COMPLIMENTARY SUPPER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12351, 13 May 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

COMPLIMENTARY SUPPER.

ENTERTAINING HIS WORSHIP TUB MAYIiR. Subsequent In tlie meeting of the Cijy Council on the 30th (ho numbers entertained Ins Worship the Mayor (Mr (i. L. Dennisten) at supper.iu the large room now occupied by (ho Drainage Board. Or Carroll was to the chair, and .Mr J.. A. Park (Mayorelect) in the vice-chair. There were, also prcsent-llis Worship the Mayor (who was seated to the right of the chairman), Crs Christie, Tapper, Lawrence, Maitlnml, Scott, M'Donald, CriMt, Muir, and Brnitliwaite, and Mr T. ]!. Fairlmirn (town r]cr]<). The room was tastefully decorated with flap and festoons of greeii, for which credit is due to Mr hmv (earelaltcr) and .Mrs Low. After a capital puprieu a (oust list whs entered upon. The toast of " Tlte King" was heartily honoured.

The Uliitirman read tlm followimt letter from (.'i' (lore:— "I excei'ilihgly regret my inability to he present to-night'to join with my follow comicillor3 in paying thy small tribute of respect to yourself and to express satisfaction at the able and impartial manner you have presided over the meetings of tlio council and the cmiHesy you have always extended to your councillor;;. The able mumier in which you have conducted the, duties of your oflice has, I am Fine, resulted in benefit to the. citizens, and I trust, satisfactorily t<i yourself. Wishing yon a plennant evening and every prosperity in the fiiture."-(Applaiise.) Continuing, the Chairman Eaid the object of the gathering ivw Id pay n compliment to his Worship the Mayor for the courtesy he had extended to the council during thu year and for the manner in which he had' presided lit the UK-clings of the council, thereby Raining J he respect of the councillors.—(Applause.) The year of Mr Dennlfiton's mayoralty had been a pleasant one for him and fur the whole of the council.—(A,ppliuii>p.) He could express an opinion on that point, as he had been so long connected with the council. lie had never sprflt a twelvemonth that had passed so hanpily Ifetwecn the mayor and the councillors.—(Hear, henr) A great deal of the credit for that was due to the gentlemanly manner in which Mr Uenniston had always treated the council Me had never pulled councillors up unless they had proceeded lieyond the" hounds allowed by the standing orden. For himself, he would have liked to eco his Worship (mil them tip more frequently, say, <ln tlie occasion of the all-night sitting—('laus)itor), -but. fortunately, all-night sittings did Hot happen often.~(Hear, hear.) There were foveral occasions on which citizens' imist have felt great satisfaction with regard to the Way in which his Worship had carried out the duties cast upon him. On one ocKisibii, he was sure, the citizens felt proud of their Muyor. That wns oil the evening when Mr Delmistoii tool: the chair .it the Premier's banquet. Tn his speech on that important occasion liis Worship was to the jiolnt in what lie said and courteous, without being fulsome, and had throughout acted in a way that win worthy hf the city.— (Applause.) Oii Feveral othhr occasions his Worship's services were called for, Mill at all times he had acquitted himself in a way that quite ttilisfied the public—(Appliiuse.) Knowing hn qualification!; of hrml and heart and his gentlemanly attituue, it was only hi bo expected, perhsjw, tliathis n.etions dunng the year would bn such that the citi7.eitß could iiot lint fee! sati?lied with the'm-tapplaiisell,—p.nd now that his Worship was retiring he had th" consciousness that he had well tlciie his duly as mayor.— (Applause.) Dtincdin had, no reMon to feel ashamed of anything t-litit had taken placo during his Worship's term of ofiico'.-fHoar, bear.) His Worship hurt acted throughout ill a JiiMiiior tliat would refleot credit oh the city—(applause),—ind he wiis also Iwund to fay that the service? rendered by Mrs Ibniifarpn, wlinuevpr called upoii, woto also (lc--'.'rvms "f Iho gratitude of tlw citiwns — (A;>jilauie.) Kverything in the way of pithlio good had hceii donfc ty \ KC j n a gracious

«nd ladylike Btyle.-(Hear, hear.) Ho could only say, further, that he. felt satisfied that his Worship had at all times filled his duties and in saying that ho was suro he wao voicing tho unanimous feeling of tho citizens.—(Applause.) Tho toast was received with mimical honours and tho singing of "For he's a jolly good fellow." Cr M'Donald said that he was pleased to have the opportunity of joining' the other councillors in paying honour to the first gentleman of Diiuodin, the chief magistrate of this city. Tho councillors all know that hehad carried out his dutiea in a most satisfactory manner and ruled the council wisely and courteously, and the fpeaker could vouch for it that tho citisens of Lcith Ward, as well as those of other wards, felt that the interests of the city wcro safo in the Mayor's hands.—(Applause.) Cr Scott said that ho had the experience, of sitting with the guest when he was a councillor. In that capacity be was seldom beard, and when he did rise it was to express an opinion worth hearing. His bearing as a councillor prepared the speaker to find him make a good mayor, and that expectation had been fulfilled. Mr Dcnniston had filled tho position with great credit to himself and satisfaction to the citizens. They had had differences in the council, but no member bad ever suggested that at any time lie had ever shown the least leaning to anv imlividiwl. His kindly demeanour to nlf, his capability in discharging the duties of his office, aild his uniform considerateness had caused all the councillors who could to desire to bis present on this occasion.—(Applause.!

