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Concert. Through these kindly agencies I was able to raise sufficient to accomplish
my ideal, viz. : to give 200 poor children a week's Holiday by the sea. I
cannot express to you in words how exhilarated I felt when the Mayoress and myself
went down to Dymchurch to conduct the sports and the Mayoress to present the
prizes to these boys and girls, many of whom had never seen the sea.
During my year of office it has been my privilege to preside at the opening
of some of the principal business houses in the Borough. This is quite a new
departure, but I felt it would be a discouragement to these new establishments
to refuse their invitations, and I thereupon decided to give these industries every
possible encouragement.
The Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor (Sir William Waterlow, K.B.E.) invited me,
together with the Mayor of Westminster, to confer with him on the work in connection
with Alexandra Day. This recognition, I think, the Council will agree,
was an honour for this Borough and its Mayor. The Mayoress and myself are
indebted to all those ladies who so loyally assisted me in the work of collection, and
to the Borough Treasurer and his staff, and to Mr. Pruce in the work of organisation
and management of Alexandra Day in this Borough.
The collection realised £889 5s. 7d.
The engagements during this year, apart from presiding at Council Meetings,
have covered all kinds of Institutions and Societies amounting in all to nearly
1,000 engagements. This in itself has given the Mayoress and myself a wonderful
insight into the many and varied activities that are carried on in the Borough, and
I think it speaks well for Camberwell that such a great amount of social service is
carried on unobtrusively.
Apart from the many functions attended in this Borough, it has been my
pleasure to attend many functions outside its boundary at Buckingham Palace,
St. James' Palace, the Mansion House, and the various functions in the Boroughs
around London, my invitations extending as far as the Borough of Brighton and
the Continent.
There is always a tendency to become imbued to a groove, even as a public
man, but one year in the Mayoral chair gives its occupant a very broad survey of
public life, and gives such an education of men and things in general that on the
completion of the year's work one wishes that the whole Council could have
passed through the Mayor's experiences. I feel a wonderful respect for my brother
Ex-Mayors, because I now know they are au fait with much of London Government
by virtue of the fact that they have passed through this historic chair.
In my closing remarks I desire to say I have done my best to maintain an
equilibrium between the parties on the Council ; if I have failed, I must ask your
indulgence. I am human, and I am desirous of expressing my gratitude to you all
for the support you have given me.
I am proud to have had such support from the Mayoress. She has been of the
greatest assistance to me during my year of office, and I should like to place on
record my deep sense of gratitude to the very graceful manner in which she has
performed the duties of Mayoress of Camberwell.
I cannot close this valedictory address without thanking the Chief Officers and
the Staff for the loyalty and support I have at all times received with the utmost
courtesy.
And while one hesitates to mention any singular or particular individual, I
should be remiss if I did not mention Mr. Shepard, who has placed hours of his
leisure time at our disposal; he has been most thoughtful, painstaking, exceedingly
careful to ensure that all our functions have fructified to complete success,
and he can prove a tower of strength to overcome difficulties which are bound to
arise in any Mayor's year of office.
Again I thank one and all for their gracious courtesy.
ARTHUR L. BATEMAN,
Mayor of Camberwell, 1929-1930.