THE TOWN CLERK OF MORNINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 12307, 23 September 1904, Page 8

THE TOWN CLERK OF MORNINGTON.

TO TUK KDITOB. Sir, From the tone and tenor of your leading article in Tuesday’s issue it b evident to me that you, like many other critics of the town clerk, are but imperfectly acquainted with the harsh conditions mjposed upon him, the heavy responsibilities he has to bear, and the under-cur-rent he has to contend with in the discharge of bis manifold duties. For many years I was in the same blissful state o”f ignorance. I, like the majority of the ratepayers, paid my rates when they became due, recorded my votes at the usual elections, and, having done this, thought I might com id r I Lad done all that was ne.es* sary and might dispoie of my time afterwards as my pleasures inclined. But, having been moved into action through the continuance of a local grievance in 3 1900, I detected many other evils requiring remedies, and hence the Attention I have iestowed upon Mornington matters since. But the object of this letter is not to point out differences between us. but to show where we are in strict accord, and how easily, had the Council desired it, the present deadlock might have been avoided, and future complications prevented. You justly ennDin si that, the town clerk holds too many offices, arid that he cannot discharge all the duties properly. But who is responsible for this—the Council or the town clerk? Having made myself thoroughly conversant with all the facts. I maintain that both

' are in fault—the Council, in the first degree, for conferring the offices upon him; and the _ town clerk, in the second degree, i for taking the responsibilities upon his shoulders, when he should have known he could not sustain them. But upon a searching investigation of all the underI currents that were at work, I am compelled l to arrive at the conclusion that the town ! clerk was “ more sinned against than sinJ ning,” When Mr Smith was called upon I to represent the late major at Wellington, ! arid to attend the numerous conference- beI tween the old Mornington tramway and 'Council, he was overweighted with'work, and his nights as well as days were consumed in attempting to grapple with his ;m----1 possible task. Naturally business got into | a bad state, the regular work was neglected, i and the situation became very serious. It 1 is true Mr Sm th did ask for assistance : but it was gh\n m such a wav that he j could not accept it—that he must work with i a coadjutor, who was a perfect Frankenstein, to dog his footsteps, to shadow his movements, do everything to supplant his authority, and scheme to supplant him in his situation. The Frankenstein had a turn some few years ago as inspector of works, j which cost the borougß something like 1 £7O, and he is still at his old game, eagerly scheming for a billet; and to place him and the town clerk to work side by side ; would be like mixing oil and water. 1 Rather than have such a colleague thrust upon him, he preferred to overtax his own strength, and the result is now in evidence before us That .Mr Smith possesses very surprising gifts to : serve the interests of the borough, ms most I bitter opponents will admit; and if the Council are goaded on by the disappointed r rankenstein to whom I have already alluded, the town clerk and the Council must part company, and we shall onlv miss him when wo are left to mourn fiis loss. I know, and so do you, his abilities in mastering the details of all th_ departments in the borough, and to cast him from us at this juncture would bring about such a disintegration of our forces, such a demoralisation of our tramway, and such a collapse of our whole system of local government that our only hope then would be to sue the City Council to absorb us altogether in the Greater Dunedin scheme. The onlv

way I see of escaping the present difficutij • is to request the mayor to convene a meeting of the ratepayers in his official position, and pass toe matter over to them for adjustment.—l am, etc., ... . E. S. Manxz. September 21.