MR GOODBEHERE

Feilding Star, Volume 3, Issue 320, 22 July 1925, Page 5

MR GOODBEHERE

GUEST QF THE CIVIC CLUB

EARLY HISTORY OF THE BOROUGH

Mr E. Goodbohore was the guest of the Civic Clul) at a luncheon yesterday, when there was an excellent attendance of members.

Mr G. Fitzpatrick (President) said though this luncheon was given for the purpose of recognising Mr 'Goodbehere’s public services, their guest wa s honouring them by attending. The President was particularly anxious to otter this honour to Mr Goodhehere, because a - new generation was growing up in the town who had not had personal experience of lvis public work. Gratitude for public services rendered was not a. strong feature in British communities, and it was well that the Civic’ Club should not have forgotten its duty in this respect. There was a time wl,ion the name of “Goodhehere” loomed large in Feilding, and Hie speaker emphasised this fact by repeating the story of a Feilding man who went to "Wellington and was told there that as lie had rome from Feilding his name must he Goodhehere. Air Goodbehore had had a good deal to do with ‘the formation of the borough and its early progress. Like ilio present Mayor, lie had followed his father’s example when becoming Mayor. Altogether, lie had occupied the Mayoral chair for nearly 14 years, which was a record not likely to he broken. Also he had been Mayor for six and a half years consecutively, another record. An immense amount of work had been done for the borough in that term. Mr Goodbehere carrying out a. policy of pro-., gross along safe lines. Tn addition

to his Mayoral duties, lie had oecu-

pied many other public positions, having been Chairman of the Hospital Board, Fire Board, and other bodies, and had taken a leading part in the agitation for the establishment of the Lytton street school. Throughout his public career, Mr Goodbehere had shown that typical sterling English character which had brought the British Empire to its present position. He had.beci. above suspicion in all his dealings, and had set an example that all those public men coming nfte r ' him could follow. They were all very glad to have Air Goodbehere still with them, full of health and vigour. The President added that he Pad arranged for Mr J. \Y. B ram well to speak at ibis function, but unfortunately that gentleman was not able to attend. He had sent the following letter: — T received a message from Ha worn this morning which necessitates my leaving for that town to-day. I will he unable to return to Feilding in time to attend the Civic Club luncheon on Tuesday which I regret very much. Will you kindly apologise for my absence? It would have given me great pleasure to add my testimony to others who will speak in appreciation of Air F. Gooolbehere’s lengthy and valuable service in advancing the interests of Feilding. I am glad to know that this appreciation is being expressed while Mr Goodbehere is in the full vigor of life, and hope it may eneoußage him to again take that active part in the public life of the town and district for which he is so well qualified. Speaking as a resident of Feilding during the past 32 years, I am of opinion that as Mayor of the town, and in the many other capacities of public life occupied by Mr Goodbehere, he has earned the gratitude and esteem of his fellow citizens, past, present and future. (Applause). AIR, GOODBEHERE’S SPEECH. On rising, Air Goodbehere was very cordially received. He thanked the i Civic Club fo r the honour they had

done him. He had been more or less identified with municipal affairs in Feilding from the time it was first constituted a. borough in 1881, ami had served in the capacity of Mayor or Councillor practically continuously from 18SS to 1913. He had had something to do with the formation of the borough, having assisted in the- canvass of tlio town to secure the necessary number of dwelling houses. In order to get the required number, they had to go a long way out. and the borough originally was one of the largest in New Zealand, covering about 3200 acres. In recent years considerable areas had been pared off. Tn the early days he was a reporter for the Hangitikei Advocate, and in that capacity attended the first meeting of the Borough Council; on August L"), 1881, which meeting produced a /(rood deal of fun. Tlio borough contained over 40 miles of unformed roads, the greater part, of winch wore covered with standing, hush. Tn 1883 a. loan of £OOOO was raised from the Government Life Insurance Department by debentures spread over 20 years, at 7 per cent. A sinking fund was provided which provided sufficient funds to repay the loan in the 20 years, and Mr Goodbohore was one of the smiting fund commissioners until ho- was elected to the Borough Council in 1888. When applications were called for the position of Town Clerk Air Goodhehere applied, hut he was unsuccessful, and he had never regretted it. There was a good deal of heartburning over the laying out of the £6OOO loan money, hut ultimately a. schedule of works was adopted and the work of street formation carried out as far as the money would go.

Mr. Goodhehere, sen., had been May Of of the town, and on his retirement- the speaker thought he should follow his father’s example, and he wa« elected to the Council. He had opposition to his election, and decided to do some canvassing. The first person he waited on to solicit support, roundly abused him for his impudence, and irom that day he had never asked any one to vote for him. (Laughter). He was elected Mayor unopposed in 1892, and in 1897 lie was again elected Mayor, which position lie held until 1901. During that time Feilding was growing, and tlio town, needed a water and sewerage system. Ho sot himself the task of providing a’ scheme to place before the ratepayers. The necessity for a water supply was intensified bv the mini her of fires which occurred about time, and which were attributed rightly or wrongly to. incen iia'Nni. Mr Goodhehere described Ihe fire fighting appliances of those days, which were scarcely equal to the iequiremefits. There was a good deal of discussion ’on the water supply question, and many proposals made Some thought the water could he drawn from the Makino sMeam, others from the Kiwiten hut intimately the '" engineer engaged, Mr Mestayer, carried out the gravitation scheme from the Oroua rmr. this river being chosen because rf the purity of the water. The cost was some £42,000. Much public: controversy took place, some residents considering it would ruin Liie town. Air Goodhehere specially referred to the good work done hv the Feilding Fire Brigade in the early days under Captain Eade. "Referring to the various public loans, Mr Goodhehere said the public debt of the borough in 1900 was: Public works loan £OOOO. bridges loans £2303 10s 4d, municipal buildings loan £9OO. Total. £9463 10s 4d. In 1923 the total inilebtnoss was C 147.017 10s, with another £IB.OOO to he added this year. In 1900 the Council expended out of general account £930, while in .1923 the figure was £B2IO 3s. Those figures gave them something to think about. Speaking of the various public utilities, Mr Goodhehere particularly mentioned the Abattoirs. comprising the present up-to-date buildings and appointments with the • old system, which the speaker showed by photographs v was certainly unsatisfactory. He eulogised the work of Air J. AY. Bramwell as a member of the Borough Council who find stuck to him and had done great good for the town. Air J. Cobbe also bad given nim great assistance, for which be was grateful. They had been fortunate in Feilding in the stamp of men who had taken up the municipal work, and also in the successive Town Clerks which they had had here.

AT,- Goodbehere warmly thanked the Civic Club for the honour they had shown him, which ho really appreciated. ■On the motion of the Alavor, seconded by All- T. Watson, the sneaker was accorded the hearty thanks of the Club for his address.