A SILVER CRADLE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1001, 16 December 1910, Page 8

A SILVER CRADLE.

PRESENTATION TO MR, C. J. CRAW- - FORD. . Past and present members of the Miramax Borough Council'assembled last evening to make a presentation to Mr. C.' J/ Crawford, • late .Mayor of Miramar. The present .Mayor, Mr. J. Brodie, presided. . Mr. Brodie said they had gathered together to perform a- very pleasant little ceremony on the eve of Mr. Crawford's departure for tho Old Country. Mr. Crawford had heen connected with the : affairs of Miramar his childhood. Ho was born in Miramar and was a member of the first Road Board which consisted of two members and the engineer. The Crawford -family had been very liberal donors in the district as a number of church reserves,- parks and. other reserves, both in Miramar .and Kilbirnie, •bore witness.' Mr. Crawford -became a member of the first Miramar. Borough Council and ultimately Mayor. This position ho held for threo years. During his period as Mayor lie was fortunato in having a son" born. It had therefore heen decided to present him with a silver cradle. During his term of offico Mr. Crawford gave good evidence of his ability in tho management of municipal affairs. The negotiations with tho Harbour Board carried to a successful issue during Mr. Crawford's term of office gave sufficient proof of this. Tho speaker .hoped that in the near future Mr. Crawford would return to take up an active part again in municipal affairs connected with Miramar. - ■■;•••

• Mr. Brodie then presented Mr. Crawford with a silver cradle inscribed: "Presented to C. J. Crawford, Esq.,' by past and present councillors of Miramar borough, to. commemorate the birth, of his son, during his term .of office—April, 1907, to April, 1910." The cradle, bears also, a relief map of the Miratiiar. Peninsula. ' Mr. J. P. Luke and others present endorsed Mr. Brodie's remarks.. , Mr. Crawford said it would be difficult for hiin to adequately express his gratitude and thanks, in' tho first place, for this gathering. He saw-around him most of the comrades who had been, associated with liim in working for.the progress of Miramar. In.the past the.v had.fought, sometimes they had fought hard amongst themselves, but tho result had been good 'for Miramar. He took it this present was not only a token, to commemorate the birth of his son, but a.token, of regard from those with whom he was united for the interest of the district. Mrs. Crawford and himself would' greatly appreciate the gift. Referring to a boast he had made two yenrs previously, that Miramar would, one day carry a larger population than the city of Wellington, Mr. Crawford declared that his. belief was still unchanged. He felt 'an absolute certainty, as to tho future progress and welfare of Miramar. • They had just passed through a period of so-called depression, which had affected Miramar remarkably little. ,In fact, it had done Miramar good by checking- speculation which, if it had gone too far, would have done serious harm, and no doubt ended in a very serious smash.' They knew now that there was no risk of that kind. No suburban area anywhere in New. Zealand had a better future before it than the peninsula of Miram»r._ Concluding, Jlr. Crawford hoped that his son, to whom the present bore special reference, might one day "reign" over the united area when Miramar had absorbed tho city.