MOTUEKA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 9 May 1925, Page 3

MOTUEKA

.MAYOR SWORN IN The new Mayor for the Borough of Motueka, Mr I). W. Talbot, was swoni in at tlie Council Chambers at. noon on Wednesday. Mr J. A. McGlashen (retiring (Mayor), speaking of the Mayor-elect, said that Mr Talbot was an old polleague, having been on the Council for the past four years. lie had rendered valuable service to the Borough and more so to the country to which we have the privilege to belong. Mr Talbot was a. Mutuckn boy, and bad been educated here, an ( | it gave kiln great pleasure to hand o\t:r the reins to the new Mayor. The speaker, continuing, stated that, lie had not the .slightest doubt that the new Council, under the leadership of Mr Talbot, would endeavour io carry out the duties of the Borough as ihe. old Council had done. .Mrs'Talbot had also done a great, deal for the welfare of the Borough socially, and he wished them both every success. Cr. A. E. Fry stated that, ns the youngest Councillor, he hoped that, should he, through inexperience in any wav kirk over the traces, the new Mayor would not be any harder on him than the retiring Mayor had been on Tuesday evening. Mr J. U. Rankin, speaking as a. citizen, said that the old Council, under Mr J. A. McGlashen, through adverse circumstances, had had a hard row to hoe. The Council had been criticised, perhaps sometimes justly and at times unjustly. Mr 'Talbot bad been a. Councillor for four years, and should know the run of the ropes, and lie welcomed him as Mayor of the Borough. Those present, as ratepayers, would watch th Mayor's administration with a great deal of interest.

Mr .McGlashen expressed regret that all the Councillors were not present. It was their duty to he there on an occasion such as this.

Mr G. \V. Boundy said lie was the oldest unofficial member attending the Council Chambers, having been present at the meetings as pressman for 18 years. Ip extending a welcome to the new Mayor he could not let the occasion pass without voicing appreciation of the services rendered by the retiring Mayor to the Borough. As Chairman of the School Committee, he felt it his duty to give public expression to the wonderful help given by Mrs Talbot, in connection with school functions, and also the new (Mayor. Incidentally one of their sons would, shortly, be the recipient of the Dux medal of the school.

On taking the Mayoral chair (Mr Talbot said that lie appreciated it as the greatest honour that the municipality could confer on him. as a citizen. The members of the old Council had worked amicably together to carry out the works of the Borough. It had been said that the new Council was rather lop-sided, considering that they were all farmers, but. lie would say this, that ldis colleagues were level-headed men and he thought capable of handling the responsibilities of the Borough. He was confident, that any work contemplated. no matter on what portion of the Borough, would receive attention according to its urgent needs. Referring to the proposed road loan, of several years ago, the Mayor stated that he had strongly opposed the floating of this loan on account of the conditions prevailing at that time. These have changed to such an extent that he would now be prepared to support a loan framed on somewhat similar lines. Before giving reasons for supporting a loan, the Mayor said that it must be distinctly understood that it was not that Tie had altered his opinion, but conditions were not. the same to-day as Hen.

The reasons in support of a loan wore : —(1) Cheaper money ; (2) that assistance can lie obtained from the Main Highways. Board: (3) that the cost of labour is down to a more normal standard, thus enabling work to be carried ouf considerably cheaper. The Mayor said that, notwithstanding these changes, lie would have firstly to satisfy himself, before putting a loan before the public, that the rates would not be raised. Referring lo the electric light scheme as one of the latest improvements to the Borough, the Mayor stated that, unfortunately i n speaking of this, hp had to make the statement that the Electric Light Account was considerably ov or CIOOO in debt. It would require a very efficient committee to go into the matter and make curtailments of expenditure where possible. The Mayor, speaking of the rates, said that on paper it appeared that the Borough was lightly rated, but. going into the matter fully it would he seen that the rating was on capital value—a system which he was not in favour of, and. as Iho greater portion of the Borough was on very high priced leasehold land. Mntuekt was one of the heaviest rated boroughs in Now Zealand.