VALEDICTORY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 15 April 1909, Page 3

VALEDICTORY.

After the business had been disposed of at Tuesday night’s Council meeting, Cr Stiles said that as it was the last general meeting of the present Council, and it was not the intention of Mayor Gower to again seek re-election, he, as senior councillor, would like, on behalf of the Council, to express their thanks to the Mayor for the way in which he had managed the Council, also for the time and energy that he had always put into his work. He had spent a great deal of his time on borough matters and had never failed in his duty. He (Cr Stiles) was sure that he was expressing the sentiments of his fellow councillors. They were all sorry to lose the services of the Mayor. Cr Franklaud said that as a retiring councillor, he would like to express his earnest feelings to the same effect. It had always been a great pleasure to him to sit with Mayor Gower, and he was extremely sorry that he (the Mayor) was not standing again. If he had done so he would have been most happy to support him.

Mayor Gower in returning thanks for the kindly expressions said that during his terms as councillor and Mayor he had always tiled to do his best for the borough. Perhaps that best was not much, but he had had the welfare of the Council at heart. During his term as Mayor he had always looked forward to the meetings with pleasure. He had served as Mayor for four years and during that period had not missed one meeting. Previous to that he had sat as a councillor for four years and had only been absent from one meeting. While he had occupied the Mayoral chair there had been several small ‘breezes’ in the Council, but they did not do any harm as ’competition was the life of trade.’ There was only one incident that he regretted, and that had hurt him very much. All the councillors present would know what he referred to and he did not wish to say anything more about it. He could assure them that though he did not intend to take any further active part in the management of the borough he still had its welfare at heart.