UNUSUAL OMISSION

Evening Star, Issue 19533, 14 April 1927, Page 2

UNUSUAL OMISSION

NO VOT EOF THANKS TO RETIRING MAYOR Usually the last meeting in the life of the City Council is regarded ns an appropriate occasion for felicitous references to the staff, the retiring councillors, and the outgoing mayor, but, although Monday night’s meeting of the Christchurch City Council was the last one prior to tho municipal elections, a vote of thanks to the mayor (the Rev. J. K. Archer) was omitted (says the Christchurch ‘ Star ’), The omission was probably due partly to a desire on the part of the mayor to got the meeting through early, and partly to the majority of the councillors on the Citizens’ Association’s side of tho table overlooking the matter. Early in the meeting a vote of thanks was passed to the town clerk and staff, the chairmen of committees speaking in high terms of the excellent manner in which they had carried out their duties. It appeared, however, as though the proceedings would be brought to A close without any reference whatever to Crs C. T. Aschman and A. D. Ford, who are not seeking re-election. For some minutes the mayor had been endeavoring to bring the meeting to a close, but each time a councillor brought some other_ matter forward. Just before the meeting terminated Cr W. E, Leadley succeeded in moving a vote of thanks to Crs Aschman and Fordr, Immediately the councillors had replied the mayor moved the adjournment.

No reference at all was made to the mayor’s services, and as tho councillors were dispersing Cr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., protested that it was the only occasion during the time lie had been connected with the council that such a slight had been offered to the mayor. He stated that on former occasions the vote of thanks to the outgoing mayor had been moved from the Labor side of the table, and this year he had expected the councillors on the other side to show a similar courtesy. The matter was not discussed any further, but later, in the presence of the reporters, Cr Sullivan mentioned the matter to the mayor, who declared that ho did not want a vote of thanks accorded to him.

Cr C. P. Agar, the deputy-mayor, the-reportcis that he had thought of tho_ matter himself,, but as he was a candidate for the mayoralty he thought it would .be better if one of the other councillors proposed the motion. He had mentioned it to one of the councillors, but apparently it was overlooked when the meeting was being, closed. No slight on the mayor was intended.