THE RETIRING MAYOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13586, 7 May 1906, Page 5

THE RETIRING MAYOR.

COMPLIMENTARY DINNER TO MR

BRAITHWAITE.

The complimentary dinner tendered to Mi Jo.=eph Braithwaite ill the Palaee Hotel on Saturday evening, on tile occasion of the expiry of his form of office as Mayor, and also, ill all probability, the close of his municipal career from what was said, passed off most- successfully. A glanoo at the menu card showed that Mr Connor had carried out the duties of caterer exceedingly wall. .Tflxl the gentlemen who sat down to dinner could not possibly complain that thore was not sufficient variety to choose from, nor was there any opening for complaint as to quality. A word of acknowledgement _is also due to those, in charge of the cuisine and to the young ladies who waited at table for Iho manner in which both carried out thei.v duties. The gentlemen present were the Mayor (Mr Ueorge Lawrence), in the chair, at whoso right hand, of course, was the guest of the evening (Mr .]. Braithwaite), Crs Scott, Burnett, Loudon, Shacklock, Rutherford, Wilson, Arkle, Harrison, Fiddis, Walker, Connor, Gore (in the vioe-chair), the town clerk (Mr Richards), Messrs Goodman, Cohen, and Cooke. During tho time dinner was in progress a string- hand in tho next apartment played musical selections, and at its conclusion the Mayor rose and said lie had'apologies for abseaice from Cr Crust (who was not well), Cr Small (who was likewiso indisposed), and Cr Riley (who, lie understood, had met with a slight accident). Mr 0. Pcnwick would have been with them, hut, having received, as he had, the sad news OMicerning a relative, lie could not, of course, he present. Mr Alien, the city engineer, was not able to be present owing to his being out of town on business. They would have been very pleased to sec those gentlemen, with thein. Ho called upon those present to charge their glasses and drink to the health of "The King," tho toast being drunk with every expression of loyalty. Tho Mayor, on rising (o his feet' for the second time, said ho bad a very pleasant duty to perform, and that was to ask thom to (ill their glasses, and drink tlio health of their guest, the lato Mayor. Mr Joseph -Braithwaite.—'{Applause.) They would all be 'pleased to fee him looking so well. Ho (tho speaker) had been thinking oniy tho other day, when lie met Mr Braithwaite, that the council work ho had been engaged in . for some considerable time, though calculated to bring his health down, had had a contrary effect. It was needless for him (the speaker) to say much about tho merits of their friend Mr Braithwaite., Most of those present had sat with him in the council for tho last fivo years, and all would agree as to his courtesy, urbanity, and generosity, and tho generally friendly disposition lie had shown to members of tho council, both in connection with social functions and at the. council meetings. Everyone would admit- ho had dor.-o his best, as far as his ability wont, to serve the ratepayers in the council. Ho (tho speaker) was only sorry Mr Braithwaitc was going to sever his connection with tho City Council, and ho trusted it would only bo for a brief period, and that they. would have him hack with them again some day. There was not the slightest doubt that during the time lie had -been in the council, and especially during tho time ho had boc-n in the mayoral ohair, Mr Braithwaite hnd been an excocdirgly hard-worked man. as, during the last five years, t.ho council had had an enormous amount of work to transact. As far as -ho (the speaker) eon Id judge, every councillor 'had taken a keen and intelligent- interest, in all tho work that nad been before tho council, and ho thought, looking attho gentlemen who had l«en connected -witJi tho council during the time he had been in it, that the citizens had been well served and their interests well looked after, while at tho Ktme time a very great- n.mount o? work had been done.—(Applause.) Ho wished to thank Mr Braithwaite, on behalf of the council, for tho courtesy ho had always shown during his term of office. Ho had come in contact a great deal wi-i Mr Braithwaite, and lie only remembered one little jar, and that did not last very long, and he (the speaker) had not. been comfortable until he removed it. He did not think Mr Braithwaite had had any disagreement, with any councillor. Swell a. thing should not be. They should be a kind of Masonic order or friendly society. Ho (the speaker) had to mako a "presentation to Mr Braithwaite. and was pleased to do it. Jt was t-ho usual presp.nta.ticn (-hat was made to the retiring Mayor—a ring with the seal of tho council, etc. On behalf of t'he council, ho h-irl ve-ry much pleasure indeed in landing this present- to •n a tok<m of (ho couualtars' _ esteem, and ho was sum he was expressing tho feelings of councillors when ho said t.hey trusted whenever he looked at the ring lie would be reminded of the plensant times they had all had togothertjraes, they trusted, t-hey might- at some ml™ • t<! ' lavn 'afntin.