A COUNCIL LUNCHEON

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 122, 27 May 1925, Page 6

A COUNCIL LUNCHEON

THE MAYOR ENTERTAINS

LARGE GATHERING IN CONCERT

CHAMBER

AN OUTLINE OF CIVIC POLICY.

Councillors and council officers are busy men, a good deal busier than most people realise, and though they meet together in formal fashion.round the council table every three weeks or so, with quite a few committee meetings in between, it is seldom that they meet for meeting's sake, to talk things over in a free and family manner. It is still more seldom that councillors and officers and their wives meet at one gathering and talk city business and other business just as fancy-strikes them. To-day the Mayor (Mr. C. B. .Norwood) instituted a new order of things for Wellington, and entertained just such' a gathering in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hail at luncheon.

"I am very pleased to have the opportunity of entertaining as my guests the councillors and the staff, and more particularly I am pleased to meet their lady-folk," said Mr. Norwood, "I am taking this early opportunity of meeting you that I may know better the councillors and members of the managerial staff. It is also a matter of importance that the Mayoress should 'become acquainted with fhe ladies associated with tho civic duties of the city. Mrs. Norwood is prepared to stand side by side with me as a servant of the public, and I am quite sure she will not look in vain to councillors and their wives for moral and practical support. I have the happiest recollections of my term as a councillor and I am delighted-that I shall have the support of some of my old colleagues, whose popularity and willingness to serve the people have returned them to the council year by year.

BUSY TIMES AHEAD

"We are commencing a term of office which promises to be a very busy one, raid, to accomplish our programme of ■works, we shall require every ounce of constructive thought and co-operation, both from the councillors and the managerial staff. I know it will' be the aim of the present council to encourage departmental heads to manage completely then- own departments, looking- only to their respective committees for direction upon matters of policy. "The first business which will engage the attention of the respective committees is the consideration of the estimates of their financial requirements for the coming year. The -.works in sight would seem to absorb well over £475,000, while the amount of revenue will be approximately £100,000. I need hardly say, therefore, that the committees will require to be as careful as possible when they_ are -estimating their requirements. It is important that these . estimates should bs available to the Finance Committee as early as possible, as the visit oi the American fleet will, no doubt, interrupt somewhat the. working of the council during the term of its stay at Wellington.

FAITH WITH THE PUBLIC

You will agree-with 1 me that it is our duty to keep faith with.the public, as far.as is. physically possible, concerning the 1020 loan schedule, more especially as far as it relates to passenger transport.

'"Concerning tho roading loan, our present plant capacity, given most favourable conditions, would require four years to carry out this work, and I believe that it would not be economical from many points of view to spread this work over a so long a period. The heavy maintenance cost on these roads'must be saved as soon as possible, and the amonnt of the loan in credit will cause considerable loss of interest, even assuming that we are able to invest that part of the loan which is in credit at a discount. You will therefore be asked at:an e a r ]y <j a t e to consider the question of increasing plant capacity to expedite this important work. MOUNT VICTORIA TUNNEL "Probably the largest work that will engage your attention in the near future will be the Mount Victoria tunnel. This work will take several years to complete, and there are many aspects of it which will require most careful thought from councillors. I trust we shall have no difficulty,in reaching a final decision, at. an early date. A CITY PLAN _"I am personally of opinion that a city plan for future guidance is essential in the interests of the city. I do not intend to enlarge upon the' import-, ance of such a plan just now, inasmuch as I believe that councillors are all -thoroughly conversant with'that aspect. I shall ask councillors at an early date to_ give their sanction at least to the initial work necessary for the preparation of such a plan. "Mutual co-operation," concluded Mr. Norwood, "would make of the arduous duties of.the council and its activities a pleasure for all concerned."

(Proceeding.)