KAIAPOI BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLII, Issue 4322, 18 December 1874, Page 3

KAIAPOI BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The adjourned annual meeting for the election of Major and passing the annual accounts, was held on Thursday last, at noon. Present —-All the Councillors } his Worship the Mayor presiding. The minutes of last annual meeting were read and confirmed, after which the Clerk presented the annual balance sheet, which showed that the receipts during the past year had been £1656 17s 7d. The expenditure during the same period was £lO4l 19s 2d, leaving a credit balance in the Bank of £614 18s 6d, made up as follows: General account, £226 8s lOd; bridge reserve account, £2BB 9s 7d. On the motion of Councillor Blackwell, seconded by Councillor Parnham, the balance aheet as read, was received and adopted. The Mayor said the next business was the election of Mayor for the ensuing year. Councillor Houston said that Councillors generally had expressed their great satisfaction with the manner in which their present Mayor had carried out the duties of the affioe during the past three years, and there was really no other member of the Council in a position-to undertake the office, the duties of which required a great deal of time and ability. If his Worship would again undertake the office, he .had great pleasure in moving that he (Mr Edward George Kerr) be elected as Mayor for the ensuing year. So much confidence had hitherto been expressed with the conduct of the Mayor, and the energy he had displayed in looking, after the interests of the town, that he was certain his (the Mayor’s) re-election would give satisfaction to the people of Kaiapoi generally, and also to the Council.

Councillor Wearing said, he had much pleasure in seconding the motion of Councillor Funston. The present Mayor had now held office-fora long time, and he had always been found able and willing. to carry out the business of the Council , in a most satisfactory manner. Sometimes, events occurred that ruffled the even current of affairs, but the Mayor never attempted to shirk the responsibility of any matter that engaged the attention of the Council. Ho always spoke his mind independently,* no ;matter whether his opinion gave offence .or*not, and he thought the Council could not do ‘better than , , him again. He thought it was a serious mistake to go outside the Counoil for a candidate for the election of

Mayor,; because, even at the request of the present Mayor, the Councillors that were asked to come forward on the present occasion would not accept the responsibilities of the office. It had been suggested that the Council should elect a person*, from outside their own body, but he hoped, for the credit of the place, it would be a long time before such a course were adopted. First of ail, it was necessary that a Iperson who aspired to i the office of Mayor should be elected and have i the confidence of the ratepayers, and such . confidence could not bo given without an election; therefore, it would be wrong to attempt the introduction of an outsider. His view was, that before a candidate was eligible ■ for the office of Mayor, he should come in as a member of the Council, do his work, and take his share of the abuse that was invariably heaped upon persons engaged in . municipal matters. Councillor Blackwell said that, in speaking , in favour of the motion, it.was perfectly well khoWnthat he had intended to propose an outsider ; not through any disrespect to their present Mayor, but simply because bethought the introduction of new blood would be acceptable, >if it did no more good. There was not the slightest ill-feeling between himself and the present Mayor—(hear, hear, from the Mayojpj-rtand he had said, and would continue to say, that no Councillor, ever did so .much for the town, either in the capacity of Councillor ar Mayor, as their present Mayor. (Hear,, The, election .of Mayor, occurred .every year, nnd .the term for which every Mayor, ,yas elected expired by of itimo. It wasdhe opinion of several .pewops outside the Council that a chaqge was desirable at the annual meeting, and he bad. consuited,five members of the Gouncil as to the advisability of .having such change, but he found that the.feeling of the majority -was, in jfavoai .of the re-election of' their , present Mayor,,provided, be would accept,the . office, Be wae aware that the Mayor would have driven up the office to other Coahoillors. but they .would hot .accept, and he .(Councillor Hlaokwcl!) whuld not offer any objection to the motion,, but would vote for it. Councillor Milaomeaid he had agreed with Blackwell; to second the nomination of a person outside the Cpuncil,but finding thiilolirse was pot-acceptable *? “ e , ?P a ' joritj, he had agreed to vote for the motion. Notwithstanding his ppnsehting to Beoflnd Abe. motion lor the election of .another candidate,, ■ be was of opinion that it • would be ft long; time before * person could be found to fulfil',; theduties so ably as their.preaent Mayor. j Councillor MTtonald said he thought it was! wrong to talk of going outside the Councillor ■ a Mayor because theCouncillors who had been asked could not afford; the time- to attend to thb duties. Their present Mayor was in a , thoroughly independent position, and had ; (taken all the public pbuae connected with the •office of’ Mayor for the past three years, and he believed he was able to take it,again. TSe’ motion was put,-and carried unanimously. Councillor Parnhapj said that, as the oldest Councillor, he had great pleasure in moving a cordial vote of thanks to Mr E. Q- Kerr for the able manner in which he had filled the office of Mayor for. the post three years. When he first became a member of the ' Council he did not think he could work with Mr Kerr, bathe soon found out his mistake ; bnd he must say they never had a disagreeable word during the number of years they had worked together in the Council. Differences of opinion sometimes occurred, but the differences were always satisfactorily settled. He had himself been in favour of supporting another candidate for the Mayoralty, but after the proceedings of Tuesday night last he had quite altered his opinion. He considered that the present Mayor had not only done his work well, but better than any other candidate they could find. Councillor Beharrell seconded the motion, and complimented the Mayor for the trouble he had always taken in Carrying out the wishes ct the Council. Councillor Blackwell supported the motion.

and said that Although'he I*® 8 M a sort of leader’ of the opposition, he"fully appreciated the general conduct of the Mayor. Although he differed from the Mayor in one or two points, the motion was- fully merited, and he had great-plCasure in supporting it. The motion was put and carried.

The Mayor elect returned "thanks for tho honour the Council had again -conferred upon him by electing him "tor "the fourth time, but he should .have preferred that the Councillors whom -he had asked to allow themselves to be nominated bad consented. He had no wish to again occupy the position of Mayor, as it looked like a monopoly of 1 tho office, 'and he should certainly not have' consented on the present occasion if the feeling of the Council had not been unanimous. He most decidedly objected to the election of an outsider as Mayor, and would not have remained in the Council if such a proceeding bad been resorted to. The Council then adjourned.