—(Applause.) Iho was drunk with great cordiality and enthusiasm, with musical honours, and cheers for Mr and Mre Braithwaite. , "fr Braithwaitc, on rising to respond, said ne wished in the first place to thank the press for all the flattening notices it had given him since lie had left the chair. It was very gratifying to find that, after five years' service, ono's humble efforts had been approved of, and it was even more gratifying still to him to find that his efforts in eonncetion with municipal matters had given satisfaction to councillors. Though there, mght have been a difference of opinion between hjmself and councillors on tome occasions, it had never led to any bad feeling, and nothing but gocd.jiad eventuated, "heir differences of opinion had been respected on both sides, and councillors had credited him. with sincerity just as ho had credited them. He would take that opportunity of publicly thanking Cr Connor for having _ offered ..to resign in his (tho speaker s) favour and allow him to come forward for High Ward, He desired to assure Cr Connor lie appreciated his offer very muoli indeed, but ho would be sorry to deprive the citizens of Or Connor's valuable services, because when Cr Connor had been, in tho council a little longer he would be very valuable indeed as a councillor. Tho citizens had no conception of tho amount of practical work councillors did. Ho oould speak now with some certainty. A groat -deal of the time of councillors was taken up with committee work, special meetings, visiting works that had to be soeii before, they were passed by the various committees, and other matters. He had just visited Christehuroh, and ho had noticed that there the work the council has.to do was very insignificant compared with the work to be done in Duncdin. We had here -our gas, water, tramways,' and abattoirs, and soon woidd have clcctric lighting and power, and there were many other things not met with in Chrislchurch. The council in Christehurch dealt practically with looking after the streets, eo they could see the work done by the City Council here was incomparably greater. In passing, he might say he visited the Public Library in Christehurch, and he hoped it would not be long before they had a- similar institution here. There were 6000 books in the library, of all classes of literature, and all tastes were well catered for. He had noticed they had a circulating library, and they had something like 2000 subscribers, who, he thought, paid !Js 6d a quarter or 10a a year. That went towards paying annual charges. He might also say the library was not in the hands of the City Council, as our library would he. He would like to say of our town clerk—and lie was not going to flatter him—that any matters he suggested should meet with respectful consideration at the hands of the council, because 110 (the speaker) was quite satisfied any suggestions ho might make would be based upon actual experience, and would be for the good of tho community at-large. Tho more they made their town clerk general manager of the whole of their undertakings the better it would be for themselves and tho citizens. Mayors and councillors camo and went, but- tho town clerk existed practically for ever, and had to largely guide a council in regard -to its undertakings, and lie would ask them to pay respectful deference and give consideration to any suggestions the town clerk might offeT. Ho (the speaker) knew it was a good council. It was one of the best councils the city had had for years. In conclusion, he would thank the Mayor for the tangible expression of the oouncil's esteem and goodwill. He would place the .ring on tho forefinger of his right hand, which showed he had not altogether divorced himself from municipal life, and although he would not bo with them lie would tako great interest in all they did. For a time he would no doubt- feel like a fish out of water. He felt he did not altogether deserve the remarks made by the Mayor, but ho conceived that in doing what he had done lie had' done his duty, and his greatest reward was that the citizens and the. council approved of the way he had carried his duties out. He would treasure the ring, and it would he to him a reminder of the many happy days he had spent in the Council of the City of Duncdin.— (Applause.) The Vice-cliairman proposed the toast of "Our Present Mayor." He said he knew it was customary at functions of this kind to "scratch one another's backs," as Mr Piefi used to say. but lie did not come to "scratch a man'? back beforo his facc"— (Laughter)—and iio did not intend to flatter the Mayor in the slightest degree., He

