MAYOR CONGRATULATED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3058, 20 April 1917, Page 9

MAYOR CONGRATULATED

CITY .COUNCIL'S FELICITATIONS: -•■ Congratulations on his re-election to office'' Without a contest were offered to the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) at .the meeting of the City Council last night. Councillor Barber said he wished to extend to. the' Maj'or the hearty congratulation's of the council on the great honour conferred upon him by the electors. It fell to the'lot of very few Mayors to Hold office even for so long j j a term as he already had, but after holding: office for a further term of two years he would have established a record for the Mayoralty of the city of Wellington. This was an honour of which the Mayor could feel justly proud, and an honour which was well merited. ;He believed that it would i have been" unfortunate 'if there had been a change in the administration at this time. EspeciaUy would, this have been so in regard to the. very, onerous tasks so freely and faitfyfully perr formed by Mrs. Luke. HWsked the Mayor to accept hearty congratulations for Mrs. Luke and himself. (Applause.) I Councillor Frost said lie desired to endorse the remarks of Councillor Barber. The Mayor and Mrs. Luke had had a,most strenuous time in office, and the public, by unanimously electing Mr. Luke to office again, had shown appreciation of this. Councillor Wright said'that it must be some satisfaction to the Mayor-to know that'strong efforts were made to induce two well-known citizens to stand for the Mayoralty in opposition to him, but they had both\refused, saying thatthey were sure that the people wished to havo Mr. Luke returned. The Mayor,, roplyiug, said ho could assure the councillors that he appreciated thoir kindly references to himself and Mrs. Luke, and that he felt grateful to the people of Wellington that thoy had returned him unopposed. He also,took it as a compliment to himself that lie had not boon opposed by other gentlemen fit to hold tho office. Ho did hot say that ho might not have been beaten if there had been opposition, but ho took it that the absence of opposition -was some evidence that his services had been appreciated in a. measure. As for the work done by the council, ho was sorry that.the council had not been able to carry .out many necessary improvements, because of the impossibility of raising money except at high rates of interest. For this reason it Was necessary to husband tho city's finances, and this the council had done. He acknowledged the kind things said about Mrs. Luke, and' said that he knew that lie had been fortunate in having Mrs. Luko to assist him in carrying out the duties' of office. It was true that Mrs. Luko was Mossed' with organising ability, health and strength, and energy, and she had not only done a'great deal of work .herself for the soldiers, but had got_ together a large body of ladies to assist in this work. It would, he thought, havo beon wrong to have removed Mrs. Luke from this organisation. In conclusion, the Mayor paid a high tribute to the officers, mentioning especially the excellent services rendered to the city.by.. the