CR PEATE RESIGNS

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1578, 25 November 1924, Page 4

CR PEATE RESIGNS

LOSS TO THE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

“ I herewith beg to tender my resignation as a member of the Te Awamutu Borough Council. In doing so it is with regret that I am forced to take the step, but although not a member of the Council I shall still take a keen interest in the affairs of the borough, and will always watch with interest the doings of the present ■Council. I wish you, sir, and the councillors every success in carrying out your present policy.”

In these words Cr P. W. Peate resigned at last night’s meeting of the Te Awamutu Borough Council. The Mayor said, as all knew, Cr Peate had undertaken a contract involving acceptance of money contributed by the Borough Council on behalf of the ratepayers. The resignation involved the loss of the services of one of the most sincere, conscientious, and level-headed councillors Te Awamutu had had. . It was a distinct loss. It was regrettable that the law required the resignation of a councillor before he accepted a contract for an amount above a merely nominal sum, in which the local body was interested. However, Cr Peate had to consider the interests of-himself and his family, and he (the speaker) would have done the same in similar circumstances. The retiring councillor had proved himself a very public-spir-ited citizen and representative of the burgesses. It was the universal wish that Cr Peate would later return to the council table where he had done such splendid work. Cr McGechie expressed his genuine regret at losing such a genuine and useful fellow worker. Cr Spinley spoke in’ similar strain, and regretted that the law was such as to require Cr Peate to resign. Continuing, he remarked that the law was anomalous and should be amended. For instance, a member of a school committee could do work for the Education. Board or the Department, even without tendering, but a borough councillor could not. Cr North repressed his own and Cr McCarroll’s sincere regret at the necessity for Cr Peate’s resignation. The Mayor then moved that Cr Peate’s resignation be accepted with deep regret, and that the Council’s thanks for past services be placed on record.

Cr McGechie, seconding, said he very much regretted the necessity for doing so. Cr Peate, acknowledging the complimentary remarks, said he felt very much the severance of such pleasant associations. He had enjoyed his term of nearly four years as a councillor, and he could not have wished to be associated with a more conscientious body of councillors. It might be that at a later date he would be free to contest a vacancy on the Council, and in that event he would wish- for nothing better than to be able to rejoin the present councillors in their work for the improvement of the town. > The Mayor remarked that Cr Peate s resignation involved consideration of the position of Borough Council representative on the council of the Plunket Society. He asked Cr Peate to retain that office. , Cr Spinley supported, saying that the Council could have no better representative, and that the Plunke Society would lose a very useful member if he resigned. The borough burgesses were not going to altogether lose Cr Peate’s honorary services, for the speaker was still going to look to him for guidance in several matters, notably the new fire brigade station. By the time that was finished the Council elections would be due, and then if Mr Peate would seek re-elec-tion he would find such warm support from his fellow councillors and the general body of burgesses as would ensure his election at the top of the poll.