MAYORAL INSTALLATIONS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1190, 21 December 1894, Page 19

MAYORAL INSTALLATIONS.

WELLINGTON.

The installation of Mr C. M. Luke as Mayor of the City of Wellington took place at noon on Wednesday at a special meeting of the City Council. There were present —Mr A. de B. Brandon (the retiring Mayor), Councillors Anderson, Tanner, Willeston, Fraser, Penty, Petherick, Harris, Harcourt, Myers, Barber, Tatum, and a number of citizens.

The new Mayor having signed the formal declaration, Mr Brandon apologised for the absence of Mr H. D. Bell, his predecessor in the chair, who was engaged in the Supreme Court. In leaving the chair Mr Brandon said that if his successor received only a small part of the courtesy he had received from the members of the Council and the officers of the Corporation his success would be assured. Mr Luke then took the chair amidst applause. He said that Wellington had been fortunate in its Mayors in the past, and he hoped to prove worthy of the office. He thought that some of the municipal loans might be converted with saving to the city. The waterworks and city improvement loans, amounting to £430,000, should be converted at a saving of 2 per cent., which would give a saving of £B6OO per annum. As to the drainage scheme, it would be his . desire to push forward the works as vigorously as possible. Regarding the building by-laws he hoped that when they were amended there would not be so much friction, and he thought they should be so simplified as to encourage building, and the expansion of the trade generally. A great deal of credit was due to the Mayor and Councillors for their efforts in. the direction of securing salt water baths. He hoped that at an eai'ly date the baths wouid be an established institution in the city. The question of wood paving had been taken up lately. The timbers of the Colony might be utilised for paving the streets. He had been assured that there were numbers of suitable logs lying about Eketahuna which the settlers would be glad to get rid of at a gift. Lambton quay, Willis, Manners and Cuba streets might with economy be paved with wood. # With the increased rents coming in they might be able, either by letting or selling the present-Municipal Buildings, to make provision for larger buildings, and when the season of prosperity came provide what was necessary for the city—a town hall. It was not, however, his intention to burden the ratepayers with any increased rates for a thing of this sort. He hoped the question of the inspection of dairies would receive attention during the year. .Looking at the future he hoped there was a time of prosperity drawing nigh. When the cloud of depression lifted, Wellington, with its splendid geographical position/magnificent harbour and wharf appliances, would experience such a period of prosperity as it had never known before. Councillor Harris trusted that the Mayor would be successful in carrying out a tithe of the measures he had enumerated. As one of the oldest and one of the candidates for the. office, he congratulated the Mayor on his election. He had seen many Mayors occupy the chair, and they had all received the conscientious support of the Councillors in every measure they had brought forward. He could speak for his brother Councillors in stating that the Mayor would receive the support of the Councillors if they were satisfied that the measures were in the interests of the city. The sole desire of the \ Councillors who sat there night after night !

was to do what was best in the interests of the ratepayers ; they had no selfish motives. If the Mayor did not receive the support of the Councillors it would not be the fault of the Councillors, but some inadvertence on his own part. ' _ The Mayor expressed his thanks to Councillor Harris, who, he said,had proved himself a thorough gentleman, both, during; and after the election. ). - The proceedings then terminated.

MELROSE. Mr John Collins was installed Mayor of the Borough of Melrose on Wednesday. Having signed the usual declaration, the newly-elected Mayor said he was glad to see Mr Sidey, the first Mayor of the borough, present, who had contributed the first link in the chain of office, and had given such valuable assistance to the Council in the past. With respect to the work done by the Council in the pastj they could refer to the roads. pf the borough the condition of which would bear favourable comparison with those of the. city. They had no .brilliant programme of woiks before them, but they intended to maintain their roads in as good a condition as possible. They were aware that there would be a considerable charge during the year for the maintenance of the Ohiro' road on account of the increased traffic, .that the Queen’s Drive was looming in thp distance, and that there would be heavy traffic on that throughfare. They should take care that the old should not.suffer.for the new. He thanked the members ' for the support he had received in the past, and for the assurance of support in the future. Councillor Baylis welcomed the Mayor, and said His Worship and a few others with the speaker were the first to work in forming, the borough, iffe had no doubt that the Mayor would have the assistance of the Council during his term of office. At the conclusion of the ordinary business the Council, a£..the invitation of the Mayor, adjourned to the Trocadero for dinner.

PALMERSTON. Mr W. Park, re-elected Mayor, said at his installation on the 19th that during the coming year the Council would be able to pay its way, and do a large amount of work. In addition to this the rates would be materially reduced. After the meeting an adjournment was made to the Commer- * cial Hotel, where the health,of the newlyinstalled Mayor was drunk in bumpers.

FEILDING. -ii At the installation on the 19tli, the retiring Mayor, Mr Carthew, said the year had not been successful in one way owing to the flood, which had already cost £3OO for repairing damages. The estimates had exceeded those of previous years, and the future of the borough was hopeful. - Councillor Sandilands, Mayor-elect, in thanking the ratepayers, said he had served five years at the Council table, and would work in the interest of the Borough. He had plans for various matters and would lay. them before the Council when they had matured. £ •...

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, December 19. Mr J. J. Holland was installed Mayor for a second "term? to-day He,said that notwithstanding .that £3868 were, spent on special works during the year, tho overdraft general account was £1706 less than it was a year ago. Dunedin; December 19. At the Mayoral installation Mr Fish said that if his conversion scheme proved a success he saw his way to the proposed drainage scheme and the establishment of a public library without entailing much additional taxation. He proposes that the Council should proceed to the erection of city abattoirs immediately, and should equalise the charges for lighting and heating. : : . Christchurch, December 19,. At the installation of Councillor W. H. Cooper as Mayor of - Christchurch, the retiring Mayor, Mr T. Gapes, said the past year had been noted for the number of funds that had been established for the relief of the unemployed and for other charitable purposes ; also for the relief of the sufferers by the Wairarapa disaster.