THRIFT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1208, 14 February 1914, Page 2

THRIFT.

ADDRESS BY MR. ROBERT GARDNER. There were only a handful present at the Royal Hall last night to hear Mr Robert Gardner’s address on a scheme to promote thrift. It is a pity there was not a larger attendance, as the address was most interesting and one calculated to do good. The chair was occupied by the Mayor (Mr G. H. Stiles), who, in introducing the speaker, expressed disappointment that there was such a meagre attendance. Mr Gardner opened with a reference to the attitude, taken up by the Borough Council in refusing him the use of the Coronation Hall for the address unless he paid the usual fee, stating that in other towns when addresses were deivered at which no charge for admission were made or collection taken up, and where such address was considered to be in the interests and welfare of the residents of the district, the use of the hall was allowed free. In his main address Mr Gardner voiced many reasons tor the necessity ot the practice of thrift, and also gave a brief biography of his own life, which proved to be of a very interesting character. Mr Gardner started work in his uncle’s ironmongery store in Scotland at the age of 15 years, receiving for the first year the sum ot 2s 6d per week. After serving an apprenticeship ot five years he left in an immigrant ship for Queensland, there being a great exodus of immigrants from Great Britain to that State at the time. Mr Gardner dwelt at some length on his life in Rockhampton, where he made bis first start in business on his own account. Up to this time he showed that he had taken full advantage of his opportunities, and had certainly practiced thrift. He told his hearers that he soon bad a splendid business in Rockhampton, but since that time he had suffered many vicissitudes, the period during which he was flaxmilling at Paiaka being the hardest he had experienced, adding that he had never been so near the Bankruptcy Court as he was then, but fortunately he had been able to weather the storm. The speaker said that in glancing back through his own life he could now see the mistakes he had made and the opportunities he had missed and his object in delivering the present lecture was to impress upon his hearers the necessity of thrift and also to place before them a scheme of his own for the promotion of thrift. The scheme, briefly, was the formation of a Workers Mutual Provident and Investment Society, into which workers could pay their savings and which would be invested in a judicious manner and thus return more interest than could be obtained from any bank. By this means a worker would be able to invest his savings, however small, better than could be done at the present lime. In concluding his address Mr Gardner referred in eulogistic terms to the Advances to Settlers and Advances to Workers Act, which, he said, were doing a great deal to promote thrift.

After answering one or two questions, Mr Gardner formally moved that steps be taken to form a Workers Mutual Provident and Investment Society on the lines laid down in the address, but this lapsed for the want ot a seconder. A hearty vote of thanks to the speaker was carried by acclamation and the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the chair.