HALCOMBE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5366, 8 June 1878, Page 3

HALCOMBE.

(FUOM OOR OWN .CORRESPONDENT.) . , , , , I ~nr J .June 5. . The banquet to celebrate the opening of: railway communication betwceen ; this place and Wanganui came off on the night of the 3rd inst., aud turned out a most ; successful affair. About .forty guests sat, down to a table literally groaning-with the weight of those things which are. popularly supposed ito please the educated taste of a Briton, while tho liquors supplied-r-ranging from the princely champagne of Giesler to the plebeian beer of Bass—were calculated, by . their, influence: to to soften an Anchorite, and to turn several quiet men into very Nestors, of eloquence. Mr. Uaatie, who had charge of the banquet, 'deserves every credit , for .the excellent supply of-every , thing, and the vvaitering was all that could be desired. After, tbe removal of tho cloth, the toasts V The Queen and Boyal Family,” and “ The Governor," were loyally responded to. -. -=.. . • ,;./ i , ; The chairman (W. H. Scott, Esq.), in introducing the toastiof the evening;. “Success to the Hallway,” touched ugon tho numberless advantages which the opening, of the line would bring to Halcombe aud other-places adjacent, which he asserted Was another of the thousand aud one instances showing the wisdom ■ of carrying, out the Public Works policy. Looked at from all points of view, the line could not fail, to be a remunerative one. The timber for which Manawatu is jso famous wpuld.iu’ itself .supply- a traffic of considerable importance, while the opening of the line would also promote; the agricultural interests far and wide.-., The chairman, in dealing with statistics, stated . that; he ..believed the average cereal, crop in certain districts which the line tapped-was/equal .to ..above fifty bushels to the acre/. He felt.proud to say that two and a-hal£ years .ago ..Haloombe was a town, quite unknown, and only, existed in the hazy future, whereas now it. stood in the very centre, the.-connectingi link, between Manawatu and Wanganui. In [conclusion .the chairman asked tire company .to.drink; to i.the toast, “Success to the Bailway,” andito couple with it the name of the. General Manager, A. ,T. Botherham, Esq., a gentleman whose exertions in the past, were a favorable augury of; what lie woulddo in .the future. . :i<- ’i • / , The toast was very well .received, aud in responding. Mr. RoTUEHHAM said; The.Suooessfof the line rests partly . wth/the/public, arid not altogether with ..the -department which I have the honor to,represent; here.- /That the department wilkdo its best to contribute to its success I have no- doubt, but- at present we are laboring under the-difficulty of only, possessing a limited rolling-stock.. This want' supplied,, one -.has • only -to* notice.the timber, the firewood, • and. the. ; merchandise, along the line now. waiting for carriage, jtd bo convinced/of the line’s ultimate’, success. : TTie takings bn this.line will, in a month or ko',' compare favorably with, those of any 1 other line, in New Zealand. On other lines the trains pass through districts/that contribute no, freight, while on this line there, is freight at' each station. While .thanking the company fqr .the cordial.manner-in which this'toast had' been ireceiypd, in,-, concluding Mr. Botherham assured those present that no effort should be spared to'make the line a success. > Tenor song, “ Scotland’s hills,”. Mr. Fergusson. ; il ;1 i. JtUi, McLean, .proposed ‘/ The Army, Navy, 1 and Volunteers,"r and .in a. very humorous speech drew! a parallel between a valiant Irish , gpntleman and; the/yoluriteers of New Zealand. This gentleman,_ in the days. of ’9B, bought! a sword-cane,,to protect. himself against those boys inclined to stick him ,Up.- -.Well, while he was engaged -in a . walk in Morrion-square, Dublin, he saw two suspicious looking indivi-' duals approaching him, and ; thinUing that the two. might cane from; him, and perforate his body! instead of bis doing tbe same kind office to, them, he'.qnietly dropped the' cane down : au .area, and ran away.; To apply the’moral.. Would it not be betterif our volunteers dropped the sword altogether, and by so doing not subject themselves .to reprisals from an attacking fqroe.of. her Majesty’s enemies? or adopt the other course—make themselves! a .thoroughly, efficient body of men, aud thus, able to cope with an. enemy,,should. England be at’ war within European Power., .Of course, the volunteers, .being Britons,, would/; fight,. blit with a, misdirected zeal.,; Duo subordination of all ranks, regular attendance at drills, this would, ensure the ..crossing of; the sword with proper effect against tbeinvaders. The ypeaker said, in alluding to, the British array and ,mayy, to say much would be like paintingftbo lily or gilding gold—t)ie glory attached (to them were matters of history. . \ ~.Mr. W. Scott, as-an. old'volunteer, .and a lafe iriember.'bf .the New,Zealand Militia, in .responding to 'thethat, if the sword was .dropped, it would soon be picked up again, and that a warm reception -wonld be’giveri tb pretumj)fubus ’■ ! Song, “Sleaaure your wants by your means,” Mr. N/.G.Watt/ i • •’ !■'» ! ‘-’ ;f UiT i