had intimated before that the year to follow was going to lie an arduous one. The acting town clerk had sent in a return to the council which he (the speaker) had little, doubt would ' prove a hard nut to crack, and one which would require tlie Mayor's best attention in leading the council to deal with it in such a manner as to bear the most profit,%blo fruit. Ho was sure the Mayor would givo it his best aitontion. In him they had an energoiic, ccol, calm 'Mayor, a man who was not to lx> led (o one side or the other, but would dn his duty thoroughly, and in the "nost courteous and kindly manner as far as the councillors were concerned. The Mayor would have Ihe assistance of what he (the speaker) believed was an able man in _ tho Town o'erk, who was an indefatigable worker. ;md whose advice would prove of incalculable lwnolit. to the council. Of course, without money the Mayor could not, do a great deal. They could' not expect, for instance, that (luring his term the proposed Town Hall, for which plans and specifications were prepared, would become an established fact. He had little doubt, however, that they would be thankful to him for the ma.nnor in which 1.0 would preside over the deliberations of the council when his term of office expired. Ho had much pleasure in proposing the licalth of the present Mayor.—(Applause.) Tile toast was drunk with nuieicai honours.

In responding, the Mayor thanked Cr Gore for tho manner in which ho had proposcd i tho toast, and the councillors for tho way in which they had received it. Ho oould well understand that Cr Goro was not in tho habit of scratching people's backs-behind their faces. He know what C<r Goto meant exactly, and he did not want it What lie had appreciated more than _ all tho fact that on tho day of his installation they had promised him faithfully they would support him through his term of office. That, was of more weight than all the "scratching" they could ao, and ho believed that tliey would tender him that support in what no doubt would prove an arduous term of office.—(" Hear, hear.") He recognised his responsibility; he knew that if all the business connected with the offico was properly and intelligently carricd out it would entail a great deal of work and anxiety on himself. But lie had the able support of Mr Richards, and f«J.t relieved considerably, and ho had also good backing. Ho thanked the councillors for tho way in which they had treated him since he had been a councillor. They had had somo rough times, but were nono the worse for that. Ho had enjoyed • them, and he kneiv all along that they were one and all conscientious in their convictions. He had had the feeling that when he became better known in .the council his efforts would be more appreciated than they were at first. No doubt ho was somewhat of a rough diamond when he first entered the council, but somo of the corners had been rubbed off. Ho was thankful, also, that the press had promised to support, him, and this, togetlier with the help of the council, would make his offico a comparatively easv one. The Mayor went on to lefer" to (ho excellent work done by tho late town clerk (Mr Fairbairn), who had performed a multitude of duties in a truly practical manner, and to the work of the council itself, the volum? of which he did not think was appreciated by tho publio. It was too j bad that thoso who did not know tho ir.s and outs and difficulties oonnected with the council's doings should bo continually fomenting trouble and causing no end of anxiety and perhans expeis>e by tho manner in which they conducted themselves. He trusted that_ this would cease, and that the councillors in future would be able to stick to their own business, study each other's feelings and interests, and tender all the help possihlo in forwarding the work of the council. It was altogether for the benefit of the citizens that suoli should bo the ca.so.—(Appkuso.). The toast list also included "The Staff" (propo6sd by Or Scott am! responded to by the Town Clerk) and "Tho Pros?." During fcho ovening songs were contributed bv Mr Joseph Braithwaite, Or Walker, Messrs Goodman, Courtis, and others, and Mr Richards and Cr Connor also gave interesting items.