MAYORAL INSTALLATIONS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9603, 18 December 1896, Page 5

MAYORAL INSTALLATIONS.

CHRISTCHURCH. TJie annual Mayoral installation for the city of Christohurch took place at noon, yesterday, At this hour, the statutory meeting of the City Council was held. Present—The Mayor (presiding), Crs. Appleby, Mickle, Woods, Stapleton, Prudhoe, Sandstein, Samuels, Kiucaid, Sorensou, Stewart, Ix>ughnan, Gray. There were also present ex-Mayors Gapes and Thomson, and ex-Couucillor Mann. The Mayor (Mr H. J. Beswick) said that this was a statutory meeting of the Council to instal the Mayor as Chief Magistrate of the city. It was his pleasure now to instal Mr W. H. Co-'.per to the oQiee of Chief Magistrate of the city, to which the citizens had elected him for a second time. As regarded the work of the year, he had not a great deal to say. Whilst paying a welldeserved tribute of praise to the work of the late City Surveyor, he thought a good step had boen taken in the appointment of Mr Avcher as City Surveyor. He noted that in the other municipalities their debt was larger than that of Christchurch. They had had to impose Id in the £ r.dditional on the rates, one half-penny of which was for charitable aid and the other halfpenny for general purposes. The water supply question would, he trusted, be put on ?. practical footing at an early date, as he thought it would be a very t;rent boon to the city. A Conference regarding tramway concessions had been arranged for Monday next, and it was intended to try and arrange that all the concessions should be terminated at the same time. There was one mtitter in which he hud taken a very great interest, and that was the acquisition of a new yard for the Corporation. Under the scheme proposod it would iiol add anything to the rates, and would in the future be a great and valuable acquisition to th.2 city, as well as removing what had bei;n a great eyesore, viz., the present yard opposite their building. He trusted that the citizens would agree to the proposition lie had made. He now wished to thank the Committees for the consideration and courtesy which they had oxtended to him during his term of office. Whilst it was to some extent ?* relief to lay down the reins of office, he yet took leave of his fellow Councillors with great regret. He now installed Mr \J. H. Cooper as Mayor of Christchurch for the ensuing year.

Mr Cooper, having made the declaration, was invested with the chain of office.

The Mayor-Elect thanked the retiring Mayor for the kindly wishes expressed for a pleasant year of office. Hβ (the Mayor) would endeavour, to the utmost of hid ability to discharge the duties of Mayor, always considering the interosts of the ratepayers. He did not intend to make a speech then, but would desire to thank the ratepayers for having done him the high honour of returning him again as Mayor of the city. Or. Stewart moved—"That a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to ex-Mayor Beswick for his courtesy and efficient discharge of the duties oi his office." With regard to the action taken by the retiring Mayor in connection with the unemployed, he (Cr. Stewart) could only express the hope that the action taken by the Christchurch City Council, which the Mayor had only loyally carried out, would be acquiesced in praotically by the other Councils of New Zealand, and then the Government would be compelled to do their duty in this matter. The retiring Mayor had treated the Councillors with the utmost courtesy, and had also fulfilled hia duties with a dignity and a completeness which left nothing to be desired. Cr. Gray seconded the motion. Cr. Miciciiß, as the youngest Councillor, desired to add hia testimony to the admirable manner in which the retiring Mayor had conducted the business of the Council. He had only been present at one meeting presided over by the retiring Mayor, but had been struok by the dignity and quiet force with which he carried out the business of the Council. With regard to the unemployed question, though an impression seemed to have got abroad that Mr Beswiok had no sympathy with the unemployed, he felt sure that this wae unfounded; as Mayor Mr Beswick only carried out the resolution of his Council. The was then put and carried amidst acclamation. The retiring Mayor desired to thank the Council for the resolution which had just been past. He had endeavoured, whilst holding the office of Mayor, to faithfully discharge its duties—duties which were far more onerous than many people supposed—and he retired with a great deal of regret. As regarded the unemployed question, his conscience was clear. He had regarded it from a national point of view, and still hold the opinion that it was the duty of the Government not of the municipalities to deal with the unemployed. He once more thanked them for their consideration during his term of office, and wished his successor as pleasant a term a3 he had had. (Applause.) The Council then adjourned. At the invitation of the Mayor-Elect the members of the Council and the several gentlemen present adjourned to the library, where several toasts were duly honoured. ST. ALBANS. The annual installation of the Mayor of St. Albans (Mr F. Waymouth) took place last night. There were present—the Mayor, Crs. Penteney, Morgan, Cook, Neate, Charlewooa, Keig, Glass, and Hill, Mr Beatson (Borough. Clerk), and the Hon. J. % Peacock, and Messrs B. Bull, J. Millton, and W. Moor visitors. Apologies for absence were received from the Mayor of Lyttelton, and Mr A'Court, Chairman of the St. Albans School Committee. '

