COUNTY CLERKS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 2, 30 November 1944, Page 3

COUNTY CLERKS

ANNUAL MEETING

Tile annual meeting of the Wellington district branch of the New Zealand Institute of Comity Clerks was held in Palmerston North yesterday, Mr J. Hutton. of Pahiatua, presiding over a good attendance. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-' sheet Mr Hutton said that the membership had been well maintained; nine members were serving in the Armed Forres. The Dominion executive was to be commended for the excellent arrangement made with the Counties' Association wherebv individual county councils were asked, when making executive appointments, to give preference to applicants with local body experience. Recalling the introduction of the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill, Mr Hutton said that while it was not his privi'ege or function to criticise this legislation in the political sense, he believed that if the Government had shown any desire to co-operate with those whose business it was to administer the law many |of the difficulties encountered would 1 not have arisen. Had the Government prior to the introduction of its leaish+inn rnrH to obtain the information which could have been made available, he felt sure that the measure, as placed on the Statute Book, would have been materially improved. The report and balance-sheet were adonfod and the election cf officers resulted : President, Mr H. Harding (Feathcrston): vice-president,, Mr W. lle=seltino (Kiwitea): secretary and treasurer, Mr J. O. Markley fMastcrton); audi f or, Mr G. Darbyshirc (Wanpajmi); members of executive, Messrs F. Nichol (Bangitikei), E, T, Bcavan 'Wairarapa South), and N. I. Nielsen (Palmerston North.). At the last annual mooting, the bxocutivo brought down two proposals for consideration, viz: (a) the establishment of a fellowship as a memorial to those officers who had made the supreme sacrifice in the present world war. and (b) the revision of the constitution and rules of the institute. Begarding remit fa), advice had been received that consideration had been deferred to the next meeting of fhe executive, and the branch was requested in the meantime, said the chairman, to give furthor consideration to the matter with a view to suoplyinor some constrtietive views on the subject. Headquarters intimated inreforenee to remit (b) that, as the recommendation did not make any sug<rest'ons as to what form the revision should take, it regretted it could not deal with the remit, but that it would be glad of any specific suggestions the branch had in mind.

Evidence (o bo jrivon to the Parliamentary committee concerning local body legislation was discussed at length in committee.