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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4174, 6 December 1884, Page 2

The position of clerks to Licensing Committees with regard to their salaries is an anomalous one. The Aot provides for their appointment, but makes no provision for their remuneration. They aro appointed by the Committees, but they are paid, if they are paid at all, by the local governing bodies that receive the license fees. In the case of the borough of Napier, there are three Licensing Committees and one clerk, but tho good sense of tho ratepayers determined that one set of men should form the Committee for the three wards. Otherwise with a different sot of men for each Committee there might have been three different clerks. A Licensing - Committee has no funds at its disposal, and the only chance of remuneration it can offer its clerk is a recommendation to the body receiving tho license fees. Last year the Licensing Committee for Napier passed a resolution commending its clerk's services to the favorable consideration of the Borough Council, and recommending the payment of a salary of £25 a year. The Council did not see fit to grant this amount, and voted the Aery inadequate sum of £10. On the principle of half a loaf being better than no bread, Mr Cullen accepted that amount. At the quarterly meeting of the Licensing Committee yesterday it was pointed out that the Corporation derived a large proportion of its revenue from license fees, the collection of which cost the borough nothing nor entailed on it any responsibility. On tho other hand, the clerk held a very responsible position, and for the due performance of his duties had to make himself thoroughly acquainted with the Act not only for the guidance of the Committee, but for the instruction of license holders who might come to him for information. The salary paid him could not bo said to come out of the pockets of any but those of the publicans, and it was due to those most interested that a coinpetentmanshouldbetheclerk, and that without adequate pay no competent man's , services could be depended upon. There wa3 [ no question as to Mr Cullen's competency and his long experience in the office rendered him the very best man who could be got. A resolution was accordingly passed for presentation to the Council urging the consideration of Mr Cullen's services, and the inadequacy of his remuneration, while pointing out that a salary of £2;; a year was not in excess of what is paid in other parts of the colon}- for the performance of similar duties. It is to be hoped that this second communication from the Licensing Committee to the Municipal Council will meet with more consideration than the first, one did. While the licensing law has to be carried out, it is of paramount importance that the clerk, upon whom the principal work falls, should be adequately paid, without which the Committeo might find itself in the very awkward position of having no assistant.