WEST COASTERS' REUNION:

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1844, 2 September 1913, Page 8

WEST COASTERS' REUNION:

'A- SUCCESSFUL GATHERING. The annual reunion of tho West Coasters' Association was held last evening in th© Oriental Bay Tea Kiosk. \'Miesigathering was .;a most successful one, thero being about a thousand present. . During an. interval in tho programme of dances, a, number of speeches were made, tho speakers being introduced by the president of the association (Mr. ( F. M'Farland). ■ Tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) congratulated the association, on the splendid success of the reunion. There was a considerable community of interest between Wollington and the West Coast, and tlio Capital City had_bcen bettoT for the work.done by the workers on the-coast. The speaker referred to the greatest of all W£st Coasters, the lato ;Mr. Seddon. (Cheers.) Mr. Seddon had Iloft his ma'rk, not only in New Zealand, but on the Empire as a whole. Tlio dominion owed the West Coast something for the time that great man had lived tliere. (Apglause.) There was one necessity to the welfare of tho coast of which they should never loso eight. -There wcro some people in tho Dominion who would deny to the coast a certain means of access to which it had a- decisive claim. The sooner they got the iron horso running from Christchurch to their side of the island tho better it would be for the Dominion as a whole. (Applause.) i - Sir Joseph . Ward expressed his pleasure lit being present at such a nappy gathering. The lato Mr. feeddon had been a great link_ between tho Coast and tho rest of New Zealand. Ho was pleased that they had with them Mrs. Seddon, who never forgot the West Coast and its people. (Cheers.) There wero no people in New Zealand who boro their district in fonder memor.V than tho Coasters. Tho Coast had been one of tlio best assets of the Dominion, with .its products of its land. Its mines, ami-its 'timber-country.; He hoped Iho Coast and Coasters would always enjov the greatest prosperty. .' Mr. J. Cxrimmoiul, one'of the pioneers of tlio Coast, detailed somo of the experiences of settlers in. the early days of tlio district. Ho- hoped that they

would never forget tho Coast, and that ' they would be worthy sons and daughter of worthy parents. Tho pioneers had been a remarkable body of people, . and had done not a little to help, the Dominion forward and, as the rising generation, they should try to follow tilth- example. . Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon, .M.P., remindecP tho company tint •in January of • next year tho jubileo of the Coast will bo celebrated, Ho hoped that as many of them as possible would go down to Hokitika, and help to make the jubilee a great success. Mr. P., C. AVebb, M.P., said that tho gathering demonstrated,that the soirit of hospitality and fraternity l which characterised the West Coast, was still flourishing. Thev. were a large and harmonious family on. tho Coast, and although they-sometimes had differences lit .election'timos, they were forgotten soon afterwards.- (Laughter.) He honed that soon tho West Coasters of Wel-lington-would be able to hold an annual * picnic, and- that it would lead to a great annual "West Coast day throughout the Dominion. (Applause.) Mr. P.. Fletcher also congratulated the association on its gathering. A number of musical "and other items wero interspersed with tho dances.