EARLY SETTLERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 307, 23 September 1919, Page 6

EARLY SETTLERS

REUNION IN TOWN HALL

A SUCCESSFUL GATHERING

PROPOSED MEMORIAL COMMENDED

The annual winter reunion of the Wellington Early Settlers' Association, which was held last evening, attracted a large and representative body of old AYellingtonians and their descendants. The gathering was held in tho Town Hull, which was attractively decorated for the occasion. The chair was occupied by tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke, M.?., C.M.G.), and among those present were His Excellency the Governor-General and the Countess of Liverpool, and fho Hon. G. W. Russell. After th<hsinging of the National Anthem, the proceedings were opened by the rendition of "The Old Hundredth'" by the audience, to lhe accompaniment of Mr. E. Parker, who presided at tho piano throughout the evening. In hie opening remarks, the chairman referred to the fact that the present generation had tho early settlers to thank for laying the foundations of our prosperity. This was only accomplished by dint of many hardships and personal sacrifices. The people of this city and the Dominion appraised our early settlers as tho very best stock that the country had ever held. During the early history of New Zealand we had had some typical example* of what stood for the very best in men and women. Concluding, Mr. Luke expressed his pleasure at tho presence at the gathering of the Vice-Eegal party. His Excellency's Addi-ess. > His Excellency the Governor-General then delivered an interesting address, in the course of which he expressed his pleasure at being present, and incidentally recalled that his own family was intimatoly associated with, the early years of New Zealand, and ho had often heard from his father, who was here, a good deal about the difficulties that were associated with, the settlers of that, period — the early 'sixties. His Excellency went on to point out' the fact that the people in the Old Country realised fully how much thiy at Homo owed to their own blood who had come out to the Dominion and settled this then new-found laud. They had nono of the amenities of life and comforts of civilisation—no picture shows. (Laughter.) Without tho assistance of these individual sottlers who had settled New Zealand and other colonies, thq British Empire would never have attained its greatness and commanding position. A point mado by His Excellency was that our early settlers had never lost their claim upon their wealth of association with England. English, Irish, and Scotch had the common trait of never forgetting tho stock from which they sprung. Within the last two weeks ire had hiid a representative of tho might of Britain. He referred to tho battleship New Zealand, and in this connection iio dwelt on tho grand work accomplished by the British Navy. No admiral could win a victory at sea and no general could win a victory on land unless tho forces they commanded wero at unity. The Dominion had been built up ae an integral part of tho British Empire, and it had, in common with tho«rest of tho far-flung divisions of the- Empire, stood united in the nation's hour of need. They had every right to be proud of the stock from which they had sprung and the stock which they had sent out to ii;,'ht; and he believed that if ever the ociasion arose the generation which was to follow would show no signs of any falling oil' in ou.r stock. Tho British wero a. very peculiar race in some ways. They had the knack of never being quite prepared, tat when the effort liad got to bo made, and sus. tained they sank all their littlj eccentricities and stood together liko 0110 manindivisible. (Applause.) ,Hon, G. W. Russell's Suggestion. In tho absence of Sir Jo:eph Ward, who was down on the programme for an address, 6omo interesting early history of Wellington and its environs was re. lated by the Hon. G. W. Rtusell, at tho invitation of the chairman. At the outset Mr. Hussell recalled that it was some, where about 51 years sinco l.e first saw Wellington, and he had had tho privilego of wining into contact with very many of tno men who had laid so truly and well the .foundations of the Dominion. The speaker referred to many figures familiar with the early development of Now Zealand, and pointed out that when ho arrived at Wellington thero wei'o two companies of Irish troops quartered in the city. In closing Mr. Bussell made an interesting suggestion.. Hβ knew as a member of the lato /National Government that there would be proposals before the people of this country in due course that some great monument should be erected to perpetuate for all time th<; part that New Zealand had played in the great war. His suggestion was that side by side with this tribute to our brave soldiers there should' be another tribute in marble commemorating tho first landing of sottlers in Wellington in 1810. In passing Mr. Russell, speaking, as ho pointed out, as one who had been behind the scenes, paid a deep tribute to tlio great tact and intense patriotism that His Excellency the Governor-General had displayed in presiding over the destinies of the country during tlho war. Funds Wanted. Mr. J. E. iTcnkinsoli, ■ the president of the association, followed with an address relative to the aims of that body. At present it was exercised over the matter of raising funds' for the erection of a memorial to our early sottlers, Whether it would be something truly fitting its object depended upon the generosity of the public. They were determined, however, to erect a monument, and the association hoped that it wou'.d bp something worthy of tho cause. If they put their shoulders to the wheel he thought they would rake something like ,£5090 or .£lo,ooo—and they would need it. This work would occupy the attention of tho association during the next twelve months, and when they had' secured their object they were going to confino their efforts to building a luill in Wellington as a meeting-house for the early settlers, somewhat on the lines of the ono erected at Dnncdin. In a word, what the association was, after now was money, money! : During the evening songs wero rendered by Mrs. Parsons, tihe Missus Edmondson, "ami Messrs. John Pronsr and Ibey. Miss Edmondson contributed « pianoforte solo, and Mrs. Wilson and Miss Parsons sanjr a duet.