Induction of the Mayor.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4359, 20 December 1882, Page 2

Induction of the Mayor.

The annual meeting of the Borough Council was held at the Borough Chambers at noon to-day. Present—Colonel Eraser, the Mayor-elect, who occupied the Chair; Crs Speight, Carpenter* Veale, Mennie, McGowan, Bawden, and several County Councillors and citizens.

Cr McGowan, in an appropriate speech, welcomed the new occupant of the Civic Chair. He said it was evident the public had confidence in Col. Fraser, since no other candidate had been brought for* ward. - Some thought the office should have remuneration attached to it. If it is to be filled by such men as have held office since the salary was abolished there was little to be said in favor of the salary. His Worship responded briefly. He regretted the absence of Mr Wilkinson, the late Mayor, and was very thankful for the cordial manner in which the Councillors, as represented by Cr McGowan, had welcomed him. He had taken office as Mayor, the Chairmanship of the Harbor Board, 2nd a seat in the County Council, with a view to carrying through two or three matters, which would, he thought, do the district a great deal of good. If ha failed he should say he had done his duty, and go somewhere else with a hope of doing better, The matter of salary was not worth talking about—the word was a misnomer. There were more calls upon the Mayor for charitable and such-like purposes than on private individuals, and the salary was intended to keep his hand' out of his pocket. No man worthy the office would accept the position as a means of remuneration.

His-Worship then invited those present to a cold collation;

-A large number of gentlemen eat down in the room above the Council Chambers to an excellent collation prepared for the guests by Mrs Fraser, His Worship the Mayor presided. Besides the Borough and County Councillors present may be mentioned the named of the Town Clerk and County Clerk, Mr McLaren, Mining Inspector, Mr Allom, Clerk to the Courts, Ehrenfried, Edward MacDonuell, Frioker, Gellion, and Meihose.

During the pnesedings, the following telegram was read by the Mayor :—

" Te Aroha, 20th.

Salutations to His Worship from afar, —by absent in body, present in spirit.— W. Wilkinson, ex-Mayor ; J. Osbobne, Councillor."

After the toast of " The Queen." that of " His Worship the Mayor " was proposed' by Cr Mctirowan, and responded to by His Worship in a neat speech. The toast of the " Local Bodies " was responded to by the County Chairman, and by Mr Carpenter on behalf of the Harbor Board. In his speech Mr Brodie paid Mr and Mrs Wilkinson a very high compliment. Mr Wilkinson had done his best for the place, and Mrs Wilkinson had done much good in her own sphere. In responding to the toast of his health, Mr Dean said the district might adopt the motto, " Lord keep our memory green." They had been trying to get certain works done and promises fulfilled for many years without success as yet; they were still green in memory. Amongst these was an endowment for the hospital, which a Minister promised; several suitable pieces of ground were pointed out, but the endowment had never been granted. He referred to the necessity for a School of Mines, and thought the local bodies should pull together for opening up the Thames 'Valley by means of the railway. The great fault of the County was that they did not open up the out-districts by means of roads quick enough.

Mr Ehrenfried proposed the toast of the "Mining Interests." He quite agreed with an opinion that had been expressed that attention should be piren to other pursuits than mining, still there was none other would take its place, at least for a long time tocome. We had a revival of prosperity recently, and he hoped we should hare an increased and continuous renewal of it. He 'hoped capital would be forthcoming for prospecting the low levels from which he, and persons of far larger experience, expecte.J r- suits much richer than hitherto obtained. He thought the gentlemen should club together and bring pressure upon the Government to give them the diamond drill now lying useless. One minister,. Mr fiollestqn, when here was asked about it, and immediately inquired, What will you give us for it? He thought this was not a proper spirit for the Government to manifest; they should look to developing the resourctd of the place rather than an immediate return. The Thames had an excellent claim for the use of the drill.

Mr Coutfcs briefly responded

"The Mining Department," coupled with the names of Messrs McLaren ard Allom was proposed by Or McGowan. He said that he bad sometimes thought the action of the officers wrong, but he generally found subsequently that they were right and he wrong. They had frequently gone outside the letter of the law in order to facilitate the working of their department."

Messrs Allom and McLaren responded. The latter said that there were complaints of not sufficient information being obtainable. The fact was there was only himself to attend to his department; he was sorry he could not divide himself to attend all parties mire efficiently. The Mayor paid the officers of the department a very high compliment. He was sorry Mr Burgess could not be present. A Warden who had never seen a goldfield, coming to this place, if he only consulted these three officers, would make the best Warden could be.

The toast of the "Officers of the County and Borough Councils " was responded to by Messrs Hollis, County Clerk, Bawdon, Borough Foreman of Works, and Fleming. " The ladies," coupled with the name of Mrs Eraser, was proposed by Mr Hollis. The Mayoress, he said, had won her way into the hearts of the community by unobtrusive acts of charity. As for bachelors generally, he regarded them with mingled contempt and pity.

The proceedings were of a most enthusiastic character.