ASHBUBTON BOROUGH COUNCIL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2306, 19 December 1889, Page 2

ASHBUBTON BOROUGH COUNCIL

ANNUAL MEnUING.

I Following Ib fhe 00-G!us!on of oure cPort : C above ;— ■ i Cr H. Friedlander proposed the health *, of the Mayor, who, he aaid, all would admit had upheld the dignity of tha chair,.and dmo justice to bis position. The Mayor was a gentleman who oould get on with anybody, and during the year tbe baeine3a of *h9 Oounoil had procaed-d m the most amicable manner, the work being done m a way wbioh refl oted oredit both on the Mayor and the Council His r6-alettion showed that the burgesses j had been satisfied with his action In tbe . past No doubt there were times when he did not agree with the opinions of the other Councillors, but he always bowed gracefully to the decision of the majoriry, which said a great deal for his fairmindedness. In c inclusion Or Friedlander expressed the hope that the Mayor would find the work of the ensuing year as pleasant as that of the one which had jast closed. Tlr; toaat wai dronk with cheers fos tha Mayor, snd similar compliments towards Mrs Thomas aad " tha little Thomases." Th. Mayor retorted thanks for fthe hearty manner m which the toast had beau received. During his twelve months oooupancy of the chair there hid not been a c oss word spoken at tho Oounoil table, and everything had gone on smoothly and satisfactorily to all concerned. As Or Friedlander had said, he always, as far as possible, subjected h'mself to the will of the majority. Certainly a case had just occurred In wbioh this cours. h id not been taken, bnt there, as chief magistrate of. tha town, he felt called mpon to act m the manner he did to uphold the bonor of the Oounoil, He had never deviated for a moment from what ho had at firet aaid, and if he had dene wrong he had throughout been actuated by a de°ire to uphold , thi Oouuoii's honor. Or Brooke proposed the toast of " The ex-Mayora." He had not Ing been resident here, but the work which had 1 been done, and the valuable reaerv is possessed by the Counoil showed that the i burgesses, had been well represented iv the past. „ j.Mr B. Friedlander briefly returned thanks, Although not now m the Council he still took a lively intsreet m Borough matters, and he would always do all m his ' power to further the welfare of the Borough Mr A Harrison also expressed his acknowledgments. He be'ioved that trie , revenue they would some day derive from their reserves would enable them to reduce \ the rate to a sixpenny one. Cc Scaly also returned thinks. Anything the Com oil had taken tn hand had ' beau done m a workmanlike w*y, and ho i felt sure that the Ojubo.l would oontiuue ' thia polioy. i Or H. Frledland rln re urnlng thanks aaid th^t though reference hai been made to the endowments whioh be h_d scenced 1 for the Borough, ho took no oredit ti '• himself, b--oauje he was of opinion that ' the bonor attaobed to the m iy o_raltj. was ao high tl.afc It was tho duty of tbe ocoup-»t U) do alt In his power to advance i the welfare of the burg^ss^s h<- rep-e seated. Ever atcoa Ashburton h-d betn j made a Borough ho Ind always done bis - best ih th interests -f tbe ratepayers, 1 and he challenged anyone to po'nt to a ■ single selfish action of bis wh nln office. t ( He gava way to uo oae ia hia respeot foe , the ohalr and Oounoil, snd his opposition , to anything that would operate a?alnst the honor of the Ooanoll oould be considered as oorta'n. When the Oounoil ' the other day deoided that It wbb boand i to a oertain oourse of action, a minor ; body should not have beld out against lit ' bnt sh..uld have given way. He had been lod luto mklng thess reranvka beo-tue < £ ' the position which had beon taken np by 1 some ratepayers aud one of the members of the Oouitol Maj r~-taward profOJod the toast cf •' Tho Ashburton Borough Ojuncil." Al visitors to Aahburlou were impressed with its bright, olean, and pleasant , appearance, aod Its wr.tor supp'y, footpaths, and roadways reftoocvd oredit on Its municipal administration. There 1 were one or two ni&ttora to which ho would like to o«ll IhaO •UQcll'a atte «tion. He would like to ano a it ;rt made with the i InFC-11-'ion of tbe Jabtlea olook ; he , tbonght something Bhould be dono with some of the pavenunts, suoh as the one !u Tanored ttreet, aud ho was of opinion th.t Baring Sqnaie m'ghi. be Improved by removing the tf.ca .j L II . a.ic fc aide ' so that * v'ew of Ibe i r* - . • <>c ''coi on the oiher sida might be obtained, Tha M*yor In responding agreed tbat , tbe pa**3ma?.t io Tanored Bteeet was ln rather b;d ordor, hut time weso a_nr_y footpaths m tbo Borough which bed no p&v.meat at all — either good or bad. However, It was likely that during next year a good do-1 would be dune ln the way of channeling and paving, to which would bo devoted the money wbioh had this year been expended on the Domain and Fire Engine Something definite In reg&rd to the Jubilee olook wocld very shortly be deoided, and as to the trees In Baring Square, If M jor Steward only knew tho difficulty thoy had In getting them to grow k? would not be bo reedy to oat them down. Mr Harrison proposed tho toast of the County Oounoil m a brief spseoh m which he nude referenoa to tbo useful works j whiob had been oarried out by that body, ■ more pWf.loular'y the system of water raoes, and the Urge and valuable plantations which they bad established. Or H. Fri-dlander In responding Bald that I*, wao acknowledged 'fiat the Aahburton County Counoil was the leading j body of iha kind In Nbw Zealand, and he j pointed out that the work done by It ln ithe past waa ntw being copied by all ths other Oonnty Oounolls whioh oould do bo, Thn water raoa system was a testimony which there was no gainsaying, to the benefits which tha Cunoll had conferred on tbo ratepayers. It would be 'remembered whei that system was first | prcpoeed what opposition m.t tbe Council, 1 bnt the benefits whioh had followed {.a J adoption were now evary wbere acknowledged. He hoped to see at no distant idate a thorough sohem. of Irrigation. He was snrprlaed that the ratepayers had .rejaoted the last schema which bad boen 'put betake them, but he trußfad that the ,t ounoll would persever- und yet make Irrigation n Buoceoa > s hoy had the water fracas. H. h-d seen ihe ro.n.tß of irrigation Jn Austr*ll», and ho predicted 'that t . adulated hero ten -hoop oould be jkept oa th- aoro of lacd whi_.h now •supported two. ' Mr it. Frledlander proposed the health fof '* Tho Council's Banker, 1 ' and m doing no referred to tbe ready manner m whioh tt ft Bank had always aooommoda ed the Oounoil In any matters of finance. Mr Frledlander alao referred to the able manner m whioh the Mayor bad oarrled out his duties, and congr anointed bi.n oo tho good work ho had dono for Aahburton In oonr-eotlon with tbo New Z -land a' d South Seas Exhibition. He hnd mo v with but icant epoouiagemeut at firet, but he ! ad worked so zealously that Asbburton was able to make a most creditable display. The Mayor bri. fly responded lo ihe tonet. Or Soaly propoeod tho lealth of " The Oonnoll'a Offiopra atid Enoployeta," He spoke highly of tho abllliy tlwaVß shown , by tho Engineer and tbo other etuployocs of the Council. The siree.e, footpaths, and other works ci.rr.ec2 out nnder the supervision of the Engineer sppke for themselves Or Scaly specially referred to the work recently dote In tbe Domain, and said that hur.drr-ds of people were now waking up to the faot that they poaseased iv their midst a most boaut'ful re.orea.tioK When the Oounoil' had op&£te.?g »H ty Q jiioat impoitent/

