SEASONAL GREETINGS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5065, 15 December 1926, Page 3

SEASONAL GREETINGS.

PLAINS COUNCIL’S FELICITATIONS GENERAL HAPPY REFLECTIONS. Seasonable greetings and hearty good wishes, were exchanged among members* <ff the Hauraki Plains County Council on Thursday last after the completion Of the business of the monthly meeting. ■The custom has grown up in the past of councillors inflicting small fines' on each other and making rmaU wagers among - themselves towards the latter end of the year to be squared up on the day df the December meeting in the form of something to drink. Last Thursday’s meeting was the final for’ the year, the business was completed early in the evening, there was something to drink, and one councillor had’ a big tin o’f cigarettes, so a very pleasant informal •function was held. The health of everyone present was drunk, and good-natured banter and many .-yarns served, to pass the time very pleasantly and quickly. The pressman was not supposed to be present as a reporter, but all is grist that come, to his"”mill, and though the following notes may tend to portray the council somewhat as. a mutual admiration society, critical ratepayers; should consider- the nature off the occasion .and the fact that the words of condemnation referred to matters, the details of which were familiar to those present, but which would necessitate lengthy explanations here to prevent misunderstandings!. Cr. Harris set the ball rolling by proposing the toast to the, chairman, Cr. E. L. Walton. He said that it Wes a pleasure to sit under him as chairman, and he hoped Cr. Walton would fill the position for many years. Cr. Miller expressed regret that Cr. Harris had forestalled him in proposing the toast. He knew Cr. Walton was thd proper man for the position. His training and experience fitted him so 'well for the chairmanship of the council. Some new members may. have thought he would have been "Kaiserish,” but they all now knew'that he gave everyone a square deal. . After the, toast had been honoured and “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” had been sung Cr. Walton, responding, said that he felt very deeply the kindly remarks of Crs. Harris and Miller. Being one of the youngest members df the council he often felt it presumptuous to offer advice on subjects on which his own knowledge was limited. That he had got along smoothly as chairman w,as due t,o the assistance off mgmbers, the ability of the staff, and the willingness of all to follow the standard previously set by Cr. Miller. ' Proposing a toast to the county clqrk the chairman said that Mr E. A!. Mahoney had not been with the council very long, but he had established the fact that the council had been wise in its choice and that he was well able to deal with-all matters ably and,expeditiously. Crs. MillSr and Harris also spoke df Mr Mahoney’s ability and good service. - , Responding, Mr Mahoney said that, he wished to thjpik the speakers from the bottom of his heart. He had been made very, much at home from the day he arrived, and though the work was hard he had endeavoured to do ' ■ -satisfactorily. Of his local body experience it was the best job he had ever had, as.he had never had such a good crowd of fellows to work with before. Cr: Mayn, proposing a toast to Cr. Miller, said that he was always found conscientious and 'fair on all occasions. He did not wish to make any comparisons, with the present chairman, but in Cr. Miller there was a chairman in whom all councillors could trust their affairs.' Returning thanks, Cr. Miller said that he had riot taken the chair for the sake of the position. When .the first council was appointed he had agreed to take the chair for the purpose of ascertaining who else was fit 'for the chairmanship. He preferred to be at the side, of the table, where he felt freer. In proposing a toast, to the county engineer Cr. Harris; said that in Mr Basham the council had an engineer with whom it was‘saisfled. Wherever councillors went about the county they found nothing but praise for Mr Basham. The county clerk observed that the Government audit inspector had commented that Hauraki Plains; was one cff the very few counties where he had found the engineer and clerk working in co-operation. Cr. Madgwick supported the toast, and Mr E. F. Adams, civil engineer, of Thames, and the council’s consulting water supply engineer, observed that to hear a local body express satisfaction with its engineer was one of the most extraordinary things he had ever heard of. 4 similar comment was; made by Mr Basham when responding. It was the first occasion in his) 25 years of experience in New Zealand that he had heard of a county engineer referred to in terms of respect. Mr Basham then referred to the uncomplimentary terms in which the council had been described to him when • he was thinking of applying Tor the position, and he pointed out that he had only to serve, for three more months to establish a record with the Hauraki Plains County. He hoped to .be with the council for many more years; for he had never met a better Jot of men to work Tor. It was a to work with Mr Walton, •who was a. gentleman and very keen op the work. "Hq wasi also so clever that no matter what was placed before him he would quickly find its merits and faults.” Mr B. F. Adams, the council’s water supply engineer, was the next to be toasted. This was in the hands of Cr. Parfitt, the father off the water supply scheme, which he described as one of the biggest single undertakings in the county and one which would be the most useful. When the scheme was mooted Mr Adams’ name had immediately suggested itself, and though it was with some diffidence that he had proposed the local man, as it was

