MAYORAL INSTALLATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 303, 20 December 1894, Page 8

MAYORAL INSTALLATIONS.

PAKNELL

At the annual statutory meeting ot the 'Parnoll Bdrough Council; there were proseno;—Mr J. McCabe (the retiring Mayor), Mrs Matsou, Messrs Withy, Briggs and Poiiard. )

Mr Kissling made the usual declaration, and was welcomed by the retiring Mayor (Mr McCabe J, who, in a few words, congratulated him on his taking office. Mr Kissling made a few suitable remarkß, and at his enggestion a resolution was passed that the best thanks of ° the Council be tendered to Mr McCabe for the attention and zeal* shown by him in the affairs of the borough during his term of office.

Mr McCabe said that as the retiring Mayor, be thought that he should make a few remarks concerning the finances of the borough. With the consent of the Town Clerk'he had looked over the statements and found that the four accounts of the Council were all very satisfactory, with the exception of the general account. That stood at the present timo£6B 17s lid in a/reare. Of course, they had to take into account that this month was the sixth of the financial year, and they must take into account the amount yet. to come in. .Ho found (that there were only £175 arrears of rated, which did not contribute very much to the finances of the bbroueh. In 1891', the expenditure on roads was £835 14s lOd. I'a 1894, it waa £1,212 I2e 6d. Of course, <khe braffic had increased, but the principal cause of increased expenditure was owing to the roada and paths having been neglected. He considered that any large progressive works, such as cutting down the Manukau Road, or the drainage works.in St. George's Bay, could not -be d\~>na,oub of ordinary, ratea. Mr McCabe "then referred to the mattsr. of the drainage of the Orphans' Home, and recommended that the drain be taken down Campbell Terrace, which would benefit fully thirty houses. With regard to St. Stephen's Avenue, the last time the Streets Coramittieo had vieited the locality they found a great mistake bad been made. There was a 66fft road, which had been divided off, leaving • 32ft for the footpath, which was altogether out of proportion, He thought it would be bettor to remedy that as early as possible. The next matter he should refer to was the position of the fire brigado station. They were only on sufferance on the sito they had occupied up tho efcroot, and they had no room on it for any material. In the matter of drainage there had been a good deal of outlay, and the contractor had been blamed and also the man who tried to renew it, but ho believed it was the fault of-.want, of knowledge in the n'ret instance. A 20-inch drain pipe wns not ablo to stand the pressure and carry the quantity, of;water necessary, and that created a great difficulty. After due consideration the Council agreed to have the water measures!, and now the whole matber waa satisfactorily arranged. The City Council had acknowledged that there had been an over-charga, They fixed new valves, and a 400-gallpn tank had been permanently fixed, by which the meters could be tested at any time. He concluded by thanking the Council for the very great kindness which they had shown him during his term in office. He had not now tHe pleasure of introducing Mr Killing, as ho had already taken the chair that day, and hs had then introduced him, bub, indeed, there was no need of introducing Mr Kissling, aB he had already served as a councillor, and with his business and financial qualities, Parnell may lay credit to having a Mayor second to none in Nevr Zealand.

Mr Kissling desired to express his very jrre.'tb pleasure in , meeting the Councillors present ami as ha had beßn.aßßOciatodwifcb the Council in olden, ttoeij and^wjts alraady, wall known to "bis brother members, he waa s'uro'"thuy"• weruld -gob • along 'Woir-tagSGßerv* On looking through the finances of the borough ib struck .him, thnbhe had not come in for a very good heritage so far as the Council's financial position was concerned.'. In June of next year the general rate^.will shew thab thoy are £309 on the wrong side of the accounb. As Mr McCabe had clearly explained to the Council, the present overdraft waH £68, and there were only £175' in rates yeb to come in. He understood that £15 would be received ■ from batchers' licences; £60 from the Government, and a small sum for dog licenses, so thab the total amount to be received by the Council war about) £295, while their expenditure would ba gomobhiog . like. £600. They could, therefore, expect that at the end of the year they would be about £300 or £400 in arrears. Mr Kissling aiso referred to various other matters. I a conclusion hesaid ho felb thab in. the meetings of-local' bodies tbere was a considerable waste of timo in unnecessary discussion, and it would be hi.3 business to get through the work as quickly as possible. Hehbped the Council would support him' in doing so.