ALLEGED INEFFICIENCY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19720, 20 August 1927, Page 12

ALLEGED INEFFICIENCY.

SYDNEY COUNCIL MATTERS. OFFICIAL PAPERS WITHHELD. . { i ; —— f Th 6 town clerk of byuney made grave charges against civic onicnus at a meeting ol the finance committee oi the City Council iast week. "There has been inordinate delays in different: departments in dealing w itli officials' papers," tne town cierii stated. "In some cases 1 have experienced the greatest difficulty' in getting tiie papers ,'returned 110 m heads 01 departments, ihe practice is that when the City Council makes an order regarding any matter it ; is noted in the town clerk's department -and the hie sent to the head oi the department concerned to have the matter attended to. When that is not done id reasonable time a reminder is sent to ;the official concerned; if that is not effective, another reminder to deal with the I matter is given. In many instances the 'reminders have had' no effect and the "papers are not returned to the town clerk's department. ■ The position has 'reached the stage now that I felt I had .-no option but formally to report the 'matter to the finance committee." Alderman Courtenay asked why the town^clerk did not suspend the officials "1 concerned. A' t Town Clerk: I do not think it is a -"matter for- suspension of officials. Alderman Stokes: Cannot you lay down a regulation ? Town Clerk: The regulation is there, but the trouble is that it is not obeyed. Alderman A. McElhone: The instructions of the town clerk as head of the administration must be carried out and no exception should be made in the case of any official. Mr. Courtenayi There have been two - inquiries recently and at each of them there were important papers missing. No ' "wonder that was/so in view of what the ' town clerk tells us. The town clerlj said he proposed submitting to the next meeting of the finance committee a list of papers that were missing from the town clerk's department " awaiting notification from departmental '-'heads that the matters had been dealt with. Some of the papers went back as far as 1922. Mr. A. McElhone: That is over the ' odds. Xo wonder there is no efficiency in'the Town TTall administration. T say ./the town clerk /is responsible and (lie Citv Council must hold him responsible. The town clerk said that when ihe aldermen got h'.3/report he would be •find of definite instructions. TTe wanted to have the panel's bark in snfe rnstodv and hj» .hnd not 'Ru<~i"eede'-' so far in trot - tine: them returned. Tho delnv wps Serious!*-- the whole business of the City CouriHl