VALEDICTORY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9223, 22 June 1909, Page 5

VALEDICTORY.

PRESENTATIONS TO MR J. YARR,

The employees of the Borough Council, to the number of about fifty, assembled in the Foresters' Hall, last evening, for the purpose of presenting Mr J. Yarr, who is leaving Masterton, with a token of their appreciation of the manner in which he had championed their cause whilst a member of the Council. Mr McLeod was voted to the chair, and expressed the pleasure it gave him in being privileged to preside. The employees of the Council were keenly alive to and quick to appreciate the sterling services that Mr Yarr had rendered them in his official capacity. His departure would be regretted by every member of the community as a worthy anod capable Councillor, but pleasure would be taken from the knowledge of the fact that the future held very bright prospects for him. He was the first avowed representative of labour that had ever sat at the Council table, and by his sound judgment and keen determination on important municipal questions he had earned the goodwill of the community generally. The chairman then handed to Cr Yarr a handsome travelling bag, the silver plate on which was engraved as follows:—"Presented to Mr John Yarr, by Masterton friends." Mr M. Moriarity testified to the esteem in which Cr Yarr was held by ths Borough employees. It was due to his efforts that they were now in receipt of nine shillings per day —only a living wagb —and his able advocacy of their claims would always redound to his credit. Their hearts were fertile with gratitude for Mr Yarr's sympathy and help, and they had utec together to prove that tht gratitude of the workers could be expressed in concrete form.

Various other eulogistic speeches were delivered.

Cr Yarr, in responding, said he was pleased to be there as the representative of the working men of Masterton on the Borough Council. He did not know till that evening that he had so many friends in Masterton, and he deeply appreciated the kindness that had been shown to him by the workers of Masterton. Ever since his election to the Borough Council he had been the workers' candidate, and he had been fully repaid for his efforts. As a public man he had endeavoured to assist those who were most in need of assistance, and he considered that they were the workers. When he moved a motion to increase the wages of the Borough workers by one shilling a day he met with some opposition. He was told that it was a serious matter to increase the wages of the Borough workers, as it meant setting up a standard of wages not only for the Borough but for the district. His reply was that if they were going to set up a standard of wages for the district, then let it be a high standard, and a standard that would enable the workers to keep their wives and their families in comfort —that comfort which they deserved. He advised the working men of Masterton to always have a representative in the Borough Council—a man who would see that they all get fair play—and none of them wanted more than that. His motto was affair day's work and sufficient day's pay. He advised them not to put a faddist into the Council to help them, but to put a reasonable, sensible man in, who would not ask for impossibilities, but who would assist them to obtain that which they were justly entitled to, and both they and their representative would be respected. Ke regretted very much that ho way leaving them, and trusted they would meet with success in the future. He thanked them heartily far their useful present. ! Mr Yarr was subsequently .enter- ! tained by a number of leading eitij zens in the Arcadia Rooms, and prej sented with a purse of sovereigns. I Ihe chair was occupied by His Worj ship the Mayor, Mr i'. L. Holdings. I In proposing the health of the guest I of the evening, t.ho Mayor referred

to the good services rendered 11;e town by Cr Yarr as a councillor. As a citizen, too, he had lived an upright and honourable life, and was

respected by every one in the community. In all matters that had come before the Council for consideration, Mr Yarr had shown sound and practical judgment, and had cast his vote in the direction which he considered was in the best interests of the tov/n and the ratepayers generally. He could not call to mind one single occasion in the Council when Mr Yarr had corn promised his position by allowing himself to be influenced by anything other than his own keen judgment and consideration forthe ratepayers, and the town was losing a good councillor ano public servant whose place would be extremely difficult to fill. He was leaving Masterton for fresh fields, but ha woi'ld dcubtkss ha encouraged by the knowledge that he enjoyed uie goodwill of the citizens of Mastertori, and that their best wishes were vtjsn hirn for his future success. Men of Mr Yarr's type were bound to rise in whatever community theyldecided to live in, and he believed before long they would hear of him as a valued member of the Hastings Council. Mr Yarr, in replying, expressed himself as deeply grateful for their kindness in entertaining him in the sumptuous way they had done thainight. He thanked them from the bottom of his heart for the presentation that they had made to him. He had to say that the people of Masterton had treated him very kindly, and that he deeply appi'eciated that kindness. His wife had requested him to say that she fully recognises the honour that the citizens of Masterton were conferring on him, and cn her behalf, and onjiehalf of himself, he wished to thank them most sincerely for the send-off they had given he saw the leadir.g men of the town assembled to do him honour on his departure for Napier, he could not do full justice to the occasion, and could only say in conclusion that his wife and himßeif would never forget the kindness tf the people of Masterton. The toast of the Mayor and Borough Councillors was proposed in a capital speech by Mr C. A. Pownal). He said it called back to him n any memories of the past, when he took an act:ve part in municipal politics. He congratulated the town on having at present a Mayor and Council worthy of the name, and expressed the opinion that if the ratepayers were alive 1o their best interests they would sanction the loan proposals of the Mayor. He had always been of.opinion that new works should not be undertaken out of revenue, for if they did so it meant that revenue had to be increased by heavier taxation. It was better from ali poin.s to pay interest on loan money. The present Mayor had carried out a great deal of useful work in the face of much opposition, and he hoped to see many more advanced proposals materialised in the near future.

The toast was ably responded to by Cr Pauling. The toast of the officers and staff of the Borough Council was proposed by Mr Yarr, who stated that from the Engineer downwards every one of the staff were deserving of praise for conscientious services rendered. Mr W. T. Mansfi-ld, in responding, expressed his appreciation fur the sympathetic expressions that had been given utterance to. Such appreciation on the part of Councillors rendered the duties of the staff much easier than it otherwise would be. Other toasts proposed were as follow The Trust Lands Irust," Mr J. Prentice—Mr C. A. Pownall; "Chamber of Commerce," Mr A. Haughey—Mr A. Henderson; "The Ladies," "The Press," and "The Chairman."