The Premier at Levin

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 April 1910, Page 2

The Premier at Levin

BANQUET AT WERAROA. THE PREMIER APPRECIATES "LOCAL BARRACTvERS." Yesterday's report of the Premier's visit to Levin carried matters as far as the proceedings of the deputations. When Sir .Joseph Ward had given his replies, the party took seats in various vehicles and drove away to the Government's Experimental Farm at Weraroa, where am interesting, .instructive and entertaining hour was spent in examining the various, trees and plants. At a little before 2 o'clock a representative gathering of citizens sat down to dinner with Sir Joseph and his suite in the Weraroa Hotel. The Mayor presided, and amongst the guests were Mr W. H. Field, M.P., Mrs Field and Mrs Gardener. The Borough Council and the County Council joined in giving the entertainment, which was characterised' by a spriughtliness and. good fellowship that wa.s peculiarly enjoyable.

After the toast of "The King" had been honoured, the Mayor (Mr IL R. Gardener) gave the health of Sir Joseph Ward. Ho remarked that the kindness shown by the Premier in visiting Levin was appreciated by its townspeople, and said they were desirous of showing him the goodwill that they bore, towards him.

Sir Joseph replied succinctly, and incidentally than..ed Mr and Mrs Gardener for the kindly treatment accorded to him by them over since he reached Levin. He also desired to bear testimony to Mr Field's constituents regarding the very hard work which Mr Field did' for his district. He never left any stones unturned in his efforts on behalf of his constituents; and that was exactly what a member's duty to his electorate consisted in. Sir Joseph also paid a tribute of appreciation to Mrs Field for the manner in which she had worked in her husband's interests and aided him in ■ill his works, hir Joseph next referred to the many advantages that an Experiment Farm offered to a community and to the whole dominion. Levin and the surrounding district had participated in these, but be recognised after what i!ie had seen and heard during his visit that there were other needs. Tt was a good thing for this locality, he said, that it was not backward in proclaiming what it could do and also what it wanted ; he was pleased to '-•ee it: and, in fact, he would recommend every community to "barrack well for its own requirements," for it wa.s not likely that outsiders would recognise what local residents failed to notice or to speak about. Mr J. McLeavey, who gave the toast of "Our Member." stated that Mr Field had always done the very bust, that could he could do for the district.

Mr Field';; response was very brief. as time was pressing. He spoke of the great pleasure it was to him to he in Levin, a town in which he had ■ilways received the utmost kindness. Me would have been a very churlish person indeed had he failed to appreciate the kindness always shown him here. He had appreciated, too, the privilege of travelling around the country with the Premier, .and .seeing the progress that was being made. He resided in Wellington, but he thought there was ,;m advantage for his constituency in that fact, for lie could do belter work for it at headquarters Hian he could hy being away from Wellington. Some further remarks by Mr Field are recorded under ,r 'K'parnto heading in to-day's issue.

Tin' Premier gave tin? health of the Mayor, and also spoke nf the excellence of tlic dinner provided hy .Mrs Higgin.s. hostess of the Weraroa Hotel. It reallv was a first-class banquet, splendidly served, and its pleasures were further enhanced hy the excellent servi"e of tho waitresses at the tible.s.

OPEXTXG WIWAROA POST

OFFICE. The Prime Minister subsoq lie ally proceeded to. the Post Office [■.) lonnerly declare that institution open, lie was met near the building by a guard of honour, furiiishail by cadets from the Weraroa Training Farm under the command of Capt. Eggalt'Oii, and the Levin High School Cadets, under the command of Capt. ). C. Burns. .Major Hurlinson being in sole control. The band from the I'raining Farm shuck up a few bars of music as Sir Joseph proceeded to the Post Office.

The- Mayor, i.'i opening the.i.ioceedings,' gave the Prime Minister a cordial welcome to Weraroa, and said that although the. opening of Post Office bad been long i elayed, it was better late than never. Twenty years ago a post office at the extreme end of the tf.wn served the requirements of the place, !>:it .'.ow two post offices were required, and he thought this was a tiling ihuit should impress the Right Honourable Gentleman with the importance of the place. (Applause.) regarded Levin as the. capital <!f the Horowheiiua district, and they justified in doing so. From within three miles of that post oliiee. there wt'VV' over ojie-fourth of the whole of the electors in the Of a In district. When he told Sir Joseph that the locality was something like 80 miles long, he would see that particular locality wns thickly pop ulated. During the last two years Le\iu had spent L'IO.OOO on its' gasworks, a water supply costing €21.01)1) had been complete:", and the Borough Council was, now able to supply with water all tlm trains tint passed along the line. (Applause). The Minister of Railways had said to him that when Lev!-, had its water supply effected the Auckland main trunk lino express should stop at tlm station. They would expect that promises to be fulfilled, because at the present time tlm express did not stop between Wellington .and Pahnsrston, although the distance was 80 miles. In conclusion the .Mayor told Sir ■Joseph that Levin had a High School whore 000 children* were being educated, and finally presented him with a silver key as a souvenir of whiat he hop-id would prove to be a. very pleasant occasion. (Cheers). PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH. The Premier, who was warmly applauded, congratulated the district upon having a Mayor who .never missed an opportunity of impressing upon Ministers the growth and development of the town. (Applause and Hear! Hear!) He (the Premier) was aware of the progress that was going on, and the improvements' that were being made were justified in nvevy way. He was interested to Irani that such strides had been made with the gas supply, and expressed .satisfaction that'the water undertaking was sufficiently advanced to allow-all trains which passed through Levin to be supplied with water. He promised that n,t an early date the promise mad© by the Minister of Railways should 'be re(Applause)) With reference to making arrangements for passengers to mount and alight from the" Auckland express—a. point which the Mayor had brought before his notice—Sir Joseph adumbrated upon the difficulties in the way, and said that because it was almost impossible to do it, there were other trains to relieve what was called local traffic. He claimed- that the railway department was doing all it could and doing it well, though there were mistakes made, aa' even

