REQUISITION TO MR. TRASK.

Colonist, Volume XXXVII, Issue 806, 11 October 1894, Page 2

REQUISITION TO MR. TRASK.

Yestebdas afternoon Cra Everett C. J. Harley, Bout, Piper, and Baigent, aocompanied by Mr J. A. Harley (ex-Counoillor), waited upon Mr F. Trask, the present Mayor of this city, at his residence, with a requisition asking him to allow himself to be again nominated for the position. Dr. Boberts and Press representatives ware also present. Cr Everett, in presenting the requisition, said that it was signed by sis Councillors and 300 ratepayers, and, he said, that it must be very gratifying to Mr Trask, thus to find, after his term of office, so many of his fellowCouncillors and ratepayers desirous to again see him represent them as the chief officer of the city. Mr Everett went on to say that for two reasons he was pleased to see the requisitioD. The first waa that he knew no one who had done more for the welfare of the City of Nelson than had Mr Traak during the four years he had been Mayor, and if he wa3 re-elected for another term he would certainly break the record, by being elected for the fifth time. During the time Mr Trask had keen Mayor, the Council had worked most harmoniously, and a great deal of good had been done for the benefit of the place. He (Cr Everett) had been in the Council for 21 years, and for 17 of these years he had been associated with Mr Traßk aa Mayor and Councillor, and he had earned net only the gratitude of the ratepayers, but was also entitled to re-election if he had the desire to undertake the duties. The other reason for which he desired to see Mr Trask re-eleoted was that no doubt the Books road would be so far completed within the 12 months, that it oould be opened by the Mayor. He would like to see Mr Tiask open the road, because it was mainly initiated by him, and bad it noi been for his energy would not have been carried on as satisfactorily as had been the oaße. In concluding, he expressed a wish that Mr Traak would comply with the wish of his fellow-Councillors and citizens, and presented the petition. Mr J. A. Harley said that he waa present aB an outsider and it gave him maoh pleasure to add his testimony to that of Mr Everett. He had not taken Tory great interest in getting up the petition bat he knew that do one hftd refused to eign and all hai upoken

in the highest terms of Mr Trask as a Mayor a conccillor and a good citizen, and expressed their intention to nse their best endeavor to put him in the position if he would consent to stand.

Cr Piper spoke of the satisfaction Mr Tiask should feel at the requisition. He was sure that no one oould charge Mr Traak with seeking his own.good f r he was sure that Mr Trask'B aim in all hia services had been the benefit of those with whom his lot was oast. Referring to a letter that had appeared in a newspaper he said he oould read between the lines and the writer thereof he could see did not mean barm but simply did not know Mr Trask. He waa Bure tbat friendship nor acy other consideration would tarn Mr Irask in his duty. He endorsed the remarks about the amicable way in which the Council had been conducted and said that had it not been for tbe action of Mr Tiaak in getting the £500 the Rocka Road would not have been brought along as far as it had been. Regarding the action of the Mayor as one of the recent deputation to Wellington he had received quite independent tesiraony from an ex-member of the good service rendered, that no one else could have had such acce-s ft members, and that it was likely Nelson>ould carry the day. Concluding he expressed the hope that Mr Trask would accede fo the requisition and that he wou'd" as Mayor open tbe Rocks Road.

Cr Baigent, as the youngest Councilor, said he had been very foroibly struck with the firmness and the genial manner of Mr Track in his oonduot of the Council sittings. He, however, never really knew the worth of the man until he proceeded with him to Wellington as;a co-deputationist, and there he bad demonstrated to him the advantage gained by having a popular Mayor. He was much s'.ruok with the way in whioh Mr Trask approached Ministers and members of the House, by whom he was always received with the greatest courtesy, and he had done goo! that a less popular man could not have done. He oould say, without any deaire to .flatter Mr Trask, whioh he knew would be dis'aeieful, that Mr Track wa3 popular throughout New Zealand amoDget all classes, from the Governor downwards, and this was not to be wondered at, for there was no man more hospitable. Cr Rout said he had taken ao ititerest in tbe requisition to the extent that a copy bad remained in his office, and this had received one hundred signatures, only three refusals being given, and for two of theße satisfactory reasons were given. Double the numbor of signatures could easily have been obtained. He spoke of the time and money epent by Mr Trask in the publio Bervioe, and thought they oould not have a better man, and he hoped he would be re-elected. Dr Roberts eaid he bad not b9en asked to sign the requisition, or he would gladly have doae so. He oould only express his admiraration of the manner in which Mr Trask had oarried out his duties during the two years he had been in Nelson and witness of them.

Mr Tiask, in reply, said tbat he oould assure those gentlemen who had been at tbe trouble to get up tbe requisition that he was very grateful to them, and also to Cr Everett and others for their eulogistic remarks ; he ' especially va'ued those of Cr Baigent. With regard to Ci Piper's statement as to the work done in Wellington, he believed tbat information to be in nowise ezaggeratei, and Cr Baigent was quite right -he had no wish to receive flattery. He bad b;en asked by the public to go to Wellington with other gentlemen, and he thought that good had been accomplished ; and Mr Graham, Member for the City, had treated them very well indeed, and had assisted them in every respeot in oarrying out their mission. Tbe deputation, though it went to Wellington very much against the wishes of some people, would, he felt confident, be the means to a great extent of getting the Bill thrown out of the House. He was still in communication with Wellington, and had the day before received a telegram stating tbat the Bill would come on on Friday night, and it was hoped that it would ba thrown out. Eef erring to the requisition, he felt it to be flattering to receive such, and be given to understand that double the number of signatures could bave been obtained. It was quite sufficient to show that the ratepayers were satisfied with his actions during the four years he had bean Mayor. He felt it to be a great thing to gain the respect of his fellow- men, and for one man to serve 17 years in the Council, four of them as Mayor, in a community of seven thousand persons, he considered an evidence that that respect had been gained. The duties of Mayor were at times arduous, troublesome, and also expensive ; they could not be carried out in a proper manner without expense. Out of the p&Bt 17 yeais, three years had been spent by him in the service of the pub.ic, which was equal to one day in the week, or two months in the year, and then he was only reckoning two half-days per week, not tbe many odd hours. If he was able to fulfil the duties for another year, he would be on'y too pleased to accede to the request, and, if the ratepayers elected him, of faithfully carrying out the duties of the office. He then epoke of it being impossible to please everyone, and said that the Mayor must have a mind of his own, and use it conscientiously. Nelson had been his home for tbe past 33 years, and though he could not hope to spend another period of equal length it it, he hoped to yet spend many years in it, and do his best for ,it. Regarding the Rooks road, he said that he had done his best to get the work carried out, and he looked upon it as a great work ; he had used what influence he had, both to get the loan raised, and also with tbe Government. In conclusion, he thanked the gentlemen who had spoken so nicely regarding him, though he said he could hardly find the language to do so as he wished, and again stated that he would be pleased to comply with the request made, and if not re-elected by the ratepayers he would retire with good grace. (Applause.) The company then partook of Mr Tra3k's hospitality.