WAIHI MAYORALTY

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXVII, Issue 9211, 23 April 1938, Page 2

WAIHI MAYORALTY

SITIIN6 IWEinSEfI ASKED 10 STAND DEPUTATION'S REQUEST. MR. W. M. WALLNUTT CONSENT?. The Mayor of Waihi, Mr. W. M. Wallnutt, was waited upon by a deputation of citizens on Thursday afternoon. He was asked again to offer himself for re-election to the Mayoral chair. Mr. A. J. Pollock, who headed the deputation, said it came to him to ask if he would again present himself as a candidate for the- Mayoral seat. Members of the deputation knew he had a wonderful knowledge of Waihi, and were fully alive to the amount of work that he had done for the welfare of the people and the town in past years. Mr. Pollock said they felt sure that the Mayor would receive the support, and have the confidence, that had been reposed in him during his long term of office. Mr. S. M. Hovell said he wished to associate himself with the remarks made by Mr. Pollock, and he would be very pleased if Mr. Wallnutt would again contest the Mayoralty. Even if there were opposition, he felt that Mr. Wallnutt would have the support and lonfidence of the people. Mr. VV, J. Davidson, in endorsi-ig

the sentiments of the previous speakers, said that since he had been in the town he had been afforded opportunities of observing the good work of the Mayor in the interests of the borough, and his efforts on behalf of local sport.

Mr. Wallnutt, in reply, remarked that the visit was quite unexpected; generally speaking, deputations were not unexpected. However, he appreciated the honour the deputation had conferred in asking him to contest the election again. He had had quite a number of general enquiries on the subject, and, without being presumptuous, he felt they were somewhat favourable in nature. He had been associated with the borough for many years, and, with the exception of Mr. Percy Vuglar, now of Paeroa, he was the only surviving member of the long-defunct Waihi Improvement committee, which had been responsible for the formation of the borough in 1902. The committee was comprised of 23 members and came into being in 1599. The committee's first petition was rejected, it experiencing at that time a great deal of opposition from the Paeroa end. Waihi being then in the Ohinemuri County which

was receiving a very large revenue from the gold duty paid by the Waihi G.M. Co. Notwithstanding this strong opposition, the committee presented another petition, and that was successful. Waihi was incorporated a borough in 1902. The interest taken in the first election was remarkable.

With regard to the council itself, he had very definite opinions that the first requisite for its proper conduct

of public business was the co-opera-tion of its members. There was, he said, no need for "fireworks," as the council was not there for the amusement of the public. Of course, there was always the outside critic, but he had no hesitation in saying that tho council had done its very best in the interests of the town generally. Now that they had asked, he was in a position to give them a definite answer. and he had very much pleasure in acceding to their request. Mr. Wallnutt has occupied the Mayoral chair for 15 years, and had been unopposed for three consecutive terms up to 1935, when he defeated Mr. C. F. Ford by a majority of SOO votes.