FAREWELL TO MR. DONNE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 517, 26 May 1909, Page 9

FAREWELL TO MR. DONNE

V ; iA DINNER AND AN ADDRESS. ;'About soverity gentlemen sat down to dinner; at tho Grand Hotel last night, when Mr, T. E. Douno, who /is to go. to London shortly as' Trade and Emigration Commissioner, was entertained' by the commercial.genllomcn.oi Wellington.,-'' Air.; H.' C. Tewsloy. : presided, and'.had' the' guest' of-; the evpning r on his right and/tho Prime-Minister on his left. The Hon. Dr/.l'mdlay (Minister for justice), Sir. W.;G.'Dut'.iio"(president of tho. Wellington Chamber' of Commcrcn), Colonel Collins, Mr. Martin Kennedy, and Mr. P. Heyes also occupied; seats at: tho :orc-ss-tables. : Leading business men /of tho city' arid heads, of Government Department were;, also present. ) . -Thdrrimo'Minister': (Sir. Joseph Ward), in reply to the toast of " Tho New Zealand Parliament,',' • proposed by Mr. Martin Kennedy, stated in'the course of, his speech-that .he •attached no importance to the; .suggestion that there, was go'ing to. bo. aterriblo fight -in Parliament during tho coming session. The ■'men: Who did'thb best work'for'tho .country, were not. tho ones who talked, in that way, like a : lot-. of school children'.' : ;, :, ■:. - .'The'chairman then proposed ;',,Our Guest, Mr/Tl'-iß.'--Donne." '.and in doing so.- stated, inter: alia,' that im the Tourist-Department Mr:; Donne had dono pioneering work which had perhaps not been so .profitable.: from ..a £ s. • d." point of view ns" some, might .think it should' liav'o- been,; but in the ;years to como many would admit that they had judged .'him more 'harshly. .thsnVthoy, should hayo.;dono. The speaker wont ori.'to.say that if the selectiori'of immigrants"for Now Zealand .were left to Mr; Donne.in .London the results would bo much bettor; than ■ iii thepast., .-...; . ... -::-.-. :;:Mr. Tcwsle.v'.then'.-haiided to' Mr. Donne a mchu'card;bcariiVg't-he:-signatui!es of all,those present,: and/read the 'text of -a complimentaryaddress/' which-will bo presentedto/Mr; Donrior after', being "engrossed and;,illumih-' ated. ~ : ■■■'■':< •■'--■:'■■"..■' /■ ''■ ■' ■ '-.Sir-.Toscph Ward.said very few.people real-. ; is«d;tho;value' 1 of ;."thp : work done; by ;Mr. Donne.' In.'contrast to the.past, the General .Manager of the Tourist Department now: re-: ceiyed about <. 1000 letters': a week'/ inquiring about' the; scenic 'resorts.and: many other features • of; New .'Zealand../; .The ./tourist traffic kw'as' worth, about ■ .£400,000. to New Zealand., | Tho health presorts had'been developed, .and .tourists coidd now:go through''the./couhtfy •'without any other'help than/that'of ,tho;Department./Before tho,Department was.started ;Rotorua'' had 1 onlyVbnd '• train' aweek/ and :its •insanitary ;cbhdition:;was/a; menace/ to 1 visitors.: :Tho making of:Vtourist'roads,'? which were 'really, for: settlers; was tebbtransferred to: : It' was ' iu6 '■ to the "Government of the .day, not Mr." Donne,;that those-.roads had been -made by the -Tourist .'D&.' :partment,';bnt the ;people-who had 1 blamed that Department,.would.havo ; ■ praised./ the Roads Department if, it,hadrnado them; -'~.?-'• • ■'/Mr.;Donnb;/in Teply,'siidrthatin 1875 he camp to Wellington; to join tho Post and Tele'graph; pepartmerit.;:: After, a timo;the. Rail-j way } Department i hbnwved/ him'■- temporarily" .and/kept, hi.n/'for■;many:years/■/ Be'■ had, \ |::. ways'had compotentsubordinatea, .and he:was: . satisfied/that/Mr,/Popo,:/the /.now;/General Manager of the Tourist Department, -would carry on tho7work ; with the.Highest efficiency.' As/to immigrants,;ho thought:that as well as granting assisted /passages we/should .do ' something'for;, the immigrants/on/.landing.' Therp'should/beplices:forrtlieni.to/stay at, ; and"they"''should: havo' free transport-up.,tlio Jcountry to places where' work was likely to -bo" obtained. '.Hojalso,'. thought that'pensioned : : Anglo-Indians;/from whom he/had received many inquiries j. : should be encouraged ,tb come to tho Dominion; (Applause.) .:/■ '-~■:■)"■. ';?■::" :,Tho.Bfan; Dr.:Fincllay/ (Minister for/justice),';, in proposing.'."Trado-and Commerce',": remarked: ." The name".of/Duibio is' syrionvrrious:; with /honesty /: and:' straight /dealing!"; ' Many of:'■tho /most important business/ trans-' actions depa.ided-ron word of, moiith;/ahd this 'wa3:cohspipupusly soi'inNfsw Zealandi'and'it marked 'out our merchants for :a ; high and .honbii'rnblb.-placa.:,'.(Applnuse.);..;/ ->:-, ■:■• /Jin-;W;;G;-Duthio Yoresfdent- of the Chamber of,, Uojimaree),' brieflyi-.raplind.',: Ho said ' the.imcrchanis/ZTecogiiised haying-a man of: Jfr.: Donne's : calibrooccun.v- ; : ing/so..impbrtant.apposition-in/Londoh. ■/•'He' .was .coniido'it: that.;under: his' control..;therc wofjd be'no'.moro.bf'theMinsuitablelciass'of lnVmigrants.: that : had "lately ; been coming'; to ihe'co.unt'ry,. ,;(Applauso.)//-■ / ••' : ',r ; -.:/v.; -/;,//. :./The choirmari'.-.wss •.bonou'ied,/on the proposal :pltSir : Jbseph:/Ward.: ; :;.:':/:./:!>;.:,;.>■/: -.Song's; were roridw.ed.'durihg' 'tiib..evening. ■ i :i Mr...W..Lauglilin ! as..accampahist.:.'::'!■.■■ -:; : ri'.:- '