THE RETIRING BOROUGH COUNCIL

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2481, 21 April 1909, Page 5

THE RETIRING BOROUGH COUNCIL

CLOSING SPEECHES BY MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS.

A.t tlio conclusion of tho business of tile- meeting of the Borough Council last night, tho Mayor and each of tho Councillors spoke a few words in reference to tho proceedings of the past year. Tho Mayor said that it was their last meeting before officially dispersing as a council. (Personally speaking, be was Sony that tho year gone by had not been a better one for permanent and progressive work. Nevertheless, they had had a good deal to show, and lie was equally sure that in the coming year the borough would profit largely by the facilities tho present Council liao. provided. However, they could not do everything in one year, and while there had been many little differences round the table they had not been personal matters, hut matters of principle, and he was sure that they would part the best of friends and with the best feeling. Personally, he realised that the opposition he had received at the table was partly, he would not say wholly, from if hose whoso minds ran in different channels to his own, but sometimes he must confess that he thought that reasonable grounds for such opposition had not been forthcoming. He wished to thank the Council for tho help they had given to him, and he hoped to see a number of tho old councillors return after the electione as he thought there were some very sincere men on the Council at present. Cr. Whin ray claimed that the. year had not been a barren one, and that toomuch in this direction had been said in tho newspapers. He wished to deprecate strongly tho statements that had been made about what the Council hail failed to achieve. He also said that he wished to deprecate 'the attitude of the newly-formed Progressive League in attempting to dictate to the Council what should or should not Ire done. He was of tho opinion that the district was progressing as fast as they could afford to let it progress, and ho would like to see the newspapers take up a different attitude. The Council had done excellent work, and had initiated many -good works for the future benefit of the borough. Cr. Somervell said that in case he did not get back t-o the Council after the election, he would like to say good-bye to his friends. He enjoyed coming to the meetings of the Council during the year, and he had bar-n a member of the Council for a very long i time. He thought from lus experience that the present Council would compare favorably with any other at which he had sat as regards intelligence and in its administration. No person could possibly say that they as a Council had not (lone what they thought to be in the interests of the borough, and he would- urge upon the new Councillors to work harmoniously with the Mayor, whoever lie might lie, and to serve the borough to the best of their ability. Cr. Pottie said that he greatly appreciated the sentiments of the Mayor, especially regarding the fact that there was no personal feeling in their little differences, and that they all. had endeavored to work in the best interests of tho borough. He was extremely glad to hear the Mayor admit that good work had been done, as he (Or. Pettie) had been of the opinion that the Mayor thought otherwise. The Council had done a great deal of difficult work about which the public knew nothing. There had been many proposals which had not- been carried, but they might have a better chance in being brought forward again in a more moderate spirit, when they might be hotter considered for the benefit of the borough. , . , , Or. Sheridan said that he w sii'd to endorse the remarks which ha 1 Icon made regarding their differences m the Council being purely political and not personal. He was confident tlnti* eioiy member of the Council had- done his best for the borough, and under all He circumstances he could eongcatuk ce the old members who were re-elected to the now Council. . Or Darton spoke in a' similar strain, and said that his differences with the Mayor had always been those of policy and not personal ones. He was sorry that the Mavor had allowed to go unchallenged, and to' be repeated, the statement which had otten been made, that lie (the 1 Mayor) could not get antyhing carried in the Council as the majority of the Councillors were against him. He was very pleased to hear tho Mayor’s remarks regarding personal feeling, and lie would venture to say that if the Mayor had expressed those sentiments earlier in the year the Council would have got on much better. Speaking personally, lie had alwavs .supported tho Mayor when he had brought forward anything good, and if elected to the new Council he would continue to do so, but if he thought that any proposal of the Mayor was not- wise, he would work against him. He felt confident- that neither the Mayor nor anybody else could point to one solitary instance where the opposition was against him and not against his proposals. Cr. Sawyer also spoke. He said that he thought too much' had been made of the cry about* nothing having been done. It must be remembered, however, the extra amount of roads that had to be dealt with and the prohibitive cost of ' material. With the new machinery he considered that the prospects for the coming year were much brighter, Cr. Williams said that at tips, lus last meeting at the Council table, he would like to express his thanks to tho Mayor and his fellow-Councillors for the' courtesy and consideration which had been extended to him during his term of office. Or. Mann said that lie could not genuinely say that he had enjoyed coming to f ile meetings of the Council during the year. He did not know if he was one of those who were supposed to lie personally antagonistic to the Mayor, but lie supposed lie was, and he would like to say that although differing from the Mayor in very mny ways’ he had always, except once or twice, when they had got a little excited, tried to observe the laws of fair and honorable debate. Many reasons prevented him from seeking re-election at the Council and he was si little sorry, ■as the- position of Councillor tor tlio borough of Gisborne was a dignified one for anv burgess. If lie happened t,o be one of those referred to as being actuated by any personal feeling, lie could say that such an idea was absolutely incorrect. He agreed that a great deal of good Had been done durvn«r the year, and more than they had been given credit for. Often, when bo had read different articles in the paper, lie bad felt that he would like to put the editors and sub-editors and these sort of people who sat in easy chairs and wrote them, round the Council table and see if they could do any hottor.

The Mayor said that he would not like the meeting to disperse under any misapprehension. What he had said was that he would like to have seen a great deal more done, but he thought that what had been doner would undoubtedly bear fruit. It was true that he had had to refrain from bringing several matters of importance before the Council, us he had felt that he could not get them properly considered, as lie thought that the majority of the Councillors had been against him.

Cr. Mann: Will you tell us straight out exactly what you mean. Do- you really think that it was because we were against W. D. Lysnar? Mr. Lysnar said that he would have much preferred that such u| question had not been brought up. However, as he never burked a question, and the question had been put, ho. would reply that he was very sorry to have to say that in the majority, of cases he had felt that the feeling -was one against W. D. Lysnar himself and not his views, ... Councillors: No, no. Thatl is most unfair. Cr. Sheridan said that perhaps he had been more 'antagonistic to the Mayor than anybody else on the Council. and the Mayor could not truthfully say that he thought he (.Cry Sheridan) had- been personally antagonistic to Mr W. D. Lysnar. He challenged the Mayor to quote -a single instance^ with perhaps the exception of Jickell s scheme, where Councillors had opposed him personally. Cr. Darton also asked the Mayor to quote an instance where he had gone against- him on personal grounds. Neither the Mayor nor anybody else could sav that such was the ease. The Mayor said that the year was late, and the hour of the night was also late, and although ho c-ould quote several instances, he would not do so, but would, leave it to the consciences of the Councillors. Councillors (in chorus): Oh, oh. That is not fair. Cr Maun: We shall also leave it to the conscience of His Worship the Mavor. „ . ~ , At this stage (11.30 p.m.) the meeting terminated rather abruptly.