h«oika for :.no Boroa.h, ho tfl u^:; m,; 1 0 v -oil would bo juat fi dln turning thelv i ttteutlon to baautl'ylng the town. To« [ Domain hai ban mn h beautified of Me land the long taikua of swirnrntog hid now approached oomplet!. . , so tha f.t-e residents In the Boroagh wonli row be able (o r-njoy a Bwim. Me O. E Fooks, the Engineer, responded. It had always been a pleasuro te | him to fulfil hla duties to the beat of hie ability. Be had reoeived great aaratsoce ,from the Oounoil, and bad bean fortunate m having a good staff of men under him. He particularly wished to refer to the ability and Industry always displayed by •_he foreman, Mr Spicer, and Bald tha Oouicii^ were exceedingly fortunate m having m their employ ao able au offioer. Oc JBL, Frlodlandtr said there was one mater ho wished to refer to and that was •he opening of the Domain sparts ptound. The publio would be Interested to know what had been done bloob the Oounoil took over the oontrol of the Domain A committee had been appointed and would meet thrt afternoon to decide what steps sh.uld he taken In connection with the formal opening o! the Spot J a Ground on Boxing Day, when tbe Caledonia- Sooiety would hive their annual g*therlng. Cr Soott proposed tbe health of " The ' Borough Solioltor and the Borough Valuator, Me E, G. Crisp and Mr W, H.raa.'' The Mayor responded and ln doing so apologised for the unavoidable absence of the solioltor . Or Outbbertaon apologised for the absence of Or MoFarlane. He then proposed the health of "Oar members of Parliament." Major Steward responded. Cr H. Frledlander proposed "The Agricultural and Pastoral Interests," whiob was responded to by the Mayor. Cr Bird proposed "The Press " whioh was responded by Mi jor Steward and Mr E. J. Paul. Mc R, Fciedlander proposed '•' The Ashburton Flre Brigade" ln a very enlogistio speech. Or Q. F. Scott (osptaln of the Brigade) responded. He spoke of the good feeling now existing between the Council and the Brigade and of the most oomplete and valuable plant they now had to work with. , J Thh Mayor proposed ie a very happy <nd gallantly worded speech the toast of "The Ladies." He asked Or Bird lo respond and sincerely hoped that next year that Oounolllor would not be In a position to bo qualified to respond to the toast as the youngest bachelor. Or Bird briefly responded, The toast of the Chairman (the Mayor) drunk with musical honors, oonoiudea the business.