WAIKINO OLD BOYS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5249, 9 March 1928, Page 2

WAIKINO OLD BOYS.

ANNUAL RE-UNION. WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S GATHERING. The marked change from mining to agriculture in the Waikino district is annually brought into prominence with each re-union of the Waikino Old B-ys’' Association. Years ago •members gathered from very distant parts, and talked mining, prospecting, and crushing without end, but <df late years! the gatherings have been of farmers, with a sprinkling of genuine followers of mining and a few a rapidly diminishing few —early pioneers. At this year’s re-union on Wednesday evening Mr Robert S'haw ably presided over a gathering of about a hundred members and visitors.

Mr Shaw, in opening the proceedings, said that it was again his happy privilege to preside at the annual reunion and ’he was pleased to see such a representative gahering from Te Aroha. Thames. Paeroa, and Waihi.

The association was formed 20 years ago by a few old residents of Waikino, with the objects of providing opportunities for social, gatherings and mutual goodwill. This, was carried on for a number of years until the meetings lapsed through causes which most members would remember with feelings of sorrow. After the trouble had passed the ■meetings were resumed, and they had been carried ' u n with exchanges of view, etc., but as an> association there were no politics and no axes to grind. Expressions of opinions by members were .welcomed, but the association, as a body, had no views.

After extending a hearty welcome to all present, Mr Shaw read apologies from Messrs. W. Quinn (Auckland), H. Thompson (Swanson), F. Bunyard (Rotorua), R. T. Reid (Otahuhu), and J. Reidpath (Te Awamutu), all ex-residents of Waikino. and Messrs. A. M Saipuel, M.P., and W. Marshall, Mayor of Pa%>a. The president explained that there was a time when a person had to have a residential qualification, but eventually the association’s scope became wider, and there was initiated a movement that included worthy friends of members. During the past 12 months death had removed? two worthy members, in the personal of Messrs George Roberts and John Gordoli. He asked all present to rise in silence as a tribute of respect to the memory of their departed friends, and- this was done.

The loyal toasit was then honoured in the usual manner a lengthy toast list was commenced.

Proposing a toast to ’local bodies Mr E. Johnston, assistant battery superintendent, mentioned that when he first went to Waihi it was an eight-) hour journey from Paeroa. Nqw the trip could be made in 35 minutes. This was iw’t entirely due to the activities of local bodies, but the road*' were certainly a monument to local, body activity.

In the course of his= reply the Mayor of Waihi, Mr W. M. Wallnutt, said that roads were a monument to local bodies which they themselves had to continually work ®'n. With the increasing amount of motor traffic the problem had become very acute, and he still hoped that a scheme' of national concrete roads would be undertaken as had been suggested for a national war memorial.

Mr H. M. Corbett, chairman of the lOhinemuri County Council, also responded to the toast. He endorsed Mr Wailnutt’s remarks about the gobd feeling that existed between the various local bodies of the district. Referring to the recent death of Mr-John Gordon, Mr Corbett mentioned that it was Mr Gordon who had persuaded him to enter local politics. He was not than 21 years of age, but had attained his majority by the day of the election, and .with the exception of a few years, when away from Waikino he had represented the district o.n’the Ohinemufi County Council ever since.

“The Farming industry” was ably proposed by Mr H. Poland, who asserted that mining had been regarded as the premier industry of the district, but the farming industry was the very life-blood of the country. It was the one industry on which the prosperity of the country depended. The Dominion was particularly fortunate in the success; which had attended this industry,, and it was now upon the exports from the land that dependence was placed to pay all the. debts of the country, concluding, he urged all miners to go on to the land. • Responding, Mr C. Mason criticised Mr Poland-’s advice to miners to get out of the mines and on to the land, and contended that there was room for bo'th and that the two industries should go hand in hand. At the present time the farming industry was experiencing a trying time. Following the drought there was the prevalence of disease in the herds, and it was now , becoming so serious as to warrant the closest investigation by the Department of Agriculture. Mr G. Buchanan also responded, and in answer to the general statement that lack cf capital was the reason why so many did not go on the land, gave a resume of his own career from the time he commenced working on a farm at 10s a week. Concluding, he urged the taklng-up of the Unoccupied land; in the district.

Mr C. Harris, of Waltawheta, also responded. /

The toast of “The Early Pioneers” was entrusted to Mr Board, of Te Aroha, who dwelt on the trials and difficulties met yrith and overcome by those who had ventured into ap inhospitable country. Stirring tales of the ’seventies and ’eighties were told by Messrs W. CKennedy, D. Snodgrass, and G. Milnes when replying. Mr Kennedy told of working for 6s a week. Mr Snodgrass capped this by recalling that he worked for 2s a, week packing food for the eight dr nine prospectors in the Qwharoa district. He mentioned that when a battery wa s , established there these prospectors made up to £3 a day, and he

claimed that such returns could still be obtained from the same country if A worked on the same lines. s f Mentioning that the band of really ' early settlers was rapidly diminishing, Mr Kennedy referred to the passing’away of Mrs Franklin, the first woman to settle in the Waitawheta district over 50 years, and to the late Mr Pennell and the late Mr John Gordon. Proposing the toast of “The Mining Industry,” Mr R. Shaw stated the Waihi Mine had been the wonderful mine in the world. Mr W. H. Hopkins, acting, superintendent of the Waihi Gold Mining Co., Ltd., expressed his pleasure at being present to meet some of the friends he had made in the years between 1898 and 1911, when he had worked iitJ Waikino. He expressed d’sagreementsv with Mr Poland’s advice to miners, and commended the actions of such men as Mr Wallnutt, who went out in search of new goldfields). The next to respond" was Mr Wall- ■ nutt, who expressed regret that Mr Hopkins .had not spoken of mining and given some indication of the future of Waih ! . He was prospecting in the Karangahiake district, and was hopeful that tehee more it would be-

come a great mining centre. He believed the time would come when the Talisman reef would be re-d.iscove.red!-There were great prospects for the Karangahake district, and also for Waitekauri. In Te Aroha the prospects for the industry were also very bright, for the working of low grade, ores was only in its infancy. He happened to know that there big m'dney backing the project in the •, Te Aroha district. Other toasts proposed and-duly honoured were “The Civil Service” and “The Chairman.” ' In closing the function the chairman thanked the visitors and members for coming long distances to the annual reunion. He paid a glowing tribute to the secretary of the association, Mr W. W. Harris, who was its very life, and l he also: thanked the ladies who had worked in preparing; for the function. “Auld Lang Syne” was then sung and the function was brought to a dose- . w . A splendid musical programme wasy submitted during the evening by a party of Te Aroha musicians.