OHINEMURI COUNCIL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5426, 20 May 1929, Page 2

OHINEMURI COUNCIL.

RETIREMENT OF CHAIRMAN. MR. H. M. CORBETT’S RECORD. The dinner to the Hon. G. W. Forbes, Minister of Lands, to-night, will be the last official occasion when Mr H. M. Corbett will take part in a public function as chairman of the Ohinemuri County Council —that is, of course, if he does not at some future date, rejoin the council. Mr Corbett was first elected to the Ohinemuri County Council in November, 1905, six years after the death of his greatly esteemed father, Mi' H. Corbett, who had been a member of the council since its inauguration in November, 1885, on seceding from Thames County, until the day he died. On November 22, 1911, Mr H. M. Corbett was elected chairman of the council, and remained in that office until May, 1916, when he resigned both positions owing to pressure of private business. Mr Corbett, after a lapse of 10 years returned to the public life of the county in May, 1926, being elected both councillor and chairman. Now, after 21 years of unremitting labour and good work accomplished on behalf of the council and county, the urgency of his own personal affairs has called him once more into retirement. During Mr Corbett’s terms of office many changes have taken place within the county. The day after he first took his seat as a councillor the railway to Waihi was opened, so that Mr Corbett has seen within the confines of Ohinemuri the era of transport by road by stage-coaches pass to the trains, and then, in a lesser degree, revert to road by service cars, commercial trucks, etc. Of more actual economic interest to the county has been the passing in that space of time of the district from mining to farming. When one views the fertile Waihi Plains to-day one can scarcely realise that in the early years of Mr Corbett’s councillorship milk was actually taken from Paeroa to Waihi 1 Through* mining dying down from the boom days to the present stage of working, the, county’s income from mining has dropped from softie £24,000 a year in 1905 to a little under £lOO to-day I In 1905 the uniform general rate was id, paid any old time that suited one, generally round about the elections, that is, every three years. Happy dwellers in Ohinemuri in 1905 ! The general rate is'now l§d to 2d.

Mr Corbett’s term of chairmanship during the early days of the war was naturally a very trying time, and it needed a man of his undoubted ability and outstanding qualifications to manage affairs the way they were. In 1915 Mr Corbett saw the birth of the Paeroa Borough Council.

The interval of Mr Corbett’s retirement, between 1916 and 1926, saw the formation of the Hauraki Plains County, part of Ohinemuri County being apportioned to it. On a previous date Ruakaka, now a suburb of Te Aroha, passed from Ohinemuri’s jurisdiction to that of the Te Aroha borough.

The coming into force of the Main Highways Act entailed a great deal of increased work on the part of those responsible for managing the council’s affairs, and to Mi' Corbett riiust be given due praise for what he has done in the matter.

At the last meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council the councillors were unanimous in their eulogistic tributes to their retiring chairman, every one speaking individually in appreciation of Mr Corbett’s tactful, guiding influence and willingness to assist any councillor at any time. Sincere regret was expressed at losing his wise leadership, reference being made to how Mr Corbett had steered the county through troublesome and difficult times. To his fair and impartial manner in dealing with matters, together with his tact and guiding acumen, the peaceful and smooth-running conduct of the county’s affairs had been due. To opponents and supporters alike he had been impartial in his strict fairness.

The council at the conclusion of the meeting placed on record its appreciation of the good work done by Mr Corbett during his period of office as chairman.

Similar opinions of Mr Corbett's services were expressed at the last meeting of the Paeroa Borough Council, when the following resolution was placed on record :— ’’This council places on record and conveys to Mr H. M. Corbett its sincere regrets that he is retiring from the Ohinemuri County Council ; its admiration of the faithful services rendered by him over a long period of years on the parent body of the district ; and its appreciation of the frank spirit of co-operation with the Borough Council which has been characteristic of his last term as chairman of the Ohinemuri County Council. And the council tenders to Mi' and Mrs Corbett its best wishes for their health and happiness in their wellearned retirement.”