Foxton Borough Council.

Manawatu Herald, 22 December 1898, Page 3

Foxton Borough Council.

INSTALLATION OF MAYOR. At noon yesterday the annual meeting of the Council was held for the installation ot the Mayor, Alfred Fraser Esq. , In the absence of the Town Clerk who was conducting an election, Cr. Westwood took the chair, who explained the object of the meeting. He said he was absent when the late Mayor retired and it he had been he would have had something to say as he held he was entitled to praise and he endorsed all he saw said about him, in the paper, by the other Councillors. He thought that Cr Fraser had plenty of work before him especially in connection with the Wirikino bridge. He called upon Cr. Fraser to make the usual declaration. This having been done, Cr Westwood welcomed Cr. Fraser to the chair of the Council. The Mayor thanked Cr. Westwood for the kind words he had used. He desired to touch on certain matters in a small way. The Wirikino bridge was the most important work of the year and would require much labour on the part of the councillors and himself. The financial postion was not satisfactory as the accounts stood. On Dec. 15th 1896, the credit on all accounts was £112. On Dec. 15th this year there was an overdraft ot £218. When Mr Stansell took office in 1896 there were outstanding con- • tracts amounting to £285 which wonld have left him with an overdraft of £173. At present he took office with an overdraft practically of £268, the difference being made up of £50 less of rates to come in, or in round figures he started £100 behind his predecessor of two year's ago. The present position is that all accounts with the exception of the cemetery are overdrawn, to the amount of £218, and the amount of outstanding rates are £154 15 s 5<3 as against £204 rs od in 1896. These figures were given to show that economy must be exercised during the coming year. Lot of work wa? wanting doing but other ways and mea-ns must be devised. He would like to see the Sanatorium reserves planted. He looked upon that Sana torium as an important assert of the Borough, and if properly worked would be of very mnch value. The stretci of sands was unrivalled and people were bound to derive much value trom a stay there. He joined in the hope

expressed by Cr. Westwood that Councillors and himself would work in harmony together and he would do his best to forward the interests of the Borough as a whole. Cr. Rhodes was glad to welcome the Mayor and thought .they would all work pleasantly together. Cr. Purcell was glad to see the Mayor in the chair and he looked upon hn tact and energy as being capable of carrying him successfully though his term of office.