ACT INTERVENES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 October 1924, Page 4

ACT INTERVENES.

COUNCIL AND BANDMASTER. DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY. P awera Borough Council last mght discovered that they were not ega ly entitled to employ Varied bandmaster, and they therefore decided to offer a citizens’ committee a subsidy of £lo(), £IOO of which must whnS ,en r +V 1 pa . yUlg a part > ° l ' the " y tle of a bandmaster, and £oo of which must be spent on requisites. A meeting of oitiJL ll to be convened for Thursday evening. lhe meeting was a special one called with a view to discussing matters concerning the proposed hand, and there present: His Worship the Mayor Cur. L. A Bone) and Crs. Reid, Champion, Brunette, Townsend, MorGoodwin, Surrey, Burdekin, and Osborne. orship said they would remember that the council authorised a committee to advertise for applications ror the position of bandmaster at a salary of £2OO per annum. This had leon done, but after the advertisement had been inserted a doubt had arisen in the Town Clerk’s mind as to whether the council had the power to employ a salaried bandmaster. The clerk had inquired at the audit office as to the position, and they had wired back that the council was absolutely in order, and referring the council to the section of the Act dealing with the matter. On looking up the Act, it was seen that there was still a doubt, and it was thought that the position had. not been made fully clear to the audit office. The borough solicitor also agreed that there was certainly a doubt, and it was therefore decided to obtain an opinion from Mr. Martin, of Wellington. Mr. Martin’s reply was to the effect that the council had no power to appoint a salaried bandmaster, but they had power to vote anv subsidy to a citizens’ band committee. His Worship said that the council had no alternative but to retreat, and lie thought they could not create any position for a bandmaster which would be stable. All the council could do was to subsidise a citizens’ band committee. The council had had fifteen applicants for the position, and three of them were really good men and would have suited the town admirably. . However,' they were not able to appoint them, and he did not think that the present citizens’ committee as constituted was strong enough to deal with the position. The only thing- to do was to call another public meeting. Or. Burdekin then moved: “That the council having been advised by their solicitors that they are unable to make the appointment of a bandmaster, the Town Clerk be instructed to convene’ another public meeting to deal with the whole position.—Cr. Osborne seconded. Cr. Morrissey said lie was against the spending of £2OO of the council’s bioney as a salary for a bandmaster. He thought that the amount was too great, and a good man could be got for less. A town the size of Hawera giving £2OO was out of proportion to what other towns w’ere giving. On the motion of Crs. Osborne and Champion, it was decided that a meeting of citizens be convened for Thurs-, day evening, and "on the motion of the Mayor and Or. Burdekin it was further decided that applicants w T ho had applied for the position be advised of the council’s inability to make any appointment. His Worship said he was not. in favour of the handing of £2OO to a citizens’ committee to spend in any wav they liked. Cr. Rbid thought that before the council dealt with the matter of handing over any money they should see what enthusiasm the citizens displayed.- Amongst the citizens who had attended the last, public meeting there were only two who were not bandsmen or councillors. Only two outsiders did not warrant the council spending even £lO. Cr. Brunette gave notice of motion to rescind the provision of £2OO whirti had been made on the estimates. He had been 'surprised at the public’s lack of interest in the matter. The council should now drop the matter and let the citizens approach them if a subsidy were required. The clerk pointed out that the £2OO was only on the estimates, and His Worship ruled the notice of motion out of order. Cr. Osborne agreed that the public were simply “resting on their oars” thinking that the council was "oing to do everythipc. He was fully confident that when the citizens realised that .the council had dropped it- they would attend the meeting on Thursday ni"ht. Cr. Morriscev considered that the. council should fix a subsidv if thev were to erive one at all so thaf, the citizens would have something to work on. He moved that the council make available t-c a, citizens’ committee the sum of £l5O. £IOO t/> bo used in uaviim a. bandmaster’s salary and C’c A fc” reouisites.*

Cr. Goodwin seconded. He thmiodit tlipT, ponlrl trot n. man f° r £IOO. niirl if tl’ rt citizens thought that was ppr'iinrli t.hpv could collect nfire. r- j\frmissPV ! s 100+1011 'Tis tliei! Ollt pp—iprl om Ins Worshin's o<ict.imr +ltp division hoias folßu's-; His 'Wo’-shiv* am] Os. Townsend Mor"U'/:pv i Gondwiv and Qn''»'pv voting in <•- i—’i" and .0<? Reid. Clmmnion. Brunette, Burdekin and Osbonm against.