New County Chairmen.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 74, 27 November 1913, Page 5

New County Chairmen.

THE ANNUAL MEETINGS.

CR. HATHAWAY REELECTED.

At noon yesterday the annual meeting of the Stratford County Council was held, tiie only business oeing theelection of a cnairman ior the ensuing year. tne Clerk having taken the chair, Cr. Hathaway, the previous year's cnairman, proposed mat Cr. Thomson be tne cnairman tor tne ensuing year, tie nad been a member of the Council tor the past twenty years. Cr. inomson ' declined nomination, though he heartily thanked Cr. Hathaway for proposing him. He thought lie was better adapted to sit at the table and see that all the roads kept inside their financial bounds and got their fair share ot metal. He proposed Cr. Hathaway for the position. His j work during tiie past term had given : the Council every confidence in him. Cr. Smith seconded. Cr. Hathaway I had been very successful owing to his ' unassuming manner and strict devo- ' tion to the work of the Council as a ! whole. In that respect he had won I the hearty support of every Councillor. j He had always stood for getting the j best work for the money spent.. In | conclusion Cr. Smith wished Cr. Hathj away and family a happy Christmas. Cr. Rogers said he had been associated with Cr. Hathaway on local bodies | for many years. They Mere together j for about five years on the Manganui I Road Board. He had always found j him a man who would see that the settiers got fair play. Since joining the I Council he (Cr. Rogers) had noticed \that Cr. Hathaway always saw that I each riding got its share of expendi- ! ture. Deputations always found him anxious to grant their requests if they were, at all reasonable, j Cr. ChristOffel said he desired to endorse the remarks of previous speakers, it was, he said, not necessary for him to say much on the matter. Cr. Walter said that while Cr. Hathaway had been in the chair he had ' been strictly fair to all parties. It had been a pleasure to work with him. During the whole year his ruling was never once disputed., He thought everybody was satisfied with the manner in which the County's affairs were being carried on. The Council was a happy family. Sometimes the ratepayers threw this up at them, but the fact . remained. The only fly in the ointment was the matter'of finance, which comj pelled Councillors to do tilings which they did nofa I altogether like. Very [ good work hs|f been done without inC creasing the ■• rates. A great deal*of the work doruf.was of a permanent character. \ [ivoeden culverts had been replaced iii concrete, and in two or three years, .time he was sure that not ".{only would there be" Very much im- * I proved roads, but the rates would also be -lower. . - %aar

Cr, Young said Cr. Hathaway had always done his best for the County, and had spent much time in helping Councillors in their work. Cr. Anderson said a fairer chairman than Cr. Hathaway could not he obtained.

Cr. Were said he could not speak from very long experience, but he could say that the chairman never waster the Council's time by making long speeches on all matters. They did business from the moment they sat down, and the business of the Council was got through expeditiously. The motion was carried with accla-

mation. Cr. Hathaway, in returning thanks for his re-election, said the Council had worked harmoniously together during the past year, with the exception of one small matter of finance, which was not worth mentioning. The road improvements carried out in the North and East Ridings were far ahead of any work previously done in the County. The Mountain Boad had never been in such good condition as it now was, and in a short time the main east road would also be in equally good condition. It would be a pleeasure to go over the roads when they had been solidified and better graded with the help of the road "oiler. At present the East Riding was in need of the roller, the road from Sangster's Hill to Toko being very rough. Some ratepayers had complained about the grader, but lie hoped in time to convince everybody that it did good work. Very nearly the whole of the wooden culverts had been replaced by concrete and a number of small bridges had been re-erected in concrete. The Council had to congratulate their staff on the manner in which the work had been carried ou+. He did not think the Engineer and the Clerk could be replaced. ;Per Prfbs Association. I Mr F. G. Cowper was re-elected chairman of the Dannevirke County Council. Mr A. M. Bower was elected chairman of the Clifton Council. Mr H. Cornelius was re-elected chairman of the Pahiatua Council. Mr R. B. Robertson was elected chairman of the Akitio Council.