HC Deb 19 July 1894 vol 27 cc361-3
MR. JOHN BURNS

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been directed to the fact that the Town Clerk of West Ham, besides his clerkship, is also filling 16 other different offices, the occupancy of which necessarily conflicts with the proper discharge of his duties to the West Ham Town Council; and whether some limit should be placed on the number of offices a public official should hold?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. SHAWLEFEVRE,) Bradford, Central

I have no information as to the several offices held by the Town Clerk of West Ham beyond that given in the newspaper which my hon. Friend has sent to me, but if the facts are as stated the offices which he holds are unusually numerous. But I have no jurisdiction in the matter.

MR. JOHN BURNS

Am I to understand that the Local Government Board have not power to prevent town clerks and clerks to Boards of Guardians from taking private appointments? I have information of one case in which the number of such appointments is 17, and of another in which it amounts to 24—directly conflicting with the pecuniary interests of the ratepayers which a town clerk should watch.

MR. SHAW-LEFEVRE

I am advised that I have no jurisdiction in the matter and no power to intervene.

MR. JOHN BURNS

May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that East and West Ham are supplied with gas by the Gas Company to which the Town Clerk of West Ham is solicitor, and that 7d. or 8d. more per thousand is being paid than ought to be? Is the right hon. Gentleman also aware that the rates in that particular district are abnormally high, and that there are complaints of inefficiency and maladministration which the ratepayers believe to be due to the fact that the Town Clerk holds these 16 offices in addition to that of Town Clerk?

MR. SHAW-LEFEVRE

I have not had any complaints on the subject, I believe the hon. Gentleman is correct in saying that the rates are very high, but to what that is due I cannot say.

MR. JOHN BURNS

Do I understand that the right hon. Gentleman will decline to send one of his Inspectors to inquire into these allegations of maladministration, which many ratepayers believe to be the result of pluralism?

MR. SHAW-LEFEVRE

I must wait till some official complaint is made to me. No such complaint has yet been made.

SIR C. W. DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)

In the event of application being made to the Local Government Board to know whether there is any reason against the appointment to a particular office of a particular person will inquiry be made as to the offices already held by such person? Of course, that does not apply to town clerks.

MR. SHAW-LEFEVRE

The only case in which I have jurisdiction would be on a fresh appointment of clerk to a Board of Guardians. In respect to that I will make inquiries in the direction indicated.

MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)

May I ask whether these appointments are not made by the Local Authority, who are absolutely appointed by the people under the present system of democratic Government?

MR. J. CHAMBERLAIN (Birmingham, W.)

I was going to ask the same question. Is it not in the competence of the Town Council of this district to make arrangements with its town clerk as to paying him sufficient to make it unnecessary for him to hold these supplementary offices?

MR. SHAW-LEFEVRE

I believe that is so.

MR. R. G. WEBSTER (St. Pancras, E.)

Is it not a fact that while the right hon. Gentleman has full power and jurisdiction over clerks to Guardians he has no power whatever over clerks to Town Councils and Vestries?

MR. SHAW-LEFEVRE

I have already said that I have no jurisdiction whatever over Town Councils. The only case in which I could interfere would be on the fresh appointment of an officer under a Board of Guardians, and then my power would be limited to defining what the salary should be.

MR. BARTLEY

Will the right hon. Gentleman answer my question?

MR. SHAW-LEFEVRE

Undoubtedly a Town Council has full power to appoint its own officers and fix their remuneration.

MR. BARTLEY

Then I understand this is a matter entirely for local arrangement, and what is sought is that the central government should over-ride the Local Authority.

MR. JOHN BURNS

Considering the helplessness displayed by the Local Government Board, in taking no step to prevent a grave public scandal, I give notice that when the salary of the President of the Board is under consideration I shall move to reduce it by £1,700, £100 for each berth occupied by this gentleman.