TOWN CLERKS’ DUTIES

Evening Star, Issue 26041, 4 March 1947, Page 9

TOWN CLERKS’ DUTIES

SOME USURPATION BY COUNCILLORS DANGERS OF UNTRAINED ADMINISTRATION (P.A.) ROTORUA, March 3. “ It is the duty of an administrative organisation to see that the people’s wishes are carried out with the maximum , efficiency, but your duties do not consist solely in blindly carrying out the instructions of your councils,” said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry, in addressing the inaugural session of the conference off the Institute of Town Clerks to-day. “ Because the range of your duties is continually widening, it is imperative that you should be adequately equipped to carry out your tasks. I have followed with great interest the progress of the ■ recentlyfounded Local; Government Administrative Officers’ Institute, and in this connection I would like to say that in the past far too much emphasis has been placed on qualifications in accountancy for. those who wish to specialise in public administration. Indeed, much of the effort required so to qualify has been wasted.”' Tne president of the institute,••■Mr T. W. M. Ashby, town clerk of Auckland, said in his annual report that the status of the institute depended on the status of the town clerk in the community. lere was a tendency in New Zealand for some mayors and councillors to usurp duties which were properly within the sphere of administration. : This might have been justified in years gone by, but to-day many of those towns had thrown off their swaddling clothes. There ■ was danger in an untrained man taking over in any degree the duties of a specialised administrative officer. Mr Asliby said he felt certain that the public was willing to pay adequately and,: indeed, well for the efficient discharge of local government. He deplored the practice of some municipalities of endeavouring to coihnue tne duties of town clerk with those of engineer, for the two sets of training were in no way analogous. The institute must resist this practice by every means at its disposal. If the Government intended to make changes affecting municipal affairs,, he, .said, let it do so early, and whatever the policy question might be it might ie well worth the Government’s while o invite the opinion 6tf the institute on the proposed measures.