LOCAL BODY OFFICERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17708, 17 February 1921, Page 8

LOCAL BODY OFFICERS.

FORMATION OF A GUILD. THE MINISTER'S APPROVAL. [BT XELEGBASH.—KBESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. A Dominion conference of officers of local bodies, comprising clerks, engineers, secretaries, etc., of boroughs, counties, harbour and hospital boards, and town and road boards, is being held to consider the formation of a Local Bodies Officers' Association or Guild. Mr. P. Skoglund, town clerk of Stratford, is chairman. The meeting was addressed by the chairman and by Mr. Mourant, secretary of the Bank Officers' Guild. A letter was read from the Minister for Internal Affairs, ex. pressing approval of the formation of the association, and stating that any suggestions that might require legislation would receive very careful consideration. • Mr. Mourant expressed the opinion that the body to be formed should open its doors so as to embrace all members of the clerical staffs of local bodies, men and women. The chief point for consideration was pecessarily the question of salaries; also they should consider the' points that promotion should be by way of merit and that they should institute a superannuation scheme founded on contributions from members and subsidies from local bodies. If they did not have a guild they would have a union, and the employers would sooner have a guild than a union. That was the experience of the promoters of the Bank Officers' Guild.

The chairman said the idea ahead was 'to form one big middle-class guild for the Dominion.

It was decided to form an association to be known as the New Zealand Local Bodies Officers' Guild, and the meeting went into committee to consider details of the constitution.