Cr Tapp?r and Cr Crust also spoke in terms of praise of the manner in which Mr Benniston had filled the mayoral chair.

(Jr iMaitland endorsed every word that had been said in commendation of bis Ayorsliip.-(Applnnse.) A trying matter that tho Mayor bad had to deal with was that of the tramways. The division on that question wok e> serious on?, but his Worship had given the council the utmost liberty to dismiss flip whole matter, and, personally, be fell ijratcfn] to bis Worship for being guided by principles which could not but ho admired by tin? whole of the council. In Mayor Denuiston they had bad an ideal Mayor, and one Who left the chair with tho respect of all the councillors. The fact that the i-oimeil had assembled that evening to do honour to Sir Denniston was an evidence that his Worship was held in very high cslecm, and before, parting with him it was their desire that he should accept from them a small memento o! tho succcess of the 12 months lie had held office, and, with that object in view, the council had deputed him to hand to Jlr Denniston a token of their sincere respect in the form of a greenstoiie seal and a massive gold ring.—(An-, plause.)

The 'articles, suitably inscribed, were handed lo Mr Denniston amid hearty applause, and the guest's health was honoured with enthusiasm.

In reply, ins Worship said lie was a, very proud man that night, as well as a hfaliiblo and a very humbled man. He was proud because they had asked him there as amark of their esteem and affection, and he would bo a poor creature indeed who was not extremely proiid of such an honour. Ho was humbled most sincerely, because he had heard words bf praise which he could not hut feel were undeserved.—(" No.") At any rate, in a. great measure they were undeserved. No man who was human was worthy o[ all the kind tilings that had been said of him that evening. He had to repeat, then, that he appreciated very much this mark of their goodwill and affection. Ho would always look back on his year of office with unimngled feelings of satisfaction, and in scanning the whole period the chief satisfaction tin would feel would be that throughout the year his relations with the council had, without exception, boen those of unbroken harmony.—(Applause.) He assured them, however, that lin did not take the credit to himself for that stale of things. If thi> council had ndt ln-on composed of good-tempered good fpllows that hiirmony would never have existed. If there had been onn man in the council it was possible he might not have Ix'cn able to say that tho period of his mayoralty had been one nf uninterrupted goodwill, and without any idea of merely repaying the compliment? he had received," lie could sincerely say if was because he had been fortunate enough to be associated with 12 gentlemen who had resolved to meet the Mayor quite halfway in his efforts to promole the welfare of the community that the concord of the council had proved .fflo satisfactory from beginning to end!— (Applause.) The chairman had referred to his good wife,' and he was sure ill) onn would be more delighted than !Mrs Dcmiistun to liciir (if the siicctee nf that evening, and tin was only sorry Hint she bail not Iseim present to hear all the kind remarks that had been rriadi? concerning her liuslaml.- (Applause.) When lie sow the elaborate preparations that had been made for the evening he could not lnit feel that t!ie labour of providing it had been a, labour of love.—(Hear, hear.) The year liad been one (if eonsidcralt'.e anxiety and Inliour, and had also been oiu> of much interest. No ono could have anticipated the numerous interesting events that had taken place; hut he need not recall thefai to their memorie«, as they would he fr««h in the niirids of all. He had had his share of the work ho doubt, hut altogether it had been to him a most pleafant and eventful year. People in the street had spiel to him that lie woilltl no doubt he glad to lay down tlio carts of office, and his reply had beeii Hint iii oliu way he would, nnd in another lio woiild iiot, Tlie po.'itinii bf mayor, of cmirse. took up one's time a great dpiil, hut the work was fjdl of interest, nnd he laid it doivn at a time when it was perhaps more, full of interest than it had been at other times-. At the pnmo lime, hu was confident hiu place would bo, ably taken by Mr P<irk.-(Ucar, hear.) Ho hiid been associated with Mr Park a good many year?, and he was certain tho work he was about to lay down Mr Park would take up during his term of office, and carry it to t>. successful conclufion.—(Hear, bear.) It was only right, however, that overy councillor should have a turn of what was going, or there would be litHo inducement for men to accept the position of councillor, which carried with it a hard task for any man.—(Hear, hear.) Ho also desired to soy that his relations with Hie staff, from Mr Fairhaim to tho lowest offlcor in the huilding, hail always been of a most friendly character, and he was convinced that in their stafl\the council was excellently olid faithfully served._-(Applause.) The present? that had been given to him that evening were wholly unexpected. They were very welcome to liiri indeed, not only for their intrinsic worth, which was considerable, biit as an evidence that during the year ho had managed to secure the goodwill of flip, council. They would always be among his most prized possessions, and would be handed down to his children as an evidence that their father was, for a wliile at leart, able to occupy a position that secured for him the esteem of bis fellow citizens and his fellow councillors.—(Applause,) During (lie evening songs woro sung by Cγ Clirwtie, Or Maitiand, nnd Mr T. U. Fiiirliiiivn (town clerk), ami terilations were given bv C'r M 'Donald and Or Tapper, the proceedings concluding at midnight*with the singing of "(iod mivo the King."