WAIKINO OLD BOYS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5109, 1 April 1927, Page 2

WAIKINO OLD BOYS.

ON UAL REUNION. * A LARGE GATHERING. The twentieth annual reunion of the Waikino Old Boys’ Asspciatipn was Held in the Victoria Hall, Waikino, on Wednesday evening. There were over a hundred members and guests present, including Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P. for Ohinemuri. In opening the function the president, Mr Robert Shaw, welcomed the members and guests and read apologies for absence from Messrs F. C. Bunyard, Rotorua ; F. M. Strange, Te Ai’oha ; J- G. Redpath, Thames ; K. Stevenson, Auckland ; W. J. Maiden, Australia ; S. Aitken, Waihi; and JheMayors of Paeroa and Waihi. Stating that the hand of death had dealt heavily with members of the association during tire year, Mr Shaw mentioned the names of Messrs RWilliams, R. Bainbridge, J. Odium, apd A. Jator as having passed away. The sympathy of the association went put to the relatives of these old members. Mr. E. Johnsen, assistant battery superintendent, in proposing the toast of “Local Bodies” said that everyone was well aware of how much was due to the men who comprised the local bodies. They did splendid work in administering local moneys ; in fact, they probably did more than did Parliament, which administered things generally, while local bodies administered things particularly. EARLY HISTORY OF COUNTY. Responding, Mr H. M. Corbett, chairman pf the Ohinemuri County Council, gave spine interesting information relative to the early days of the council. Its first meeting was held in the public hall, Paeroa, on November 17, 1885—forty-five years ago. Cr. Strange, father of the present chairman of the Power Board, presided over the meeting, and Cr. Edwards, father of the deputy-Mayor of Paeroa, was appointed clerk. The fear of establishing a precedent was the bugbear of local bodies, yet at the first meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council the first business transacted was a request for assistance towards the cost of burying a dead cow. The precedent was established, and the council has. been assisting in the burial of dead cows ever since. At the next meeting the council Cr. Cox was appointed chairman, and his honorarium was fixed at £lOO a year. However., at th© following meeting this resolution was rescinded, and it was decided that for six months the chairman was not to. have an honorarium. The first finance meeting was held-in February, 1886, when the accounts for the three months were passed for payment. They totalled £34 6s Bd. As demonstrating the growth of the council’s business Cr. Corbett mentioned that for the month of. July, 1904, the accounts totalled £22,790, of which only ’£soo was paid out of rates, the balance being met by gold revenue and g-Id duty. In December, 1895, the clerk was authorised to rent an office in Paeroa at a rental not exceeding 3s a week.

Since the constitution of the county the Boroughs of Waihi and Paeroa had been formed, and a great area was taken out and attached to the Te Aroha Borough. Portions of the Hauraki Plains and Piako counties were then part of Ohinemuri; yet, de* spite these losses, Ohinemuri was still an important county. The gold work-, ings were decreasing, but the farming industry was increasing and in time the county would become one of the most important in the Waikato and South Auckland. C>'. C. Mason, Waikino riding representative on the council, also responded to the toast. .

“The Mining Industry” was proposed by Mr E. Keoghan and responded to by Mr J. Hind, who contended that it was the most important industry in Ohiriemuri, It was a great pity that the book was almost closed. It therefore behoved everyone to do whatever possible to encourage the genuine prospector, and in his opinion the County .Council and every local body in the neighbourhood should “grubstake” genuine prospectors. There was gold to be found for the seeking. The toast of “The Farming Industry” was ably proposed by Mr C. Andrews, manager of the Farmers’ Cooperative Trading Co., Te Arolia, who said that it was an industry which New Zealand should be proud of, for it had put up records in regard to production. For the 12 months, ending June 30, 1926, the imports of lamb and mutton into Britain had totalled 23a million hundredweights, and of this New Zealand had sent 1% 'million hundredweights. New Zealand had also sent over 57 per cent, of the cheese and over 25 per cent, of the butter imported into Britain in that year.

Referring to control, Mr Andrews said that the least said the soonest mended, but the fact should not be lost sight of that Britain was still recovering from the effects of t-he strike, and whether control had operated or not, the market would have been affected.

Touching on control, Mr C. Harris when responding mentioned that when he was farming in England he supplied a butter factory which turned out its product in 'boxes, branded "Guaranteed fresh butter from County.” This butter was blended, being three parts colonial and two parts locally produced butter. Mr G. Cochrane, another Waikino fanner, and Mr Broad, of the Te Aroha Dairy Co., also, responded. “Parliament” was a toast in the hands of Mr E. Johnson, being responded to by Mr A. M. Samuel, M-P-, who contended that the toast was. not the most important one of the evening. Firstly there was that to mining as affecting this district and secondly that to farming as affecting the whole country. Mining was the most important as being the foundation of the prosperity of the country and an industry which now should receive every encouragement from all sections and not be allowed to languish through lack of help. Mining’ would always receive his assistance, and he was Quite sure it would receive the

assistance of every member, of Parliament. However, it was necessary to marshal facts and particulars before approaching Parliament or its Ministers with requests for the voting of public money to help the industry. Referring to the farming industry Mr Samuel said that it was a ticklish subject to deal with at present, by reason cf the controversy in regard to control. However, whatever opinions were held, all sections should strive harder to work together for the interest of the whole. It was the bounden duty of the old country to see that the people it sent out to the Dominions were protected. This should be done by giving preference to the Dominion products. We were absorbing the surplus population of tiie Old Country and should be assisted. Despite the present depression New Zealand was a very buoyant country, always able to, recover from depressions. A maxim of Confucius said that it did not matter how many times one was knocked down so long as one had the strength to rise again. Referring to Parliament Mr Samuel said that the proposer of the toast had stated that it compared favourably with any in the world. It would be presumptuous of him —one of the youngest members—to express an opinion, but he could state that every member was doing his best for his constituency and for the country in general. Each member did his best, as he saw it, for the whole community, yet the utmost goodwill prevailed and as scon as a debate was over everyone was on good terms.Mr J. Wrigley, Waihi was entrusted with the toast of “The Early Pioneers.” He traced the rise of the district from the years of the mining boom, and mentioned hew- the size of ' the “Ohinemuri Gazette” had on occasions to be increased to accommodate the numerous formal mining advertisements. He traced the rise and fall cf several mining concerns, and gave some interesting information concerning the early activities. Mr W. C- Kennedy, now of Te Arolia, who had arrived in Waikino in 1876, responded to the toast and referred to the dwindling band of early pioneers and the hardships encountered by them over fifty years ago. . Concluding the function the president expressed the thanks of the association to all those who had assisted with the administration and entertainment, particularly the secretary, Mr W. W. Harris, and Mr W. C. Kennedy. During the evening numerous pleasing musical items were contributed individually and collectively by members of Tibbitt’s Orchestra from Te Aroha. also by Mr E. Morgan, Waihi, Mi- W. Revell, Te Aroha, and Mr C. Andrews, Te Aroha.