AN EVENING AT FOXTON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 691, 16 December 1909, Page 11

AN EVENING AT FOXTON.

AFTER THE SCULLING RACES. PROSPECTS OP THE SPOET. A pleasant lifcllo function was i held at Perrca'u's Dining fho' s OY T ehihg of Decernbet 8, tho occasion being a temporary farewell to tho Australian scullers who competed in tho big handicap at Foxton,' on December 2 and 3. Tho \cry best of good feeling lias shown throughout. Mr. Messena, ono of the- promoters, was in the chair, and apologies wore raado 'for the absenco ot Messrs. Easton and White,:' ; ;.:.--ft ; W>Y-;, v:;-,:"; w- -'■;.■*' ±, -,;;-,:. Yltt'.op'ening.the proceedings, Mr. .Messena'. re- ' marked <;on the importance of the recent 'scull-ing,-events',: to sculling 'generally,'.'/and .'said : that"..though!' thß'Xattenrianco:;of ■■ soulling; enthusiasts,,/ and''; the. :p_ub]io,':waV: disappointing; ".thoVprombters.',-were, in'no, way.', dismayed, and intended tb :arrango a'..similar, event next year. ;Ho spokb> of •■ the-keen ..interest df;.Mr.'.Tuck, of, VV'angan'ui; in. scullirig.'and .said that had it'-not'.been; for Mr. ..Tuck there wpuld probably ''have, been no'.sculling championship at Wihganui, and ; the big : handicap: at: the Long Itcach - ! would;; hot;. hayo,'; ; beon. y conceived: ana carried'out.- ; : Ho.-.also -paid':a:'well-deserved tributo'/.to. Mr.. ■■Cobmbes,' of■.; Sydhevj. for. the hard work which'he. had -put .into, the affair, and ,tho constant .publicity, which ho had given to it in the Sydney "Referee"- ;In connection with,. tlioi;regatta,, it was' rather. .;■;deplorable that,-iOutof a population of about 'sixty ..thbu.sand: .in V. 'Wellington,'- and., ten' thousand iii Waiiganui,; so few ,had realised the .importance : 'bf,:.the;oveitvto;rowihg,; and'perhaps? the 'fix-, tiire. had beenV held at an awkward- time; but the i promoters had to'stndy, many-things, tides included;; Ho,' looked forward ho^iifully; to tboincxt yearV; event,,; arid.an attempt;.would : bomade /to lit it.ih.'at a.more isuitable time! Tho;, promoters were .-'■proud'/:to hdvo met, tho' ; visitors -..from;': the' ■ other . side; ':;' It • had 'often been ;said: "Oh!' He's ,an Australian." - All he,, tho 'speaker,-could- say:.- -was-that:''if .-all .were Yds /true' gbntlemen as , the visiting scullers he would 'always bo .pleased to meet'the lot.: He : .proposed: the health of the coupled with';the name ■ of ; Mr.' Folton.V.the winner; This was given, with: three times, throe.'■■', "■;'.'■:', , .-:'.::."■■;',;•;..,''::<-' ':,•■■':':. . ■:■■- ■;: Mr.'.Felton, in replying,, expressed, on-behalf Of himself and fellow/scullers, the: pleasuro ,which:'tho visit:; had' given thorn)/and,':, of. course, the pleasure ; it had given: him to win. In hisown'happy! style he tried to say what was in,-his_heart;.but,:,somehow, his feelings overcame 'him, -arid it was. taken. as 6aid. ;He proposed, the. health ,of;;tho-promoters;-■ Mr. in;replying;"thanked the Rowing Club for tho use of the boatshed, and the hotelkcepers for accommodating the visiting scnllersr :. :i-t'\'-'-'':■:>:■ ."v,-. -i'■-':■■■ ■'■<•.■■.- Mi. Gißespie replied, on behalf of the Row. ing. Club r.and'Mr. Munro, on behalf of the hotelkeepers. ;',:;^, ; ,.-.■'■'-: ■,-•■''.':.:,, ■■■: ; ;'yMr.'Kemp proposed..the.toast'"Toxron's.Hospitality," and made-referonco: to the kindness extended byallriHe coupled thetoast with the name of-Mr. Geo.; Coley...'. : " : ' - \■■■■.,m'i ' -"■-: :>,Mr.-.Coley stated,: in; reply, he was better at anything than making, it 'speech.. He, however, proposed "The' next : Rowing Event at.' Long : -Reach", coupled with-the name of Mr. Hagney..,--■''..;/.-.-, -:■:•::; ,'.'.'.;.•..:■• .•'■-■■ ~:_..'.-.■..:■ : •; Mr. Hagney acknowledged the toast, and proposed tho,health "of the losers, In. doing :$b no said that'he always had great sympathy for losers. Ho commented' strongly on the; keen interest, taken.ih rowing, by Messrs. Beach and Copmbes, of Sydney; iand felt, so far asthe racing itself, was concerned, that all parties were to be "congratulated, and. that; New, Zealand could depond upon:the Australians coining Over , again.,--,;';";, ;'.-.': ~-;:';■-.■/:'.'■ ,; '' ;";;;;',-. '-.'./ : Songs wero-given, during the. evening by Messrs. Preston'andiLindly, of Foxtbhi'and by ' Messrs. Felton .and Rewhiti. -,-■'•■' ~.■■; : Mr., Green proposed the;health of the man, who, inacknowledging it, stated that the promoters also desired to express their thanks to Mr. Bock,; their honorary secretary, for the assistance given'arid the amount of work which ho had put into the, affair.. They 'hoped to havo him at the - helm at the next event.'-.-Mr. Bock, in replying, assured the chairman , that;he was hot-going. to back-down,''but;would help whenever, wanted: '':'-.';''; In concluding, the chairman iocosely advised ,' Mr. 'Arnstvthat if; he.: intended, to :go ; to;tho ■ Zambesi, he had bettor got away as quickly as possible.AOrelse ho might find Mr. Felton'a "'- formidable opponbnt.; "'During:; the evening Mr. Felton was: presented by Mr. Hadfieid with a valuable piece of' greenstone.. . '■•-' : :■''■•: ;■;',:■.=======;;..