PRESENTATION TO TEE MAYOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11631, 19 April 1901, Page 3

PRESENTATION TO TEE MAYOR

During the meeting of the City Council last night the councillors paid a graceful compliment to His Worship the Mayor. (Mr. D. Goldie), on the occasion of his approaching retirement from office, by presenting Mm with a handsomely-framed illuminated address,' the text of which was as follows:—

To David Goldie, Esq., Mayor of Auckland. Tour Worship,—We, the undersigned «, councillors of the City of Auckland, feel that we cannot permit Your Worship to retire from the Mayoralty of our city without expressing: our appreciation of the manner in which yon have discharged the duties of your high office. You were called to the-" Mayoral chair by your fellow citizens, in December, 1899. Your term of office was renewed on two successive occasions, and now,' after two years and a-half of faithful service you have decided to ; take a well-earned rest from municipal labours. «We recognise the sacrifice of health and time you have made for the city. Your term of office has been specially arduous- and eventful. Departmental reorganisation, the ; re-establish-ment of the finances and the initiation of a scheme of auxiliary water supply have been some of the works undertaken by the Council under your leadership. We, who laboured by your side, know, as others cannot know, the great integrity, conscientiousness, and courtesy with which you have discharged all the duties of Chief Magistrate. Your business acumen and untiring energy enabled you to obtain a complete mastery of the manifold details of the various municipal departments. Your conduct in the chair has ever been strictly correct and impartial. Our relations with you have bean marked'by the greatest harmony and cordiality; and it is K with deep regret,,sir, that we learn that you do not intend to seek i - c-olection. Let us. however, express - the hope that your retirement % from municipal politics is for a brief season only, for we feel that the city can ill spare from its service a* gentleman of your character and ability. Wishing you in the future, all health and prosperity, we arc, sir, yours faithfully (here followed the signatures of the councillors). ■ ■■■'.;■ ,; ;

In making the presentation Mr. A. Kidd said that the address had been subscribed to by the whole - of the councillors, as a spontaneous expression of their sincere and heartfelt thanks to His Worship for tho manner in which he had performed the duties attaching to his office during his term of two years and a-half as Mayor. They had always felt that, though not always perhaps agreeing with his policy, it had been his unceasing desire to serve and benefit the city. He stated unhesitatingly that he (the Mayor) had done the work of the city with more sincerity than any man he (Mr. Kidd) had served under during his 19 years as a councillor. Mr. Goldie had undertaken, bisks which none of them would have undertaken, and it was not his fault if he had not succeeded in all of them. No man had better or more faithfully served the City of Auckland than Mr. Goldie. (Applause.) The city would lose a really good man when he retired from the Mayoral chair, and, in saying so, he 'was sure that not one councillor present would disagree with him. .(Applause'.) The Mayor, in reply, said that he could not say 'that this was unexpected, because Mr. Kidd had kindly informed him some days ago that they intended to make him a presentation before he lfift the Mayoral chair. He. at once requested that this should not be done for the simple reason that he felt that he had not served them, but that they, equally with himself, had done what little they* could; "to serve the* public. . Therefore, ~ instead of making a presentation to him (who was one of themselves), they ought rather to have been receiving presents from those whom they had so faithfully served. , But they evidently thought differently, and so presented to him that token of their appreciation of the efforts he had made to benefit the city. He accepted it at their hands, and should value it very much. It would ever bring to his mind the many hours they had spent together in working for the improvement of their adopted city. He was pleased to know that some of thanvwho had laboured so hard for a number of years in the interests of the city were again returned as members of their respective wards. Their constituents had done well in again placing them where they were, for they could hardly have been better served. He hoped there would be few changes in the new Council; he would be sorry to see the work they had done in the last two years continued by hew men. He thought they would have few difficulties to overcome once they had their water scheme completed. He was afraid the public did not appreciate the services rendered by councillors, and this fact rid doubt prevented many good- men from coming into the Council, and giving their time and services, only to be abused. He. would have occasion to speak to them when he delivered his valedictory address, and hoped them to imbue the citizens with a little more respect for those who were doing so much. He would preside at the next meeting of the Council, and would, he hoped, have the honour of placing Dr. Campbell in the Mayoral chair. He hoped they would all be present on that occasion, so that he might make a statement showing what they had done for the city, in which they lived and hoped to die. In conclusion, he again thanked them lor their splendid gift, and stated that if his experience of municipal matters was worth anything, it would always be at the service of any or all of them at all times. (Applause.)