.now which, were adding to His income. •

Or Chamberlain said io did no,t..aae' why the 1 Glerk ; should have any; ppivafce-work he mtfy have as loiig as Ke: did the Council work satisfactory, "• Or Muir argued, that; it would notbe fair to tho liureesses generally ; jf'they 7 allowed thoir Clerk to compete against themin private buainefo.; • He would,not 'be-in favor of him holding any other office than the the Town Lands Trust. . • :

.'Cr Heron riiincided with Cr.Muivand "aid if the Council paid hirti a: Bufflcieht salary; he ought not to'hold', any private positions, anrj/otlier offices, that could be taken tiy bbsineas nieiii in the tovfii.: 'Tl[u .Mavo.rfniij ho was in favqr of the. 1 question bqinp r.a'a -Committee as tliero' were so many points to be dis.Quas'ed for whwi> thov would have "'t37gi't i •dnf, v .for/,Ho. hinted ■ that-^ the VCoitncii niiirht , ; ' Ci* Mason prophesied that if the Couuq'l did, uot v mevt' agaiiit'iiliree'fOiJrth# of

..them would bo elected" on the new Conn «'• - . rp;( • ■ ■ Cr Muir would ; like 1 " to know. if the. • ;Tmvn Clerk would not be'tillped to cam ■ •:nji»)6y after offi e hours, ns-'ho did not ' think the amount proposed; enough to %®P*up. his position, ' v"^ cjjspilld have fotuake. the- salary; i the Clerk' to do;; r ithep •: lijpfriif they wished tpVp^:hiin frc.n} ■ itisinessV ■ " T •"' rt moyed, that cotaDiitteo .cotiflißting-.-of ■ the Mayot;' 'Grs Gapper, Heron, and file mover, 'bo ,appointed to consider.the qiiestioil an'd'Yeprirt f at next meeting, as he thought i- would be I ettes ggj olm e a special comiiiiftee-thau, to refer ' it to tVo'Finance Committee, Cr Cullen.bsked if ihe Committee had to deal with the Town Olerk'a p ivate duties.• , M ::'r.r ." ; ;The Mayor saidit, would -be' meiiessary , td go into the wholelqueßtiorirl\ -fuC. Cr Gapper ' tee should -niiake enquiries into ;m»''whole-S of the,^Clo'rkV' business outside -the hs| Burough' diitieß, : _aud tb"eQ to: tho'CounoSl tq'jmalie lis hiapteSe'ntiooorap.,, r"'■/.] Jp -'OrMatoVii p>s^. 4»fpe9i ;