Removal of Kiwitea County Council Offices.

Feilding Star, Volume XX, Issue 14, 18 July 1898, Page 2

Removal of Kiwitea County Council Offices.

Tho Kiwitea County Council held their first meeting in their new office-; at Birmingham on Saturday bi&t, and as a fitting recognition of the fact a number of settlers entertained the members and officers of the Kiwitea County Council at dinner at Mr O'Mean's Hotel. Mr A. C. Matheson occupied the position of chairman, and in an appropriate address expressed the pleasure the settlers felt at the removal of the offices into the County, and said that it had bf:en decided to entertain the councillors on this occasion as a mark of respect to them as the representatives of the ratepayers. At the conclusion of the dinner Mr W F. Jacobs proposed the toast of tie " Chairman aud councillors of the Kiwitea County Council" Jn doing so, he regretted the resignation of Mr K. Goodbeherc from the position of elf.! k. He believed the councillors did what they thought was for the benefit of the county or riding, and th it they always acted fair and did their work to the best of their ability. Cr Tonifikins, the chairman of the ■

Council, in reply, said their greatest dnficulties had hcen in the past, but they would still have many difficulties to fact;. Th" bulk of the county had been roaded or provision made for roiding. The matter of shifting the om'oes, he knew, was a debateable sub j'M.-t, bul it was done now. The present councillors would consider the interests of the ratepayers as a whole, 15 those before them had done, nnd would do their best for the whole county. They hoped to reconcile the interes's or the different parts of the county and if their efforts met with tho approval of the ratepayers lie would be satisfied.

Cr J. J. Williamson, on behalf of the present members of the Council and the chairmen of the old xioad Road and ex chairmen of the Council, then presented Mr E. Goodbehere, the retiring clerk, with a gold watch chain *nd pendant in the form of a Maltese cross bearing Mr Goodbehere's monogram on one side and suitably in scribed on t lie other, as a recognition of his services to the county. In miking the presentation Mr Williamson said that they were sorry to lose Mr (Joodbehere's services as it would be hard to replace him. He then proposed Mr Goodbehere's health.

Mr Goodi.ehere thanked the donors for their jjif t and the way they had drank his health. Since the Road Board was formed 1G or 17 years ago be bad done his best. He was appoiuted clerk when the Road Board was formed, Mr T. R. Taylor being the first chairman. Their iuconie was then under £200 and now it was nearer £20,000 a year. During bis connection with the Road Board and Council he had got on well with the members, never having bad any unpleasantness with thf*rn. He regretted h iviug had to sever his cou uectiou with the Council, but ho could not go to Birmingham. However, be bad uo doubt they would get on without hinQ. He thanked them for the souvenir as it would always remind him of bis connection with the Council.

Mr "NY. Morton proposed the toast of tli 2 past chairmen of the " Kiwitca Road Board »Sr Kiwitca Connty Council,' coupled with the names of T. 11. Taylor, J. J. Williamson, and W. 111.1.I 1 . Jacob«. In doing to he said that Mr Taylor had been chairman of the Jtoard for eight or nine years and Mr Williamson had been connected with it from the start until it was merged into the County Council and since then he bad been a member of the Council. There were very few persons who were so well acquainted with local governing matters as Mr Williamson and the County would suffer a loss when he left. Mr Jacob was v first-class man and almost an ideal chairman. He never shirked any trouble and whoever complained about anything was always listened to.

In reply Mr Taylor said he was pleased to see the offices at Birmingham as the progress of the district had been so great that the removal was necessary, ile regretted that Mr Goodbehere should have resigned as it would be difficult to find his equal. He had joined the Road Board at the same time as Mr Goodbehere, who had been of very great assistance and during his (Mr Taylor's) term of office all their undertakings had been successful.

Mr Williamson, in reply, said the other members of the Road Board had started as new hands, bat he had served as chairman of a road board near Wellington for some years. They bad ex - perienced great difficulties in starting thfc Kiwitea Road Board and Retting the Counties Act suspended. The Kiwitea Road Board was merged into the Council as it was believed their borrowing and spending powers would bo increased, but be was in favor or extra road boards being formed and was always against the payment of members as the work should be done with the least possible expense. In place of forming two counties out of the original Kiwitea road district as had been done, He advocated six road districts whose borrowing power would have been jEiesOOO a year in place of .£12,000 as at present.

Mr Jacob did not think they had the slightest conception of the loss which the county was sustaining by losing Mr Goodbehcre's services. To occupy the position so successfully required no ordinary talent and it spoke volumes forMrGoodbehere's ability that he had been so successful. They were losing one of the best, yet worst paid, clerks in the North Island. He did not wish to cast any reflection on Mr Hicks who would do his best, but lie could not have the ability and experience of Mr Goodbehere.

Cr Toinpkins read a letter from Mr J. Reid, an ex-chairman of the Council, testifying to Mr Goodbehere's faithful services. With this letter, the whole of the past chairmen of the Road Hoard and Council, under whom Mr Goodbcherc had worked, were either present or repre. sented, which was a very valuable recognition of Mr Goodbebere's services. He said that Crs Shannon and Brewster had sent apologies for their unavoidable absence. They fully recognised the loss of Mr Goodbehere, which was one of their regrets at leaving Feilding. " Our hosts" was proposed by Cr Pern ber ton and the gathering dispersed.