“NO AUTHORITY.”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10459, 14 December 1927, Page 2

“NO AUTHORITY.”

BOROUGH DOG REGISTRAR’S COMPLAINT MR! A. M. BEER TENDERS RESIGNATION Owing to the fact that he had not the Council’s authority legally to collect dog taxes and because the fees, which should go to the Council were going through another channel, Mr A. M. Beer tendered his resignation as dog registrar to tho Borough' Council last evening. Following upon this advice Mr Beer repprted that he had registered 414 dogs for 1927 and had paid m £123 18s 6d. He estimated there were still from 180 to 200 dogs to he registered and as the owners asserted he had no ■ authority to collect fees, he was compelled to resign his position. Some stated they would register their doigs pVhe : n convenient. others refused! to produce either a collar or a receipt stating fhey would show them to the Town Clerk if necessary. The whole system was unsatisfactory. There were 36 dogs belonging to the borough registered at the Cook County and at Tolaga Blay, the animals being kept in the, borough which was quite illegal. A.' suggestion that the _ matter should be referred to a committee for investigation was made by Cr. T. Todd, who said that if the facts were as stated by the dog registrar it certainly warranted some inquiry. Or. J. Blair said lie did not think the present system could he improved instructions being given that no prosecution should take place unless the borough solicitors were consulted. Cr. Todd pointed out that the legistrar’s complajnt was that ho was not invested with sufficient authority to compel the owners to register their dogs when the officer called. He sometimes had to visit the same house many times which was not fair. The resignation of Mr Beer was accepted, the Council on the athice of Cr. H. EL Maude deciding to refer »tho matter of duties and administration of the registrar for investigation and report liefore inviting new applications for the position.