THE PRESENT BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8401, 17 April 1907, Page 5

THE PRESENT BOROUGH COUNCIL.

PAST YEAR'S WORK.

The present Council for the Masterton Borough met for the last time last evening prior to the elections. At the conclusion of the business of the meeting, the Mayor made a brief statement, chiefly concerning the present position of the Council. He said he had to thank the Councillors and officers of the Council for the courtesy they had extended to him during his term of office. He had definitely decided not to stand again for the Mayoralty. It was impossible to do so owing to the way in which he was at present situated. Had he been able to contest .the Mayoralty he would have done so in order that he might assist in carrying out the loan works that were in progress. The present Council, during its term of office, had carried out some very important works and had exercised as much economy as possible. If those who followed worked as economically as the present Council the ratepayers would have no cause for regret. Financially, there might be a deficiency at present, but that was always liable to occur where a progressive policy was being pursued. The deficiency was to a great extent accounted for by the large expenditure there had been in connection with new streets. The present Council had had to deal considerably with the cutting up of estates, and the construction of new streets. While the town was progressing, whatever Council was in office they would have to be opening up new streets. He trusted that the advancement of Masterton as a borough would go on as rapidly as it had done hitherto, and if it did, there would be a day when every man who had been in public life would look back with pride to the fact that what they had done had been done in the right direction. He went on to say that he had always found the present Council a progressive body, and one that had the interests of the town at heart. He had visited the Councils in various other towns in the colony, and was of opinion that the present Masterton Council and its officers compared very favourably with any of them. He thanked Councillors again for their kindness to him during his term of office. ' Cr Ewington said that there was no doubt that the Council had exceeded their estimates, but they had done quite right. The work and expenditure during the p year had come up unforseen, but the increased value of the borough would compensate them for the present expenditure. He maintained that the Council had done the right thing in expending the money as they had done, for it was in times of prosperity such as at present, that money should be expended on public works. There was one thing, he said, that the incoming Council should keep in mind, and that was closer settlement in the district. Unless there was a rr.ore general cutting up of estates in the district than at present, things could not go on as they were going. Cr Pauling said that the size of the overdraft did not annoy him, as any progressive concern must have the capital to work with. The ratepayers would find by the general appearance of the town that the Council had got good value for the overdraft. There was one thing be would like to say, and that was that the Mayor had taken too much work upon himself. lie should have spread the work over the Council, and should have let every Councillor do his share. He hoped that when the Mayor went away he would "keep his sword sharp" and return to Masterton at some future date to "take up the cudgels" again. The Mayor: I'll do that. Cr Eton, while regretting the Mayor's departure from Masterton, said he hoped to hear more of him in public life, even as an M.H.R. He himself had decided not to seek re-election and he would like to take the opportunity of thanking the Council for the harmonious manner in which they had worked with him in the past. Despite the large overdraft, every Councillor knew that the Borough was in a sound and satisfactory state. He hoped that every other Councillor would seek reelection and be returned, for, said Cr Eton, they deserved it. ' Cr McEwen said that the state of the overdraft was not a thing to be feared. Cr Morris said he had always had every confidence in the Mayor, &nd he would assure him that if he came back again to Masterton he was certain to obtain his (the speaker's) support. Cr Morris said he had decided to offer himself for re-elec-tion, and he hoped the other Councillors would also offer themselves for re-election and be returned. The present Council had a lot of work in hand which when finished the ratepayers would not regret. Cr Elliott stated that, although they had been ruled "out of order" on several occasions, they had always been on good terms with the Mayor. He regretted Mr Renall's departure, as Masterton could not afford to lose such a good settler. Continuing, he said there was no cause for complaint in the Council's financial position. Practically the whole of the expenditure was in extending the gas and water mains, which were reproductive. He added, that he would again offer his services to the ratepayers at the approaching elections. Cr Temple said he felt sorry that the Mayor was leaving the district, as Masterton could ill afford to lose such public spirited men as Mr Renall. The Mayor had carried out numerous works in the town, and the Masterton Dairy Factory stood as a monument to his energy and foresight. There were few men who would have attempted the establishment of a Dairy Factory at the time when Mr Renall did in the face of such opposition. It had been said that the Dairy Factory brought more money into the town than anything else, and he believed that this statement was right. Turning to Council matters, the speaker said that the gasworks was a greater asset than the ratepayers realised. He believed that, with the assistance of the Gas Manager, the Council would be able to give back to the ratepayers a portion of the earnings of the gasworks in the shape of reduced rates. When that was accomplished, Masterton would have risen several rungs in the ladder.

Cr Hoar said that he had sat for two years on the Council and had enjoyed it. He regretted that he was not going to seek re-election | as his business would not allow him. [ He was sorry because he liked the work. He thanked the Mayor for past courtesies. ' Cr Temple thought that, before the conclusion of thejmeeting, they should recognise the services of Crs Feist and McEwen as Deputy Mayors. He moved that they be accorded a vote of thanks. Cr Eton seconded the motion, which was carried. The Town Clerk also thanked the Mayor for his consideration and courtesy in the past. regretted that Mr Renall was leaving the town. The good work-; that he had done would not be forgotten, arid the Renal'.Solway Home would stand as a monument of his many charitable actions. The Engineer and Gas Manager also spoke in a similar strain. The Mayor, Crs Temple and McEwen spoke eulogistically of the work of the Press during the past year, and thanked them for their accurate, full and impartial reports of the proceedings in the Council. Before the conclusion of the meeting, it was decided, on the motion of Cr Morris, seconded by Cr Ewington, that recognition of the services of Crs Eton and Hoar should be placed on the minutes of the Council.