a railway department had its imperfections. He was glad to find that two post offices had been found to be not only desirable but Absolutely necessary. To-day they wore in the happy position of having two post offices'so close itojgether that before many years were gono by they would have to consider whether they would not have to call them by one. name. They would find in course of time that development would be of such a character that it would bo really necessary to join Weraroa and Levin as one township, .and he hoped that it would bo brought about. (Applause.) They ought to bo one in effort and one in interest, working for the general good of the combined districts. (Applause.) A RETROSPECT. It was only eight years ago since a. post office was opened at Weraroa, but the increase of business and the prospect of still further development had necessitated the erection of a new office. In April. 1898, a petition hearing one hundred and forty signatures was presented to the Department for the establishment of a post, telegraph, and money order office at Weraroa. As it was considered at the time that the southern end of the Levin township was well served by the Levin office, it was decided not to take any action. The question was again brought up by the residents at regular intervals until March, 1000. when it was decided that the requirements of the district warranted the desired office; and the late Mr Thomas Rose, Assistant Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, visited Weraroa and selected a site on the Government reserve at the corner of the main south road and the road leading to the Levin State Farm. An office, including a. post office, a money order office and savings bank, and a telephone office, was opened to the public on the 18th February, 1001. Tn June of the same year further facilities were granted in the way of priva.te boxes; and in September, 1004, the delivery of the Levin letter-carrier was extended to Weraroa. The Weraroa office, when opened, was placed in charge of Miss Jane Eraser, whose successors .had been Mrs Annie Marryatt, Miss Jessis Dywer, Miss Ellen Mary Griersnn, a.nd Mrs A. L. Inder. He took that opportunity of saying how well Mrs fnder had conducted the business of that important centre, and he was satisfied she would be as successful in the future as she had been in the past. (Applause.) A telegraph messenger was appointed when the office was first opened; and in September, 1900, an assistant, Miss Spencer, was added to the staff. In January, 1007, the hitter's place was taken by a telegraph cadet, owing to the installation of a Mnrso instrument. In August, 1907, a letter-carrier was attached >to the office. Continuing, the Prime Minister said that Weraroa, which was founded as a township in 189-1, had ten years ago a population of 87; "inw it """was 1205 (Weraroa - Levin. Ajnong the early settlers of the district still living were Meesrs P. Bartholomew, J. Da vies. B. R. Gardener, J. Kehbell. J. R. McDonald and R. MacDonald. The capital value in, the last ten vearh had increased, bv C 1,9)2.119. The valuation of tlie bnroiiffli in 1005 was £100.000. and in 1008 £222.000. Tn 1909 £40.000 worth of building were erected in Levin. These facts showed that nrogress was goin<s nn and that development was taking plnce. .and it nlso showed that the people bad confidence in the district'. (Applause.) DESCRIPTION OF'THE BFTLD-

IXG. Turning to the new post office, the Prime Minister pointed out that it was a combined office and postmaster's residence. The office portion comprised a. lobby, public office, mail room, telephone room, store, and private boxes lobby. The residence bad a. private side entrance, .ami comprised a sitting room, two bedrooms, bath room, kitchen scullery, pantry, wa.shhouse, etc. Tho contractor for the building was iMr W. Pringle, of "Weraroa, the amount of his tender bring £(59G. The work had been carried out by him most successfully. In conclusion the Prime Minister pointed out that all,, whether direct or indirect taxpayers, were carrying on tlm work of the '■ountry. It was a progressing "ountry and a developing one, and they, small as .they might ho in numbers.were proud to live under the British flag. (Cheers.)

Mr Field, M.P., in the pourse cf n brief speech, mentioned flint Sir Joseoh had not time to visit Hi» Boys' Training Farm, but he hoped to do so at an eaidv date, and he (the speaker) would accompany him on tlm occasion. As representing that district in Parliament, ho desired to thank the Government for the interest they had shown in the matter of the post office, and he. said tin's not only for the white population b:it for the Maoris as well, among whom education was spreading rapidly, and who were making fnl use of the postal facilities. Ho noticed .among those present Mr Pop, the first postmaster they had, had, and'ho thought .the Prime Minuter would be impressed' with the speeches he had heard and the tilings ho had seen. (Applause.)

Sir Joseph then formally declared the post office onen.