Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-11
NEW OFFICIALS
Assume Charge Of Affairs Of
City Government.
Inaugural Address of the New Mayor,
Hon. Jas. S. Lunt.
Recommendations and Suggestions for
Bettering City's Condition.

The citizens of the city assembled,
Monday morning. in City hall to see the
old city government go out and the
newly elected one come in. Principal
Stowell was present with his class in
civil government and witnessed the
ceremony. After the city government
was organized Samuel Currier was APP
pointed to wait upon the mayor and in
form him that the city fathers awaited
his pleasure. AS Mr.. Lunt, the new
mayor, took the chair, a hush fell over
the audience. for this would be the first
time that he would address them as
mayor. After calling upon Rev. Mr..
Livingston for prayer he spoke as fol-
lows:
Gentlemen of the City Council:
We are here convened, by the will Of
our fellow citizens, as expressed
through the ballot box, to organize the
city government, through which to
manage for them. the ensuing year,
their fiscal, prudential and municipal
affairs.
In entering upon the discharge of the
duties appertaining to the office to
which / have been elected. my first i'm
pulse and duty is to thank my con-
stituents for this manifestation of their
confidence. and to assure them, through
you, that the trust, by them 50 gener-
ousiy coEfided to me, shall be most
carefully guarded. and that no effort
on my part shall be spared to advance
the interests of our city and the pros
perity of our citizens.
In the discharge of these duties, all
that is required of us is that we should,
with honest purpose, bring our best
faculties and judgment into use, and
calmly and deliberately exercise them
in bringing forward and deciding all
questions which may occur in the path
of our duty: thus acting and looking to
the fountain of all wisdom for guild
ance. our doings will always, in the
end, receive the sanction of our con-
stituency as having been done in good
faith and integrity of purpose, and can
rarely fail to promote the public good.
"To err is human" therefore perfec-
ton is not expected in human action.
Among the first acts you will be
called upon to perform will be the elect
ing of the subordinate city officers. In
the discharge of that important duty,
my sincere hope, is that you will discard
all feelings of a personal or political
nature. and with an eye single to the
interests of the city, the good of your
constituents, select none but the best
and most capable men for the various
Offices to be filled. Let your test be the
capability and honesty of every candi-
date: bear in mind in the bestowal of
Office that you are but the delegated
agent of your constituents, that your
selections are for them and that their
interests and the public good are alone
to be considered by you; that party or
personal friendship must not be al
lowed to intervene; let men only of
character. ability and force receive ap-
pointment at your hands such as will
insure prompt and faithful discharge
of all the duties that may devolve upon
them; acting with these aims In view,
you cannot easily go astray, and the
result will be a vigorous and harmoni-
Gus execution of the duties pertaining
to the various offices under your con-
troll,
FINANCE.
Another of the most important du-