Administration of Ohinemuri County

Diamond Jubilee of the Ohinemuri County 1885 - 1945

Chairmen, Councillors and Staff 1885 - 1945

Service of Messrs. W. Marshall and R. W. Evans

ADMINISTRATION — 1885-1945    FIRST COUNCIL, November, 1885:

F. COCK (Chairman), H. BUTLER, E. M. CORBETT, T. M. HUMPHREYS, J. H. MOORE, W. G. NICHOLLS, F. STRANGE, J. WALSH.

PAST COUNTY CHAIRMEN:

Of the foregoing Chairmen, Mr. Hugh Poland was elected to Parliament in 1905 and served continuously for 20 years, while Mr. W. G. Nicholls was called to the Legislative Council.

The ex-Chairmen still living are Messrs. H. M. Corbett, C. E. Lloyd, W. F. Johnstone and W. Marshall. Mr. Corbett now resides near Te Aroha and still takes a lively interest in local body affairs. Mr. Lloyd is retired and living in Tauranga. Both Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Marshall reside in Paeroa still carrying on farming. Mr. Marshall holds the honour of the longest term as Chairman. He attained that office on his election to the Council and held it until he retired from the Council last year. He now holds the position of Chairman of Directors of the N.Z. Co-op. Dairy Co., Ltd., and during the war years he held many important positions in Wellington in connection with the war.

Councillors

Members of the Ohinemuri County Council since its inception, showing the periods of service:—

* Sitting Members.

County Clerks

At the first meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council on November 17, 1885, Mr. Edwin Edwards was appointed interim clerk until the instalment of a permanent clerk.

On January 16, 1886, Mr. Thos. Lawless was appointed County Clerk, Treasurer and Foreman of Works, but from records apparently did not accept the position, and on February 2, 1886, Mr. Robert Simms was given those offices. Mr. Simms resigned on August 14, 1886, and the Council appointed Mr. F. Cock, the County Chairman, as Clerk and Treasurer and to receive £50 for same in addition to his travelling expenses allowance as Chairman.

Mr. Cock held those positions until March 5, 1887, when applications were called for the position of County Clerk and Treasurer, and Mr. Nepean Kenny, father of Mr. Courtenay Kenny, of Paeroa, was the successful applicant. Mr. Kenny held those positions for over 21 years and tendered his resignation on June 4, 1908, and asked that it take effect on August 1, 1908. His resignation was accepted with regret but he was given three months' leave of absence from July 1, 1908, having completed over 21 years.

On June 18, 1908, Mr. R. W. Evans, who had been Assistant Clerk since 1897, was appointed County Clerk and Treasurer to take effect from October 1, 1908, when Mr. Kenny's leave of absence would expire.

Mr. Evans held office for over 24 years, which, with a period of 11 years as assistant clerk, gave him the record of over 35 years in the service of the Council.

In July of 1932, Mr. Evans, on account of ill-health and his age, then being 77, desired to place himself unreservedly in the hands of the Council and expressed himself as willing to accept whatever was considered best with regard to his position. The Council resolved that Mr. Evans be relieved of his duties of County Clerk and appointed him Advisory Clerk to the Council, retaining his position as County Treasurer. These positions he still held at his death on January 11, 1933.

When Mr. Evans relinquished his position as County Clerk in July, 1932, the Council appointed Mr. A. A. Jenkinson, the then assistant clerk, and who had held that position for almost 13 years, as acting-County Clerk for three months, and in October of that year was made County Clerk. In February, l933, at the meeting after the death of Mr. Evans, the Council appointed Mr. Jenkinson County Treasurer. At the present time Mr. Jenkinson is still County Clerk and Treasurer, and has given just on 26 years' service to the County, during which time he has not missed a Council meeting.

