THE MEN WHO DID

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 289, 2 September 1919, Page 6

THE MEN WHO DID

A WELCOME HOME TO HARBOUR BOARD'S RETURNED MEN There must have been-some 300 members of the Wellington Harbour Board's permanent staff assembled in St. Peter's Hall last evening to do fitting honour to their comrades who have sorved their King and country ovoreea6. Tho proceedings took the form of a welcomehome "smoko" which was presided over by Captain Muuro (chief wharfinger), who was supported by Mr. J. G. Harkncss (ohairman of tho board), Messrs It. A. \Vright, M.P., 11. E. Sinclair (members of tho board), Messrs. James Marchbanks (engineer), H. El Nicholls (secretary), Captain JJawson (harbourmaster), Mr. Gamble (accountant), and ail other officers of the board. Brigadier-General G. S. Richardson was present as.representing the higher Now Zealand command, and Mr. J. Harper represented the Itoturned Soldiers' Association,

After several vooal numbers, the toast of "Our Returned Soldiers" was proposed by Mr. H. E. Nicholls. Shakespeare, said Mr. Nicholls, had it that good wine needed no bush, bo he could say that good soldiers needed no trumpeter. He, however, oould speak as ono who had lived 47 years of his life on the wharf, and he looked upon the men as his family—'perhaps a very large and somewhat troublesome family. He was and always had. been a sincere lovor oi peace and a sincere hater of war, but ho liked to face faots, and knowing what was going on around him knew that ho could not live in a fool's paradise. _ He hoped muoh from the League of Nations, but looked more to tho unity of the three great democracies of the world— Eugland, America, and France—to "bring about stability in the world. He realised when Mr. Asquith had made his momentous decision tlmt he could have made none other. New Zealand had played a bravo and ' honourable part in the war, but it was not for him to say muoh of tlv. deeds of such gallant men aa Freyberg. Sanuers, Juiison, Travel's, to mention a few of them. (Applause.) From first to last over ono hundred members of the board had gone abroad, and of those eighty had seen action overseas. That, out of a little over 800, was a good record, and from beginning to end they had learned the divine task to command. to obey, to endure. • (Applause.) Of those who went seventeen would never return, and here the speaker feelingly recounted tho names ot those who had died for their oountry, and gave particulars of their bravery on the field, and related how they died. He assured the returned men of the affection and the admiration in which they were held by their fellow-workers on the staff of the board. Mr. Nicholls also recounted the honours won by the members at the front! They were the truo descendants of those brave heroes of old who fought at Cressv, Poictiers, and Agincourt, and, like them, ono day they would strip their sleeves and say "these wounds I had on such and such a day." He asked the company to drink to them—"Here's their good health, their families' good health, and may they live long and prosper." (Applause.) Brieadier-General Richardson (who was Riven a tumultuous welcome), in tho oourse of his reply, thanked the Harbour Board for the good work it had done durins the war. and said ho was pleased to notice the way these men were being ab sorbed into civil life. Ho was not going to talk much about war. No one wanted war less than the returned soldiers. His one wish was that they w-ould be quickly reoatriated and made happy and content o.d citizens.. Tlxeir first duty was to th& fallen, and next was to the disabled sol' diera and if all 'bodies were doing a* well as the Harbour Board they' would have little difficulty'in their task of re patriation. Many of. the men had taken upon themselves new responsibilitiessome of them had married. He told a storv of a young woman who had waited on him in London, and wished for particulars about a man who wanted to marrc her. She had heard that she could obtain particulars of any man in tho records. He had the mans record looked up, and found that he was a widower with six ohildren. (Laughter Ho had be'en down at the whart that day, and had soon many married men arrive with their wives. He did hope.that as these women and children arrived they would be given the warm welcome due to them. Nearly everyone imagined that after the war there was going to be a new world, following the reconstruction. That cou.ld not he. The Government, was doing all it could, but could not do everything. It was up to everyone to help to make the country prosperous, and peace what it should be. Tho soldiers who had gone abroad had learned that New Zealand wis not the only place in the world, but lie believed that the soldier realised tint it was on him to make this great little country one of tho best in the world. (Applause.) Speaking of national dcfeuce, General Richardson saul that while the Empire was a great and grand on", it was extraordinarily vulnerable owing to the long lines of communication, and they must all realise that it was only by maintaining a strong navy and strong defence generally they could always 'be prepared. (Applause.) Major Gibbs, D.5.0., also replied, thanking Mr. Nicholls for what he had saiil of the returned men. and tho Harbour Board for treating them so generously when lliey went away. _ General Richardson proposed, Our Fallen Comrades," saying that tho tendency was generally to honour most the returned soldier, when returned men themselves knew that the greatest hon--o'ir was duo to the fallen, and their dependants in New Zealand who had shouldered their burden of trouble so cheerfully. The toast was drunk in silence. ill'. J. Harper'proposed the toast of the Wellington Harbour Board, and m doing so thankod the board for tho way they were re-establisiung the men in civil life.

The chairman of the hoard (Mr. J. G. Harknes?) raid In was pleased to be/ present a member of the board, and to say that they had a deep sympathy with the staff. He also paid a fine compliment to the men who had gone to the front, and added that it had been a pleasure for the board to do what it had for those men eo far as finances would allow. He regarded the board as tin important factor in the progress and prosperity of the city. He held tha: the board was more important lhan the city corporation, because though the citv corporation might muddlo its affairs. and dill, as they all knew, tae Harbour Hoard could not afford to do so, for if it did it would cripple commerce tluoinrhout '.ha district. He rehearsed i what tiie beard had done for the men who ftad irone to Iho front. The total amount naid to the men had amounted to ,E17,1i5a. Thev stilt had men to cnino back, and when thev were back another «EUWU would be added to the total, .the board had also paid JEISBG to patriotic funds, and had invested XIO.OOO in warbonds. Reviewing the present unrestful state of the world. Mr. Harknosssaul that there was a. fundamental law as old as the hills that man shall live by the sweat of his brow, but thero were people who toiled not, neither did they spin. What was to be done with them?, It was such ueopie who, if they prevailed, would lead the nation to destruction just as surely as mighty Greece, with all her learning and qulture. was led, and as was the caso with Rome, mistress of the world, with everything at her feet, who through wanton idleness, luxury, and forgettulness of work fnded from her great estate. And so surely would lingland fail if she trilled with the divino law. Ihreenuarters of a*niillion of the best of the JJmnire's manhood hail made the supreme <siiiTilice-h.nl laid down their individual lives that their people might be free. Then thev must ?eo to it that the foieign iierit prevailed not, see that there was no tvrannv within when they had conquered the tyranny without. So he would ask the watersiders and aU others to do their duty, and livo us their forefathers had before them, and so preserve the hanuiness of the people and tno greatness of tlio British Empire; Tie thanked General Richardson for what he had said about the board, which was only too Dleased to do all in, its power for the men who had played eo honourable a port, (Applause.)