PRESENTATION TO THE MAYOR

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 17 April 1901, Page 71

PRESENTATION TO THE MAYOR

At the fire brigade station on Friday night the City Corporation employees presented Mr 1 R. Chisholm, Majyor of Dunedin, with a token of the esteem k> which he is held by te rn. About SO of the employees attended. Mr J. M'Kenzie occupied the chair, and was supported on his right by the guest of the eve-ning and Crs liaynes and Park, and on the left by Mr Fairba-rn (town clerk), Cr Christie, Cr Dennis* on, Cr Scott, Cr Crust, and Mr J. F. Arnold, M.H.R. Apologies for unavoidable absence were received fiom Mr A. li. Barclay, M.H.R., and (Japtaln Mitchell. The hall -was nicely decorated with flags, ferns, and flowers, the last-mentioned being the very tasteful handiwork of Mr Ostcn. The Chairman ssid they Lad met that night to pay a slight tribute of respec f to the worthy Maj-or of Dunedin. They wished to show the apprec ation of the many kindne^oos they had received at his Lands during his teim of office. — (Applaute.) J The position of mayor for the last year j had been no sinecure. The duties had been arduous, and had taken up much of his ! Worship's time, but, nevertheless, Mr Chis- ! holm had made it hip business to inquire into the pocition>of the mcv employed on the corporation works. As a result of his investigations, many benefits had been confeirol on the employees. lv regard to one — the increase in their wages — they had. of course, to t'lank the council as a wbc^e. He would specially like, however, to mention in that connection th? Dame of Cr Haynes, chairman of ihe Works Commit tee. — lApplause.) The speaker then nrocacded to make the xiresentacion to the guest of th* evening No doubt, raid Mr M'Kcnzie, his Worship v.-ould be the recipient; of other presentations of more monoy value than this one. but they, as working me"n, were pleased to think that the fust of tLe kind had emanated from them. — (Appiauss.l After reading The address, the j speaker slid: We hope, your Worship, you ' will Idig be spared to bee the address banging on your vails. We know that yom j children with you will l>e proud to see it, I knowing that it is a token of the esteem in which their father was held by the workinmeu of the corporation during his term of office as mayor of the city. — (Applause ) The address, which was beautifully framed, was surmounted by a photo of the Town Hall, while at the foot there were two ' views, — one of the Southern Market Reserve , and the other of the new gardens at Wood- , haugh — the border on either side being a Tibbon width of the Chisholm tartan. Ac- ! companying the address was a walking stick of native wood, with a gold band, on which was inscribed: "Presented to R. Chisholm, Esq., by the working employees of th° Dunedin City Corporation, 12-4-01": together with a representation of the thistle and the fern. The gifts were handed to Mr Chisholm amid enthusiastic cheera. The address read as follows: — Robert Chisholm, Esq., Mayor of the City of Dunedin, in the Colony of New Zealand. Dear Sir, — We, the workmen of the City Council of Dunedin, do hereby desire to express our appreciation of the many privileges experienced by us at the ken^a of your Worship djjring youi-term of office, and out gratitude,, for the consideration you have en all occasions extended to us. And we desire to show oax «steem by presenting you with a slight token of our recognition of the tact and judgment displayed by you in the management of_nrunicipal jiffiairs. Tite also, rs ISy*! subjects of her late'rftriented Majesty Queen Victoria, and our present vrellbeloved Sovereign King Edward VII, v.-ish to recognise the patriotism which you have shown and the skill you have exercised in connection with the raising, despatching, and welcoming the various contingents on their departure from and return to our city. I We feel proud that our city has been the | only one in the eoiony to privately billet the j Imperial troops, and it was mainly due to the wonderful resourcefulness and ability pos- j sessed by your Worship that matteis eventu- I ated so well, thus enabling Dunedin to materially assist in upholding the prestige of our glorious flag, of which we all feel proud, and help to maintain those noble traditions | which! have always been characteristic of our i race. j In conclusion, we erpress the hope that you may long be spared to be of service to this city. Signed on behalf of the workmen • — J. M'Kenzie, chairman ; Win. Crawford, Jas. Washer, L. Clancy, William ' Andrew, A. Sutherland; J. O'Connor, secretary. On rising to reply, his Worship was received with the heartiest applause. He said they would believe he was sincere when he said he felt that night that no words of his could possibly be adequate to express his deep sense of their .great kindness in asking him on that occasion to be the recipient of such handsome tokens of their gratitude and esteem. The workmen were really the last from whom he had expected any recognition of any efforts he had made on their behalf. He admitted he had done his little best for the employees, and he would like to add that unless he had been backed up by the eoun- i cil as a whole the workmen would not have been receiving the benefits which he was pleased to say they were now enjoying. — (Applause.) It was certainly a pleasing re- i flection to him to know that he had sue- . ceeded even to a small extent in making the position of the employees more pleasant and . their hearts lighter while engafted m their . t»0lk. As to the flattering remarks contained