County Engineers

The first position of County Engineer was held by Mr. W. Littlejohn, who up to the time of his appointment was a member of the Council. He was appointed engineer in August, 1891. From the formation of the County in 1885, and up to that time, a foreman of works had been employed. This position was first filled from February, 1886, to August, 1886, by Mr. Robert Simms, who was also County Clerk, and then to July, 1891, by Mr. W. Tetley, when the Council decided to procure the services of a County engineer, and appointed Mr. Littlejohn, who was also made forest ranger. Mr. Littlejohn died in September, 1895, and in November, 1895, upon applications being called, Mr. D. W. McArthur, of Horsham, Victoria, was appointed engineer.

In February, 1897, Mr. McArthur resigned and Mr. A. Armstrong was appointed to the position, and remained until June, 1901, when Mr. D. W. McArthur was again made engineer.

He resigned in August, 1903, and upon applications being called, Mr. J. Black, of Queenstown, was appointed, but resigned in July of the following year.

In August, 1904, Mr. Chas. Bray, jnr., of Utiku, was successful in his application for the position, and remained until March, 1907.

In April, 1907, Mr. James F. McArthur, who had been assistant engineer since September, 1902, was made engineer, and Mr. E. Shaw was appointed assistant engineer. Mr. McArthur resigned in October; 1909, and in December of that year Mr. Chas. Bray, jnr., was again appointed. Mr. Bray remained in office until May, 1914, when he resigned.

Mr. G. S. Gould succeeded Mr. Bray as engineer from June 18, 1914, until December 1, 1916, when Mr. E. Shaw, the then assistant engineer since April, 1907, was appointed engineer.

Mr. Shaw completed a great record of service to the County in March, 1927, when he died while still engineer, having been assistant engineer for over nine years and engineer for almost eleven years, a total of twenty years.

Mr. L. E. Shaw was made county foreman in September, 1924, and upon the death of his father, Mr. E. Shaw, was made county engineer and remains in that position at the present time, having completed 21 years' service to the county. This is a record for service in the Engineering Department.

Assistant Clerks

Although a few persons, including J. S. Ingram, who also assisted the foreman of works, had been engaged casually on clerical assistance to the county clerk in the early years of the County, the first actual assistant clerk to be appointed by the Council was Mr. R. W. Evans, who was given this position in September, 1897, and held same until his appointment as County clerk and treasurer in October, 1908.

There were no less than seven persons who held the office of assistant clerk during Mr. Evans' term of county clerk. The first was Mr. F. C. Shaw, who was appointed in July 1908, and then resigned in September, 1909.

In October, 1909, Mr. Arch. V. Browne was made assistant clerk and resigned in June, 1912, to take up the position of assistant clerk to the Rangitikei County Council. Mr. E. L. Brenan was appointed in Mr. Browne's place upon applications being called and remained in the position until March 4, 1915, when he tendered his resignation, having volunteered and been accepted for active service in the 1914-18 war. He was granted leave of absence for six months, with the option of extension for a further reasonable period. Mr. Brenan was killed in action at Gravenstafel on October 4, 1917. Mr. Geo. Harrison was the next assistant clerk, who was appointed on March 31, 1915. After a 15 months' term he also tendered his resignation, having also enlisted to go to the war. His resignation was accepted, but an understanding was given, as in Mr. Brenan's case, that should he return from active service and desire to again resume his position with the Council, the same would be available to him. Mr. Harrison returned, but did not take up his position again. In the meantime, in June, 1916, Mr. H. E. Elliott was appointed assistant clerk, and held office until May, 1917, when he resigned.

In the same month applications were called and Mr. Reginald Sprague, then of Ngaruawahia, was appointed assistant clerk and held the position for almost three years until February, 1920, when he resigned to take up the position of secretary-manager to the newly-formed Thames Valley Electric Power Board, a position he still holds.

