INSTALLATION OF THE MAYOR.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1229, 20 December 1882, Page 2

INSTALLATION OF THE MAYOR.

An extraordinary meeting of the Borough Council was held at the Council Chambers at noon to-day, for the purpose of installing the incoming Mayor Edward Knight Brown, Esq., into the Civic Chair, vacant on the retirement of the outgoing Mayor C. D. Bennett, Esq., by effluxion of time. Present—His Worship the Mayor (C. D. Bennett) in the Chair, Crs. Townley, Lewis, Clayton, Tutchen, Whinray, Clarke. The retiring Mayor administered the necessary declaration which was duly signed by Mr Edward Knight Brown, who was then moved to the chair, which was vacated by Mr C. D. Bennett. His Worship the Mayor then said :—Gentlemen, —I feel very proud of the situation in which I have been placed, and shall do my best to forward the interests of the Borough of Gisborne while in office. Although one of the youngest members of the Council I feel additional confidence from the fact of having older Councillors to advise and assist me. The Borough is now about 6 years old, and a great deal has been done towards its advancement already, but more has yet to be done to make the place habitable. The matter of dust demanded serious attention. More shelter from trees, and an efficient water supply is imperatively demanded. In other places they have two rows of trees, the middle for carriage traffic, and the sides for other traffic, To return to the water supply. There is a magnificent spring of eold water on Mr Barker’s land less than an hour’s ride frhm town. I think that by taking this into consideration, with experienced engineers, an ample water supply can be obtained. lam glad to think that the Council and myself shall pull together. It will be my pleasing duty to endeavour to so do to the best of my ability. The retiring Mayor thanked the Council for the assistance given him during his term of office. Whatever difference of opinion had taken place, it had always been done with courtesy and good temper. He would ask the Council in future to carefully guard against imposing further taxation on ratepayers. Down South people were fairly groaning under the burden thus imposed on them. He would now vacate the Chair in favour of the present Mayor. Cr. Townley congratulated the Mayor on his accession to civic honours, while thanking the retiring officer for the uniform kindness, courtesy, and firmness exhibited by him while in office. He agreed with the retiring Mayor in his caution against municipal expenditure. It was easy to force a town a-head of its real position. While regretting that we are unable to cope with the summer dust, we must not pay an extravagant price for relief. He tendered the warmest thanks of the Council to the retiring Mayor. Cr. Clayton seconded Cr. Townley’s speech. It was unanimously carried, that a vote of thanks to the retiring Mayor for the valuable services rendered by him, and the uniform kindness and courtesy evinced by him during his term of office, be recorded in the books of the Council. The retiring Mayor returned thanks in a neat speech, in which he shadowed forth what he considered the duties of a Mayor in Council as he had endeavoured to carry them out. Any one knowing the Borough for the past six years, mnst acknowledge that a great deal had been done for it, and he would say that there is not a single Borough in New Zealand that is so little in debt. In Oamaru and other places they had magnificent public buildings. Half the Burgesses money seemed to have gone in these buildings. He would thank the Mayor and Council most cordially for their kindly expression of feeling towards him. The meeting then adjourned to the Albion Club Hotel, where the healths of the incoming and retiring Mayors were cordially drank.