generally thought that a man from a distance was always; better, the tenders recently proved conclusivly that the council had beeji right in securing Mr E, F. Adams 'for its; water supply scheme. Replying, Mr Adams: said that, it was his firm opinion that it would be possible to prove to all sceptical ratepayers that all would be well. When the work wag completed he was sure that everyone would be satisfied.

The county engineer, Mr Basham, s ( aid that he had gone over all the plans and specifications, and had seldom seen such accuracy and detail. Cr. Harris also added his meed. of praise, and Mr Mahoney said that from his experience he knew that anything Mr Adams certified as correct was found "0.K.” by the powers that be in Wellington. Crs. Walton and Miller also spoke to the. toast.

Mr Adams, when responding, said that he was overwhelmed with the expressions o'f goodwill and the manner in which the toast had been received. He intended to do his best to make the water supply Scheme a success and to cut down the cost. He believed it would be a success; and «f very great .advantage to the district.

A toast to Cr. Mayn, one of the fathers of the council, was proposed by the chairman, who pointed out how hte Patetonga riding representative had previously been a membe,r of the County League and had .been elected at the first election in 1920. It was recognised that he had a very difficult, riding to represent, and his kindly nature and better judgment had o'ften to be deviated by the demands df ratepayers. Cr. Mayn had done his best for the county as a whole and for his- riding, and had gone through troublesome times, andhad come out clean.

Cr. Milldr spoke to the toast, and dealt with the difficulties of representing the Patetonga riding on account of the difference in the treatment given it by the Lands Department. In Cr. Mayn it had a very staunch advocate who always presented its case 'fairly and well. In the course of his reply Cr. Mayn' said he had always felt that his district had not received its just dues from the Lands Department, but he was very definite in asserting that it had always been fairly treated by the council The word was its bond, and the interests o'f Patetonga wer.e safe in its hand, so it was- regrettable that ratepayers of Patetonga did not always show a sense of appreciation of its servicesi The younger members of the; council, Crs. , Hicks, Fisher, Reid; and W.alton;, were the subject of the next toast, which was . entrusted to the clerk and supported by most of the old councillors. Referring to. the chairman, Cr. Mayn said that while Cr. Walton was clerk there was, a feeling throughout the county .that he was running the council. That was quite wrong, and in the opinion of many . councillors - it would have been well had Mr Walton taken the reins in his hands at times without waiting to be asked when he knqw the council was proceeding on the wrong track. All the new members responded, expressing gratification at the treatment accorded thejn by the older members, and pleasure at finding how thoroughly the council dealt with all its business. Toasts to the other councillors followed in turn. Speaking of Cr. Parfitt, speakers observed that the; member for Pipiroa seldom spoke, but when he did his words were noted and his opinion very often followed. He seldom brought forward a proposition that was not adopted, 'He balanced, even tempered, and very fair. '&

Or. Madgwick was referred to as the (father of good roads on the Plains .and a man who hit hard, said what he meant, and bore no malice. ’

Cr. Harris was well barracked by the proposer of his health’ for the manner in which he had secured the lion’s share of the Government grants and county subsidy allocation 'for the benefit of his riding. The übiquitous member Tor Waitakaruru required two men to watch him all the time to see that, he did not get away with too much.

Cr. Harris good-naturedly retorted that he had not wilfully robbed any other riding. The fact that during the pasjt year he had got the biggest proportion of the Government money, though not two but eight councillors were watching him, proved that there must have been merit in his requests, A toast by the staff to their employers and a toast to the Press concluded the 'function, and councillors agreed that the evening had by no ■means been wasted.