Mr. N. I/Alifc proposed ■‘■‘ The' Officials of (the Line,” coupled with the name of Mr. Marcus; to which!' Mr..<MABCU3 replied in a few appropriate words. i ■ :■-! i-• ;i , The Chairman -then; gave tho-td*ast f “Our Guests,” and said that one good l thing'always resulted from these social - reunions, 1 and that was the bringing-together at one board-men of all shades of political-leanings. This desirable state of things tended To 1 Consolidate the iuterests' df all, and-gave men an opportunity l to know one another,' and their intercourse was free from: the asperities of political differences. He -begged to associate with-the toast the name of Mr. W. H.- J Watt, end of the pioneer settlers on theiWest-Ooast. .-1 . : Mr; WATT, in reply, said ho was not pre- - pared- and; was; agreeably, surprised..to. hear such good speeches; an'd to'see so good a spread before them j but of; course there that evening, with nobler : objects’than the enjoyment of mere personal pleasure. They had ■ been invited'to celebrate the completion .of the connecting link‘of this railway, which is one -more l 'J>leßsing'brought’ -to! our/doors , by,,the prosecution of that'policy'identified! with (he names "of' yogel'and Fox. :It has beeh irrer fragably 1 proved ,'.that. tbeir:policjy’ was a’wise one. At-the time 1 of it’d inauguration wo were suffering fCom 1 the effects qf,A do'skly war with tho native races, trade; was’stagnant, immigra'tlou'Was at[a standstill, when’id 1 -as with the ■’ magioian’s’wafid, everything was-changed for the better,’and one'propf of - the. wise states- ' inanship 'of " Sir 'Julius Vogel, and _ his 'colleagues existed in the opening up of this part !of the country by means .of rthis railway. “'J.t 'is to bo hoped that-the time", is 'not' far distant When' the line will ba’openecl right through to ■ the capital, aud to'bring about do 'desirable l au event the speaker hoped that all local joa}pusics would be suppressed. Unification of, interests in a 1 common cause will be sure to win the way to the making of means'tt> it communication with tho centres.of population. "On. behalf of the other guests and himself, Mr. Watt thanked the people of Halcombe for’ the kind manner in'which tho toast I .had been received.'. Song, “ Scotland yet,” ’Mr; W.’' Fergusaon. Mr: Marymor proposed ; the' ' “ Commercial interests,” which ' was responded to. by Mr. Snelson. Song,'Mr. 'W, H. Lusk, “ The fairy tempter." Mr. W. G; Watt proposed, “The agricultural and pastoral intorests,”; responded to by Mr. Dalrymple. Song, “ Wee bit of a clerk,” Mr. J. W. Scott. After! tlie‘ “ Preß3 and tho Ladies ”, had been proposed and rp-: rponded'to; and 'duly honored, the programme was added to by the‘toasts'“ Chairman” and- “ Vice-Chairman,” 'whioh were very favorably, received; 5 '• Several songs followed, and a jcu tic mot, humorously"- given- -by - Mr, - McLean, 'brought to a close a very satisfactory social meeting. ■■,-/ r<r/ > r '\’nve j