ANNUAL MEETING.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3877, 20 December 1883, Page 3

ANNUAL MEETING.

The adjourned annual meeting of the Council Avas then held. installation of mayor. The notification of the borough returning officer, Mr AY. Parker, to tho effect that Dr, AY. I. Spencer had been re-elected Mayor, Avas read by the Town Clerk, and His AVorship then read and signed the usual declaration. His AVorship returned thanks for his reelection. As they were aware, he took it as a temporary measure, and ivas Avilling to give it up at any time, but ho had promised to do the best he could for another year. Ho had to thank them for voting him an honorarium. So far as ho Avas concerned ho should not put the money in his pocket, but use it for tho benefit of the toivn, though ho had not yet decided how he should use it. During the two and a half years ho had had tho honor of sitting in that chair tho town had made a certain . _____ amount of progress—fair and steady progress. Tho first public action Avhich fell to his lot Avas to go to tho top of the hill and turn the first sod of tho neAv reservoir, since : then the reservoir had beon completed, and they had seen something like 140 fresh properties connected Avith it, mostly if not entirely situated upon the hills. The returns of the present year shoAA'ed a considerable amount of taxes received ; tho increase would amount to over £400 over what ivas taken last year. That was a proof of thoincreasingprosperity of the town Tho gruAvth of tho town, though sloav, was sure, and they had not to thank tho Government for it ; they had no Avorks carried Out by the Government, and they had re- ' ccived no endoAvments of lands. The prosperity of the town was duo to its inherent resources, a foundation for prosperity which Avas far moro stable than tho gifts of any Government could bo. Ho might say, so : far as their prosperity having accrued from ; the Government, it Avas in spite of it. In the futuro there iverc some things thoy required very much. Tho first of thcsCAvas the formation of a harbor at Napier. A good deal of time had been thrown aAvay and money spent before tho Harbor Board had come to a fair decision, but ho thought they might look forward to tho erection of a harbor here, Avhich Avould give tho accommodation necessary for tho shipping for the port and district. Ono other thing jfrjm had in view, tho possibility of lighting /Vflf? town with electricity. He believed •.- they had quite sufficient poAver in tho Avay of Avater pOAver to work the machinery, Avhich would light the toivn thoroughly. He had been getting engineering information on the subject, and hoped in a short time to lay a scheme before flicm by which .thoy Avould be able to light the toAim by the water power close to hand. That, of course, Would be an enormous saA'ing, as it Avould •cost nothing after the machinery had been than tho wear and tear of that -machinery, as no gas engine would bo required to Avork it. He begged once more to thank tho burgesses through the Council for the honor conferred on him. ANNUAL REPORTS.

Reports giving details of the business •transacted during tho year wore read from tho toAvn cleric, municipal engineer, overseer of roads, inspector of nuisances, inspector of public vehicles, and inspector under the Board of Health. Tho report of the overseer of roads gave the amounts expended in the several wards and in works for the borough generally as follows :—North AVard, £984 9s; Central Ward, £810 14s 4d; South AVard, £357 13s; Avaterworks extension, .-£327 18s; waterworks maintenance, .-£l2l 19s; removal of nightsoil, £46 16s ; sundry jobbing not apportionable, ,CIGB Gs. Tho Council then adjourned.