UNFOUNDED RUMOURS

Te Puke Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 60, 29 July 1938, Page 2

UNFOUNDED RUMOURS

MAYOR UP IN ARMS THE TOWN CLERK’S POSITION “Rumours that the Town Clerk (Mr H. W. Earp) had a ‘cushy job’ had been going on in Te Puke for some years, but lately they had been accentuated. The tittle-tattle of irresponsible people and ‘pavement parliaments’ had to cease. The criticism was absolutely unfair and unjustified,” said the Mayor at the special meeting of the Borough Council on Friday evening last.

Mr Keys went on to assure Council that the Clerk’s job was not a ‘cushy’ one. He had enough to worry him day in and day out. He was at the beck and call of the councillors when they wanted any information, and had to listen to complaints of every description from the public, and attend to these attentively and with courtesy. The clerk was not in the same position as councillors who could tell them to “bag their heads.” The rumours that the Clerk was not fully occupied and that he was not earning his salary were entirely unfounded. Mr Earp was a highly efficent account ant, and he was giving to the Borough the best service that could be procured. He would like to see anyone with similar credentials do the work and do it as thoroughly for the same salary as the clerk receives. No one realises the amount of valuable work done, and the amount of money saved the Council, by Mr Earp. “I want publicly to protest against the tittle-tattle going round the town against the Clerk,” concluded the Mayor. Mr Keys then moved the following resolution “That this Council records its appreciation of the loyal and efficient service rendered to the Borough of Te Buke by Mr Horace William Earp as town clerk for nearly twenty years, and expresses its thanks to him for the conscientious, painstaking, efficient and economical manner in which he has carried out, and still carries out, his duties.” This was seconded by Cr Ryan, who endorsed Mr Keys’ remarks. He was not new to the Council table, and both during his term as a member of the Town Board and the Borough Council he had found the clerk most courteous and keen to give him all information he required. Cr Jamieson said one had only to see and peruse the annual statement and Estimates to know what Mr Earp was doing. He was supervising and collecting for every department in .the Borough. The Electricity department was a job on its own. In his opinion £3OO per annum was a very low payment for the servicesxhe rendered. As chairman of the Finance Committee he was thankful he had him as a Town Clerk. Accountancy must be thoroughly understood to hold the Clerk’s position and cope with the intricacies of Borough works. He could sincerely congratulate Mr Earp on the thoroughness with which he carried out his multitudinous duties.

Cr Eccleton, while deploring such rumours, said they could hardly come from responsible and balanced people, but as the Mayor said, this tittle-tattle must be silenced. Mr Earp had the fullest confidence of the ratepayers. The motion was carried unanimously.