MR. PARR CONGRATULATED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 156, 30 June 1914, Page 9

MR. PARR CONGRATULATED

CITY COUNCIL TRIBUTE.

HONOUR TO LARGEST CITY.

Scbseqcest to a meeting, of ' the City Council held yesterday to discuss the question of unauthorised expenditure, the members toasted the health of the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr, C.M.G.), who baa just returned from a visit to Australia. The Deputy-Mayor (Mr. John Court) welcomed the Mayor back to Auckland, and remarked that His Worship would find plenty of work to- dp. He said that he voiced the feeling of the members* of the council in offering the warmest congratulations upon the great honour conferred on their Mayor by their Sovereign. They who- worked in harness with him. knew better than, the outsido public of the time, patience, and hard work he gave to the many duties vhich devolved upon him in the -chief city of New Zealand. No one had better deserved the honour bestowed, and they all hoped that he and Mrs. Parr would live long to enjoy the distinction which v had been won by merit. Other councillors endorsed the remarks made byHhe Deputy-Mayor. The Mayor, in reply, said he was glad tb receive" the honour. Re- was not one of those who pretended that be did not like' it or that he did not want it. - Ho felt that it was' pleasant to have one's humble efforts appreciated in high quarters. Everyone desired to have their work appreciated. While he felt the compliment personally, he clearly realised that the intention no doubt was to honour

tho city. Auckland was the largest city in New Zealand, and at its present rate of progress it would soon have double the population of any other centre in the Dominion. 'In no other town had as. big a programme of public works been carried out as that of the past four years in Auckland. A programme running into an expenditure of £600,000 on streets improvement, water supply, electric lighting, etc., had been put through in those four years. In conclusion, the Mayor said he appreciated very much tho cordial feeling of the members of the council, and he assured them that he should regret very much leavintr the impnrlon* rM.i'ps of • city improvement and beautificatioi) when his term was up, because his heart was in the work. At the final meeting of the Grey Lynn Borough Council last evening, on the. motion of Mr. T. L.' Thompson, a resolution was passed coneratulating Mr. ' Parr on honour conferred npon him.

■When the Mavor visited tho Tow.i Hall vesterday morning he found over fivefbundred concratulatorv messages awaiting him. These inHndpd letters and tele-

grams from public bodies, business men. and rmblic men in nearly every part of the Dominion.