MAYORAL CHAIN.

Thames Star, Volume LXI, Issue 16940, 2 August 1927, Page 5

MAYORAL CHAIN.

. JUBILEE COMMEMORATION. One of the most successful functions of the Jubilee Celebrations was the presentation of a gold Mayoral Chain on Saturday evening to his Worship the Mayor (Mr. W. Bongard). Prior to the ceremony the audience indulged in a community sing under the leadership of Mr. Abel Rowe, and were in . appreciative modo when exMayors and their representatives mounted the platform to perform the ceremony. The stage was occupied by the Hon. G. J. Anderson, and Messrs. F. H. Claxton, E. N. Miller, T. W. Rhodes, H. J. Greenslade, B. Myers (representing the late Louis Ehrerifried), F. McCullough (representing the late W. McCullough) and- R. Kilgour (representing the late Dr. J. Kilgour).

In the course of his presentation speech Sir John Luke, an ex-Mayer of Wellington, and proprietor of a large Wellington ironworks, struck a sympathetic note in the efforts of Thames people to secure greater continuity in locomotive building .orders. “It is my very earnest wish that the firm of Prices get more locomotive orders,” said'Sir John. “I know what I’m talking about where it comes to locohrotives, and there are no better locomotives made than at Thames.” (Applause.) As Mr. Bongard rose to receive the chain from Sir John, the audience sang “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” and a flashlight protograph was taken. A number of speeches were made, including one by the Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Mines, who jokingly predicted that one day when gold could be located in the earth by the use of science without digging to find it, Thames would be a great city, and the Mayor would be able to wear not only a chain, but robes of ermine. It was mentioned that the borough had been constituted in 1873, six years after the opening of the goldfields, the first Mayor the -late Mr. William Davies taking office in April, 1874. There had been in all 22 Mayors.