TOWN CLERK DISMISSED

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 84, 9 April 1925, Page 8

TOWN CLERK DISMISSED

CRITICISM OF COUNCILLORS.

£IIJ ACRIMONIOUS MEETING.

HAMILTON BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

(Cy Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

HAMILTON, this day,

The controversy over the appointment of a comptroller for Hamilton culminated last night in the dismissal of the Town Clerk (Mr. E.J. Davey), and the appointment of another official to the position.

The interest which the controversy has aroused in the town is tremendous, and during the past week it has been the chief topic of discussion. Last night the Council Chamber was packed to the outer door with citizens, gathered there in the expectation of "something doing," and to hear the Council's final decision on the matter.

Those who have followed the trend of events in the Hamilton Borough will remember that about seven months ago a committee, consisting of Councillors D. Hay, A. E. Webb, and F. A. de la Mare, was set up to investigate the borough administration. They had power to appoint experts to give them assistance on technical matters. The Council is divided into two factions, known as the Fow and the Watts parties. Mr. J. R. Fow is the Mayor, but his party is in a minority of one on all important questions. The Investigation Committee presented its report only a few weeks ago, and this contained a recommendation that a borough comptroller be appointed, at a salary of £1000 a year. At that time Mr. E. J. Davey occupied the dual position of town derk and borough manager, and the Fow party saw in the recommendation what they considered a shrewd move to oust Mr. Davey from his position. . The recommendation was, therefore, strenuously opposed, but the "opposition" carried the day by the usual one vote. During the discussion the "opposition" criticised Mr. Davey rather harshly, and, as he could not reply to the criticisms in open council, he drafted a memorandum, which he issued privately to members of the Council, and in which he not only defended his position, but imputed dishonest motives to members of the Investigation Committee and their supporters, in that they had delayed the presentation of the report till a time just prior to the election, when they knew Ills hands would be full with preparing the election roll. This report was later Landed to the "Waikato Times" by a member of the Investigation Committee, but that' journal refused to publish it ■without the authority of the Town Clerk. Councillor Webb then approached the Town Clerk, and asked him. for written authority to publish the report. Mr. Davey said he had no objection to it being published, but, as there were three lawyers on the Council in opposition to him, he would sign nothing, as he did not know what they had up their sleeves.

At the meeting of the Council last ■week a ■ general attack on the Town Clerk's action in circulating tile report was made by the Watts party, and Mr. Davey was asked to give an unreserved withdrawal. This Mr. Davey declined to do, and the Council therefore suspended him for a week. Last night a special meeting was held to consider the whole position, when the Mayor said he had received a letter from Mr. Davey, ■which he read to the Council. In this the writer unreservedly withdrew all allegations of dishonest motives against the.members he had attacked, and said he would withdraw the whole report if members of .the Investigation Committee would admit that in framing their report they were not conversant with the conditions of his appointment as borough ' manager. The councillors concerned refused to do this, and demanded an unreserved withit , drawal' of the whole report and an ex- * pression of regret that it had been written. They asked the Mayor to get into communication with Mr. Davey by % 'phone and inquire if he was prepared to '■ do this. His Worship tried to overcome the difficulty in several ways, declaring that ~ it was not fair, in view of the criticism levelled at Mr. Davey, to expect him to % go further than he had. They could W not, he said, expect him to come to the ;ji Council on his knees and ask for forgivek ness. Mr. Davey, no doubt, wrote the memorandum under the stress of an in- .: justice having been done him. He might have been indiscreet in criticising councillors personally, but there was, lie thought, an excuse under the circumstances. Eventually, after some presH sure, his Worship got into communica- \ tion with Mr. Davey, who declared that he was not prepared to go any further than he had. Jj Councillor Webb thereupon moved: "That Mr. Davey's services be dispensed with, and that, in view of his long service with the borough, he be granted a three months' salary." He further moved: "That Mr. Waddcll, assistant 9 town clerk, be appointed to the position £ of town clerk, at a salary of £450 a year." . The Mayor appealed to the Council to ponder a while longer, and to allow the new Council to deal with the matter. The punishment proposed was out of all proportion to the crime, and it would be a lasting disgrace on the borough of Hamilton if they dispensed with the services of an old and trusted officer, who had given 20 years of faithful and valuable service ■ to the town, on a quibble of this sort, and when absolutely no charge had been made against his administration. The motion was, however, carried by the same majority of one. The meeting was characterised by much acrimony, and Councillor Brind, who later gave notice to rescind the latter part of the motion, and to call applications for the position of clerk, thought the Council should, if not returned to office, band themselves into a troupe, and go on tour as a travelling show. He was quite sure the rest of New Zealand was anxious to see such a curiosity.