THE BANQUET.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 552, 22 March 1913, Page 5

THE BANQUET.

In the evening the Minister was entertained at a banquet held in the Municipal Hall. In the absence of the Mayor, Mr Mostyn Jones presided, and there was a representative gather ingafter the toast of "The King" had been honoured, the chairman read a letter from the Mayor, Mr E. H. Hardy, expressing profound regret at having been called away on the eve of the Minister's arrival. The toast of "Parliament" was proposed by Mr Boddie, who referred to the work of Parliament, and expressed the opinion that the present day Parliament was fully up to the standard of the Parliaments of past years. Mr C. K. Wilson, in reply, expressed his pleasure at the Ministerial visit, and exhorted all young politicians to fight clean and straight. He said if Mr Herries could carry out his aim and bring the native and European to unity and solve the great problem which confronted the Dominion he would be pro» claimed the greatest Native Minister we had ever had. He thought if the native leaders could be got together and their confidence obtained, much assistance could be got from them.

Major Lusk proposed the toast of "Our Guest." In welcoming Mr Herri6S no man was better known in the country as a settler, a sportßman, and a gentleman, and his high position as a Minister of the Crown had been well earned. The toast of "Local Bodies" waß proposed by Mr C. K. Wilson, who advocated the enlarging of the counties and the providing of assured finance to struggling local bodies. He deprecated the cadging for grants which was practiced at present. Classification of local bodies waß a good thing, and be understood it would be introduced during next session of Parliament. He would put the backblock local bodies on a much better footing than previously. Mr R. Gregg, in reply, apologised for the unavoidable absence of Mr Scholes, chairman of the Waitomo County Council. He said the local bodies were doing their best and considerable progress was being made. Some settlers were inclined to charge the county with being slow. He quoted figures showing that during the last three months the amount of £13,000 had been paid out for work in the county. In addition there were contracts under way aggregating about £33,000, and if this was considered slow for the county he did not know what fast meant. Moreover, if the county had obtained the loans applied for they would have been spending from £60,000 to £BO,OOO during the season instead of about £40,000, The only people who could charge them with slowness was the settlers on native lands, who were continually asking for access to their sections. It was impossible for the county to provide roads for these people, but he trusted some means would be found to alleviate the position. If the settlers were willing to raise the money and rate themselves for the roads the county was there to assist them.

Other toasts honoured were — "Agricultural and Pasotral Intereats," J. R. Graham—R. M. Somerville; "Commercial Interests and Pioneers, "A. Scholes —Messrs Walsh and Whyte; "Native Friends," A. F. Howarth—J. Ormsby; "Press," E, Martin—J. Steel. The banquet concluded by those present singing "Auld Lang Syne." Mr Herries and party left for Taumarunui by the 11.40 a.m. train on Thursday, and returned to Auckland yesterday.