how
clerks in the office of the Authority for which the
election was being held.
For Parliamentary Elections the Presiding
Officers were paid £5. 5. 0. and the Poll Clerks
£1. 10. 0. for the day, and for Municipal or County Council elections the payments were £3. 3. 0. and £1. 1. 0. respectively.
Acceptance of these assignments was
regarded as a public duty and the Presiding Officer
generally supplied meals for his Poll Clerk and
Police Constable.
It is difficult to see where staff is to be
found. The Assessor employs a certain amount of "seasonal" clerical assistance. Use might perhaps be made of this, if times did not clash, and he might be able to lend some staff with a good knowledge of the city. The Urban Council would naturally be expected to help with the first registration and election and afterwards the Municipal Council staff, particularly that of the Clerk of the Council, would have to take
a hand.
My greatest concern is the senior registration officer and returning officer, who would presumably be
one and the same person. An inexperienced officer
could so easily land the Council in appeals and
election petitions. I do not believe there is a single experienced person in the Colony and would again most strongly urge the need for securing the services,
possibly for two years, of a really experienced city,
town or county council clerk from U.K.
(Sd) T. M. HAZLERIGG
3.4.47