The Mayob having made the usual declaration, said, as the retiring Mayor, he hoped the new Mayor would have as good, if not a better, year than that which had just passed; and as the newly-installed Mayor, he had to thank the retiring Mayor for his past (Applause.) As the past Mayor he wished to thank the Councillors for the cordial support they had given him during his term of office, and he had full confidence that in the year coming he would be equally cordially supported. The finances of the borough showed improvement in so far that the Bank overdraft was less than at the same time last year. The improvement had been partly brought about by the fact that the rates had been more speedily coU lected. He also wished to thank the staff, from Mr Beatson downwards, for the way in which the work had been done, and he knew all the Councillors would endorse that, (Applause.) He would like to , say a little about the future. Last year there was much talk of what might happen if that "special Bill" waa got through. It was now not what might happen, but what would, and he felt confident of the support of the Council and the ratepayers of seeing that the loan authorisation was duly passed, and before he vacated the chair he hoped to see a considerable portion of the borough so much improved by meane of concrete channelling, asphalt footpaths, widening and draining roads, as would lead to a boom. He confidently looked forward to one. It would not likely be one to turn their heads, but it would justify the Council in its efforts to get the loan through as speedily as possible, and in expending the money as judiciously as possible. (Applause.) He concluded by thanking the Councillors for their support and the burgesaea for having re.elected him. (Hear, hear.) Cγ. Pbntenky congratulated Mr Waymouth on bis re-election, and wished him a prosperous year. He had rendered good service to the borough in the past, and they might expect similar good work from him in the future. (Applause). Cr. Keig endorsed these remarks, which were replied to by bis Worship. Cr. Him. proposed the toast of " The Mayor," which was duly honoured with cheera for the Mayor and Mayoress. His Worship responded on behalf of himself and Mrs Wavmouth. The toast of the " Local Bodies " woe proposed by the Mayor, and acknowledged by Mr Moob, who proposed that of Aiw Councillors," which waa spoken to by «*«* member of the Council. •" . -j The Mayob proposed the toaet ot sne Jionoured, shortly after which Uμ f leMant gathering broke up*

ASHBURTOH. The installation of Mr Joseph Scaly aa Mayor of Ashburton for the third successive year took place at the Borough Council Chambers on Wednesday evening, the statutory meeting having boen adjourned from noon till 8 p.m. There were present his Worship the Mayor, Ore. R. M. Cnthbortson, W. H. Collins, C. M. Brooke, E. J. Paul, C. Reid and D. Thomas. Amongst the guests were Messrs C. W, Purnell, J. Maynard (Chairman of thcHampstead Town Board), F. Makeig, T. Rollitt, H. M. Jones and others. Ex-Mayor Cγ. D. Thomas formally installed Mr Scaly, and warmly congratulated him on again being elected as Mayor. Cγ. Thomas briefly referred to the highly satisfactory and thoroughly efficient manner in which "the Mayor had discharged the I many onerous duties pertaining to tho office, and expressed the pleasure the Council felt in having Mr Scaly to preside over them for a third year. Tho Mayor, who had previously given a very lucid statement of tho work which the Council had done during the past year, then iuvited all present to join him in a glass of wine. He expressed his keen appreciation of the honour which had boen conferred upon him, and also the pleasure which had been afforded him by being so loyally supported by the Councillors. A number of toasts were then honoured.

The installation of the Mayors at Kaiapoi and Rangiora took place last ovening. Mr W. Doubleday was installed at Kaiapoi, and Mr C. I. Jennings at Rangiora.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION" TELEGRAM.) FEILDING, December 17. Mr Walter A. L. Bailey was installed rvg Mayor yesterday for a second term.