BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS’ ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4400, 27 April 1875, Page 3

BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS’ ASSOCIATION.

The annual dinner given by the members of the Builders and Contractors’ Association took place last evening, at Urwin’s Hotel, Greystrect. Tiie president of the Association, Mr. C. McKirdy, occupied the chair, and Messrs. Lookie, Brown, and Worth, the vice-chairs. Amongst tho guests present were his -Worship the Mayor, the Provincial Secretary, Mr. J. Drausfield, Mr. Baird, Provincial Engineer, Mr. Turnbull, and Mr. N. Marchaut. Apologies for absence were made on behalf of his Honor the Superintendent and Messrs. Clayton and Toxward. The dinner was prepared under the supervision of Mr. Urwm, upon whom it reflected the highest credit. The customary loyal and patriotic toasts having been disposed of, Mr. S. Brown proposed the healths of his Honor the Superintendent, the Provincial Secretary, and the Provincial Executive, remarking that no Executive^ which had been m office during his residence iu the province had initiated and carried out so many public works of a nature beneficial to the people as a whole.’ Although his Honor was. absent, he was worthily represented by Mr. Bunny, of whom the province should feel proud, for few, if any, of the provinces possessed a Provincial Secretary of equal energy. He was the right man in the right place. Mr. Bonny assured the members of the association that it was a matter of very great regret to His Honor that he was unable to be present that evening, but the fact was, he was busily engaged preparing for the opening of tho session of the Provincial Council on Friday next. On behalf of the Executive he found it peculiarly gratifying to be able to say that their efforts on behalf of the province met with such continued marks of approval. As long as they received the support of the people they would never be found wanting iu energy or watchfulness. They had carried out a good deal of ' work during the past year, but he hoped that during the coming year they would be able still further to benefit the province by initiating beneficial public works. Mr. Worth proposed “ The health of his Worship the Mayor and City Councillors.” The Mayor, in responding, said he felt very much gratified at receiving an invitation to be present that evening. The City Council he was glad to see was represented by another gentleman (Mr. Dransfield), to whom the town was under very great obligations indeed. It was a high gratification to find himself associated with a number of gentlemen so thoroughly competent to watch over the interests of the ratepayers ; and it was to him a greater gratification still to find that the value of their representatives as a whole, was fully brought out by their pulling harmoniously together. Every Councillor, he was glad to say, seemed anxious to rive the greatest consideration to the proposals of other Councillors, and as a natural consequence they got on very smoothly. And it was well that they should do so, for these were critical times, and every member of the Council recognised that fact. Wellington was now in a state of transition from a condition of comparative inactivity to what he trusted would ere long be an active commercial movement. It occupied a very central position, and it was inevitable that unless they failed to use the opportunities placed within their reach, they must become the commercial centre of the colony as well as its geographical centre. He was nit disposed to speak unflatteringly of the past. In fact, it might be that they were going commercially as fast as was safe. They were, no doubt, very much indebted to his Honor the Superintendent and his Executive for what they had done, but as a matter of fact they and the City Council were pulling in parallel lines. Indeed, it was very hard to say at that moment which was most anxious to serve the interests of the province and the town. It was quite obvious that the welfare of the town could not he properly consulted without a rapid and healthful development of the trade of the province. It was the country that made the town, and not the town the country, and so the City Council was _as anxious as anybody else to see a great expansion of trade, and while the Provincial Government made every effort to further the interests of the country districts, there .was a corresponding desire on the part of the Council to see that the mercantile appliances of the port were equal to the transaction of the enormous business which would be done in this province within a very short time. He was hopeful, therefore, that the Provincial Government would at; _ all times readily co-operate with the municipal authorities in making the most of the means at their disposal, for there was not the slightest doubt that they had a great advantage over the outlying ports. Wellington must take the lead in the commerce of the colony. By properly husbanding the resources of the town he believed they would succeed in establishing an order of things which would enable Wellington to lead the colony in free trade, that was to say, he hoped to see many of the imposts removed, so that ships coming to port would he subject to merely nominal charges. Nor was he alone in this opinion. He merely reflected the opinion of the Council, for he believed every member of that body was anxious to see this state- of things arrived at. The city had a most valuable property. It had an estate which was capable of being developed into a magnificent source of revenue. They had recently had an opportunity of guaging the value of this estate, and he believed that without involving upon the town burdens greater " than it was able to bear, they would ultimately succeed in aolvently working out a scheme which would leave them out of debt and give them an opportunity for effecting an enormous increase in the trade of the port. That was not the place to go into details; 1 but he hoped he would be forgiven for having said a word or two upon the subject, because he believed the knowledge of these facts would have the effect of stimulating popular enterprise. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) An interval having been filled up with a song, ■ The Mayor proposed “ The Builders and Contractors’ Association,” coupled with the name of Mr. McKirdy, tho president. The Chairman and Mr. S. Brown, the secretary, responded, the latter giving a short but interesting account of the objects of the, association. , ' ’ “The Architects and Engineers, the Press,” “ The-Guests,” and “ The Ladies,” concluded the lists of toasts. During the evening a number of gentlemen contributed to the harmony of the evening by singing a number of songs, and the company separated at about twelve o’clock.