Mr. A. A. Jenkinson took Mr. Sprague's place, having commenced duties in December, 1919. He was assistant clerk for almost 13 years, the longest period of service for an assistant clerk, and in October, 1932, was made county clerk, as Mr. R. W. Evans had relinquished that position, and then upon the death of Mr. Evans in January, 1933, was also made county treasurer. Since 1933 there have been no actual assistant clerks appointed, but the following clerical assistants have been in the employ of the Council since that year: —

Miss M. Mills, April, 1933, to March, 1936;

Miss M. Robinson, March, 1935, to December, 1942;

Miss H. Ward, February, 1936, to May, 1941;

Mr. J. F. Kidd, June, 1938, to February, 1939;

Mr. H. E. Bradley, February, 1939, to March, 1942;

Mrs. T. T. W. Gallagher, January, 1943, to May, 1944.

Miss E. Snelgar was appointed in May, 1944, and still occupies that position.

Pound-Keeper

In November, 1897, Mr. F. Beattie was made pound-keeper, and resigned in August, 1903, when Mr. C. B. Gentil was appointed and held the position until the pound was abolished in 1920.

Forest Ranger and inspector of Nuisances

Mr. F. Beattie was forest ranger from November, 1897, to May, 1902, when Mr. Joseph Martin was appointed, along with the position of Inspector of Nuisances, but these positions were not carried on.

Traffic Inspector

The Ohinemuri County had no traffic inspector until December, 1930, when Mr. J. W. Johnstone, of Huntly, was appointed. He was originally inspector for Ohinemuri and Thames Counties, but from December 1, 1932, Coromandel County was brought into the group, and then in May, 1935, it was agreed to also include the Thames Borough. In 1937 the traffic inspection in this district, along with other districts, was taken over by the Main Highways Board. Mr. Johnstone's services were retained by the Board until he retired in 1940. Since then Traffic Inspectors D. Morrow and R. Doggett have served this district, and it is at present being served by Inspector G. A. R. Ferguson, resident at Thames.

Traffic inspection is now being administered by the Transport Department, and groups of local bodies have been formed. This group comprises the Counties of Coromandel, Thames, Ohinemuri, part of Tauranga, and the Paeroa and Thames Boroughs. For this service the Counties are paying over to the Transport Department one-third of the fees received for motor drivers' licenses.

Abattoirs

The abattoirs was opened on January 1, 1899, and Mr. F. Beattie was appointed manager and Mr. A. D. Lawrence as slaughterman, and Mr. John Earl assistant slaughterman. Mr. Earl remained for only six months. Mr. Beattie held the position of manager until March, 1907, when Mr. C. B. Gentil was appointed. Mr. Gentil retained the position from 1907 until 1933, when the abattoirs was sold to the Paeroa Borough Council. He conducted the abattoirs in a very methodical and conscientious manner for over 26 years. Mr. Lawrence was slaughterman since its establishment and retired in 1939, having given over 40 years of excellent service. He died on May 12, 1940. Mr. B. King acted as assistant slaughterman for a number of years.

Cemetery and Magazine

In May, 1902, Mr. F. Beattie was appointed caretaker of the cemetery and magazine keeper and resigned in August, 1903, when Mr. C. B. Gentil was given the positions. Mr. Gentil carried out these duties for 30 years, when, on account of the abattoirs, of which Mr. Gentil was manager, having been transferred to the Paeroa Borough Council, the Council reluctantly agreed that the services of Mr. Gentil were not then required and his employment terminated on September 30, 1933. The work of the cemetery and magazine has been added to the duties of the county clerk. Mr. Gentil was one of the oldest and most respected servants of the Council and had given excellent service for over 30 years. His work was always a model of neatness and accuracy. He died on December 1, 1935.

Chairman's Good Work

Taken on the whole, the Ohinemuri County Council has had a number of good chairmen, but it can be said of the late chairman, Mr. Marshall, that he achieved greater results than any of his predecessors. This, we believe, will not be denied, and those who held office before will be among the first to give him credit for the remarkably good work he has done for the County. Making use of the relief workers, and fighting successfully for increased payment for them, he carried out to the benefit of the community as a whole, works that would not have been considered but for the common-sense attitude he adopted by getting the authorities to realise that the labourer was worthy of his hire. Nobody could have done more to assist the relief workers, and at the same time give greater service to the community, than was done by Mr. Marshall and those who were associated with him on the council.