in the address, he really thought that many of ther>- were inidc^ennig. Ho '-ad trif J m 1 hi-, ov. 11 humble way io do lii= duty, ami j when Lo taid thai ho f-aid a good deal, because 'f theic m« a chil'cult ia-*k for any j rran to do it wa^ to do Lis duly. — (Hear, hear.) He was alpo ghen cicdit 111 t. - e addie^F for bein^ a patriot,. Well, he hope 1 that as long a- Le lned not only would he be devoted lo tlie city lie loved, hut also to his country.— (Applause.) If- would always bo bis object and bi= desire to further in a - iy vsxy he could the interests of the city. He ; would not say much about tbe j-atuoti->m oi j the past 12 months. It had been lo him tho gieate^t picture ar>y man comlcl posMhly conceive. If all tbp demonstration} and functions bad pent 1 of? eucce-siully, ho ventured to think thcie were many m Duredin who were entitled to r.s iruch credit a- Le was in connection with their:. One man could orly do a irans work, axl the ppo" l.- . taneou= support received by him on eve' y i occasion when any demonstration v, as to I como off was c uch an encomogemsnl to L'm j that Le felt lie was prepared to strain c\c-y ! nervo to carry out to a suoce-sful l-^ue any ' scheme there wa- in hand. Consequently [ they could readily Fee that when one b;ul ' thousands at his Iv.rk, encouraging one to do j h s work, it would ha^e beei. — "voll, he wrs I e-oing to say, a fool who would not ha\e ri^en to the occasion artd made any movement a Fucce>s It was when men with arrangement and system at their difpo^al ga\e their j asistancs tljafc a seemingly difficult work be1 came easy, and he would ju^t like to F".y that he had in Cr Park, who was with them I t^at uigbt, hffs right-hand supporter — a man who via', prepared to caTific? any amount of time and energy in assisting to brhig a ' movement to a successful ibsue. — (Applou=e.) I Referring to the bi^etlnq Fc'^enic. he said that if tl.orp w.is any person who felt relieved , aiid ple^Fed at tiie succeb 1 ! it \ia' lnnieelf. — j ' (Aiiplauoe.) Tiio opposition to tke sc'ien.e j I v\a-3 strong, but when those who were asso- | c ated with him — a few genuine hard 1 workers — a a\v the opposition it only (-purred them on lo greater effort, and they wore determined that if tLe scheme could possibly t be made a surocs, they would male r ~uc- ! c?«s of it — (Applfiuse.)* He again vuMicd to ] ta\ that if ever ke v. as pleased in bi? life ' I with a presentation Le lad received they ; could fake ibe comfort to tliem'elveo t'.at it vvss v-ith the sifts ihey had asked him to accept that nigl't. — (Applause.) He t'.inked them all fiom the very bottom of his hoait I for tlie pioscnt-j t K .ey had been good enoag-'i lo givo him. JrJib family would appreciete tl em as much as ho did. Ke Mould hai.g \ tie address in the most conspicuous placo in his home, and it would e'-er be looked on by hmi n e!f and by his family as a pleasing memento of the kind feeling that exited between tbe corporation workmen and himself during his oFicp 01 mayor. — (Applause ) A cold collntion was served, and the i gathering shovvrd their appreciation of it by bestowing liberal parronage imon it. The following v-as the toast list of tlip evening:— '' l'n.e Ivipg and the Royal Family," propofod by Mr T. Brown: "His Worship the. Mayor."' proposed by Mr W. Crawford, and responded to by 'Mr Chisbolm : "The City Council." proposed by M_- .T. Washer, and replied to' by Of. Haynns. Park, and Dpunislon; " The Staff," propo' -- 1 by- 5Tr J. O'Connor, and responded to by Mr Fairbaii-n; "The Parliament of New Zealand." proposed by Or Scott, and responde'l to by,, Mr Arnold; "The Inspectors'"; "The Press"; " Abaent Member?," proposed by Cr Bayncp. who referred to the corporation's men wlio had g< ne away ia the roniingents to South Africa; aid " Ti;e Cirrirman." proposed by iiis Worship th? Miyor, and responded to by Mr Al'Kenzie. The programme of songs and recitations was one of exceptional morit, the contributors being Mes-rs M'Connell, Shciidr.n, Anthony, Tonkin, M'Ccrmaok. Brown, M'Giashan. Hu"-?y, Dillon, and Cook Mr C. Hamann rcted efficfenily as accompanist, j A vote of ibanks wrs by acclamation accorded to all the performer?. Vote? of thanki were also accorded the la-dies for decorating the rcom and Captain Mitchell for the use of rhe prcmi;e=. A very enjoyable evening was terminated shortly before 11 o'clock by tho singing of " Auld lang syne."