SIR WALTER BUCHANAN

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1800, 12 July 1913, Page 6

SIR WALTER BUCHANAN

; HIS RETURN HOME. } : ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME, L — ' i Tli© high estimation in which Sir Wall > tor Buchanan; M.P., is licld boilhi ns > settler as well ns a public man was /ulljf i demonstrated at Carterton on Thursday, ■. when quibo 5000 people from all parts of tho district assembled on (ho shovM ; ground to tender liim a "welcome homo*' 1 011 his rotum from a six months' trip to the Old Country, It was a beautifully, ■ fine day, and this added materially to tliq' buccoss of t'lio gathering. . Tho proceedings wero opened' by a series ot congratulatory 6peeolies, deliveri ed from a dais in tho show-ring. Mr. D< P. Lousby, Mayor of Greytown, who pre6idcd, was the' first to speak, and in expressing Mie very great pleasure that wasfelt by all at Sir Walter Buchanan's re turn in splendid health and with honours conferred upon him by his Majesty tho King, recounted tho services that had 1 been rendered by Sir Walter during his 40 1 years of residence in the district. 110 • particularly referred to his efforts on be- ' half of tho frozen meat industry and > freight reductions. Ho extended a' cordial • "welcomo homo" to tho member for Wai--1 jrarapa. >' Addresses of welcomo and congratula- ■ tionwere then delivered by Messrs.Frank! i Feist (Mayor of Carterton),' J. W. Card » (chairman of • t'lio Featherston Town ' Board), T. V. Mooro (acting-chairman of i the Wnirarapa South County Council), A, ' D. M'Leod (chairman of tho Featherston ■ County Council)! W. J. •Welch (elfiinnan of the Mnsterton County Council), 1 H. H. . Ryder (chairman, of tho Castlepoint' County Council), J. M, Corodino (Mayor of Masterton), and. G. E. Sykes, M.P.■ • " Sir Walter Buchanan, who; on rising to speak was received with loud.and sustain* ed choerimr, said there were experiences, now and then, in everybody's life that they felt a difiicult task in facing. They could, imagine how ho felt on tlio present occasion. JIo had, in his experience, been, compelled to sleep beneath the stars and. endure many of tho hardships of pioneering! but these were nothing compared with tho task that had fallen upon liim' that day. "How can 1?" ho asked, "how could you, if you were in my place, express yourself at seeing such a, crowd to do you honour for what little service you might havo been able to render tho district?" Ho proceeded to say that ho pleaded guilty to liaving tried, during his lcntf residence in tho Wairarapa, to do his best, but he felt that whatever ho had done had fallen far short of what he would havo liked to have accomplished, 110 had realised that he owed a duty to the people, and Jiad offered his services in local and goner,il politics. He had fought eloven severely-contested political fights, and they had done him the honour of olectiner him to t.lie highest position in their gift. Although he had been away from the Dominion for only a little over six months, ho had not forgotten New Zealand. Wherever ho went, he endeavoured to procure information which might. bo of value to tho Dominion. In . Italy lie had seen water-power being used for tho driving of their industries, and ho felt that Now Zealand had a great future Ixifore it in what was being dOno by tho Government. In Canada ho had visited, various agricultural colleges and cxperw mental farms, and ho found that science was being brought to bear on every hand*} The M'Donald Collcgo was situated on iivo, hundred acres of land. It was the gift of; ono man, and cpst a, million of money.' Ho (tho speaker) liad been so impressed; with the institution that ho felt it lus : duty to seek out tho donor, and congratulato him upon the benefits which he had conferred upon his fellow-settlors. Ha lmd also visited tho Agricultural Colleges at Montreal, Ottawa, fiuelph, and other places. When ho was in London, he had inspected tho cheese that had come from New Zealand a.ud Canada, and ho found tho difference in quality to be remarkable Why was it? ho asked. It was be., cause tho Canadians had institutions in which to train their managers. In NewZealand wo had milk of qmto as. good quality. We had pastures that were unequalled. But wo were losing thousands of pounds bccauso wo did not adopt scientific methods. The telephono system in Canada was also an improvement upon that in New Zealand. Instead of settlers being required to put telephones on to their farms, the Government did tho work of construction and maintenance. Thoj spoakor went on to say that lie found New Zealand butter in use throughout Canada, ami its quality was highly spoken of. New Zealand frozen meat was also find* ing its wav there, and ho was going ta ask the Government to set up direct com-^. municatym between Wellington! and tho. western ports of Canada. When in LngJ land ho had inquired into the condition of the frozen meat trade. He had expected to find great improvements sinco his last visit twenty years ago, but he sorry to sav he was disapitointeed. From what ho had learned from tire Port of l/omWn 'Authority, however, he had reafoii to think that thero would lw great, improvements during tho next five years. II,» concluded by expressing his sincere thanks for tho cordial .welcome accorded hi in, and stated that ho would do hia very best in the futuro to earn tho goodwill of his fellow settlers. (Applause.) Tlirw cheers were then given for Sitf Walter Buchanan. An interesting and somewhat novel event foliowed. A man dressed in Highland costume, and representing "Coiro Ceolidli," till? Highland leader, preceded by a piper, led a Highland "stirk," or bullock, towards tho dais. The animal was decorated tfith tartan, and bore (ho Gaelic inscriptions "Gillio Heoc.li" ("lirindlq Laddie") and "Do an Seann Duiuo Grinn" ("Tho Grand Old Man"). Tho. 'Mayor of Mastwton (Mr. J. M< Coradine), amidst great laughter, presented tho "stirk" to tho guest of tho' day on behalf of a number of his admirers. Sir Walter Buchanan, in a humorous speech, aewpted the gift. He said if it was really a "stirk," lie would invite Mr, Coradino and members of the committee t" I'omo to his house and make a meal . off it. Tlio. main eeivmony over, tho crowd proceeded, to witness a game of hockey, tups-of-wnr, and other amusements, and to afternoon tea, which, was provided free. Tho Carterton. Brass Band and tlio Calodoninn Pipe Band rendered musical iUma flurijiir ilia afternoon.