The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1024, 1 August 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 1879.

At last night's Municipal Council meeting. Mr. Steward, who occupied the chair for the la3t time, delivered his valedictory address. It 13 a resume of the history of the Council for the pest three years—Mr. Steward's terra of office —«nd is just such a record as a retiring Mayor, a threeyears terra, should leave the Council and nis successor for their guidance. Mr. Steward systematically reviewed the proceedings of the Council in connection with the various matters which had conic before them during his Mayoralty, and, as might have been expected, he did it exhaustively. In making mention of the most important work which, during his presidency, has occupied so much attention—the waterworks —he accorded to Mr. Suinpter, his predecessor in the Mayoral chair, and his Council, the credit of having initiated it. In making this admission, on the eve of taking leave of the Council, Mr. Steward acted with wisdom and consideration. It cannot be disputed that during Mr. Steward's terms of office, a large amount of work has been done, but there is a great deal that is yet unfinished. The explanations which Mr. Steward gave last night of the various matters which are left in a state of transition must have imbued Councillors with the idea that their position is an onerous 1 o n e . Reviewing the state of municipal I matters, we have arrived at the conclusion that there was never greater need than now of the exercise of intelligence, assiduity, persistency, and care. The men of whom the Council i 3 composed, under ordinary circumstances, would feel not the least difficulty in conducting the Council's affairs, but they have lost their leader. Mr. Steward was a host in himself. He was ever ready to save his Councillors time and trouble by acceptingburthensthat did not actually pertain to his office as Mayor, as well as those that did. He frequently acted a# Mayor, Council, and scribe, and, in the last mentioned capacity he has few compeers. He was never known to be afraid of work or to loose confidence in his ability to carry a hobby through, whilst his organ of hope is so largely developed that he never even dreams of unsueeess. These are attriI bates which are not to be despised when I properly regulated, and if Mr. Steward | couid have been retained in the Council i until he had consummated all his aspirations he would not only have been entitled the everlasting thanks of the ratepayers and the district, but would have retired from the Council crowned with laurels. lie has gone, however, and whilst he has left not a littic work completed, lie has left a great deal in various stages of incompleteness. There can be little doubt that his counsels and his enemy will bo missed, and that the picture in which he left so much to be filled i:t will sntFer from having to be completed by other artists. W hen Councillors have learned to walk alone Mtmi.-ijial matters will perhaps be quite as veil managed a3 they have been whilst some of them have depended, we think, too greatly upon the assistance of an ever-ready and indefatigable colleague, or permitted him to do work that they

should have done themselves. Each Councillor will now be thrown upon his own resources, and will have to draft liis own resolutions. It is probable that this will engender that discussion for which Councillors meet together. They will not have a rosy time. They will have to trust to their own ingenuity to put through those measured which are now in progress, having been initiated by Mr. Steward, and we have confidence that they will be cjiial to the task. But we think it only just to express our opinion that through Mr .Steward's retirement from public life we hare lost the services of a man whose enthusiasm kept public matters on the move, whose counsels in the Municipal Council, and in the Harbor Board (<>[ which he was an ojjh:io member), were given ungrudgingly, and whose whole time and energies have for three years been devoted to endeavoring to promote the interests of the town. He has his failings, as we have before pointed out, but they are of such a nature that, whilst they may have somewhat neutralised some of the good he has attempted to effect, they do not lessen his claims to the thanks of the public. We were pleased to notice that Mr. Sumpler, on behalf of the Harbor Board, recognised this in the remarks he made at the last meeting of that body and that the Council took their farewell of him last night in terms of which any man should feel proud.