KAIAPOI.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 167, 18 December 1874, Page 3

KAIAPOI.

The annual meeting of the Borough Council for election of Mayor, was held at noon on Thursday. Present—the Mayor (Mr B. G. Kerr), Crs McDonald, Blackwell, Beharrell, Wearing, Funston, Milsom, and Parnham. Minutes of last annual meeting were confirmed.

Statement of accounts audited by Messrs Matthews and Hewlings, shewing receipts to be £1556 17s 7d ; expenditure, £lOsl 19s 2d, and balance to credit of general account, £226 8s lOd ; and to bridge reserve fund, £2BB 9s 7d, was laid on the table. Cr Blackwell moved, Cr Parnham seconded, —"That the balance sheet be adopted." Unanimously agreed to. Cr Funston expressing his opinion that there had been a general feeling of satisfaction with the manner in which the Mayor had discharged the duties of his office during the past three years, said, as no other member of the Council was willing to take that position, and if Cr Kerr would accept the office again, he would move—" That Cr Edward George Kerr be elected Mayor. Cr Wearing observing that it gave him great pleasure to do so, seconded the motion. The Mayor had shown ability and willingness in the discharge of his duties hitherto, for the benefit of the town. He urged that the Council should elect a member as Mayor and not a person outside, as the latter might not be supposed to have the confidence of the ratepayers unless elected. No other councillor agreeing to accept the position, he hoped Cr Kerr would acquiesce in the general wish of the Council.

Cr Blackwell, giving the Mayor every credit for the interest shewn in fulfilling his duties as Mayor and member of various committees, alluded to a report that he intended to nominate an outsider for the office. The election was an annual affair, and he thought if the present Mayor was willing to retire on his honors, another councillor ought to be elected. As no councillor, however, would accept the office, and they were unanimous, he should support the election. It had been said that the Mayor ought to be a person of position, but he considered that they might find quite as competent a Mayor under a cabbage tree hat as in a duke. Cr Milsom had agreed with the last speaker to second the nomination of another candidate. Their present Mayor had been in office three years, and he considered that a a change might be desirable, but after talking the matter over with the councillors, he had agreed to support his re-election. Cr M 'Donald thought it would not have been creditable to the Council to have gone outside for a person to fill the chair. Motion put and unanimously carried. Cr Parnham moved, and Cr Beharrell seconded—" That a vote of thanks be recorded to the Mayor for the manner in which he has hitherto conducted the business of the Council." Both alluded to amount of work he had undertaken, and that the vote was richly deserved. Cr Blackwell assuming he was leader of the opposition, cordially agreed with the motion.

Motion put and agreed to. The Mayor (elect) returned thanks, expressing his regret that some other Councillor had not been elected. At last election he advised members to read up in the Act, and fully expected that another member would have been voted to the chair. It had been rumored that it was proposed to nominate an outsider. This he considered would have tended to degrade the Council, and he felt so strongly on the point that had it been persisted in he should have r signed altogether. No Borough Council in the colony he believed had gone outside their own body to elect a Mayor. The Council had hitherto stood upon its dignity with the ratepayers and with the Government, and he hoped it would continue to do bo. Nest year

ho hoped they would elect some other Councillor to be Mayor, and bad it been done on this occasion he would have felt a pleasure in coaching him up in his duties. For the unanimous vote ho bogged to thank the Council. The meeting then adjourned.