THE OPENING OF THE RAILWAY

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1072, 13 August 1883, Page 2

THE OPENING OF THE RAILWAY

Public Meeting. A meeting of gentlemen to consider the best means of celebrating the opening of the railway on the 23rd was held in the Harmonic Hall on Saturday evening. There were about 50 present. Mr Tennent was voted to the chair and said he thought all present knew the object of the meeting. The requisition had been signed by eight or nine gentlemen. He thought they should not let such an important thing go past without some demonstration, but they should be the first to observe it. They had heard a lot about numbers of people going away, but the public ; works which had been going oh’were now ended. Other parts of the Colony were just as dull as this, and considerable spirit exists in Patea, two important enterprises having been set on foot lately. He thought if the public bodies were communicated with—the Fire Brigade and Volunteers they could have a procession down to the Railway and a' ball in the evening which he thought would suit the tastes of every one. Mr Taplin : Do you know what time this will take place ? The Chairman: Mr Rotherham said that if anything were taking place up here, he would put on a special train tp suit our convenience. Mr Taplin: I heard there Was going to be an excursion train, so as Manutahi and Patea people could goto Wanganui , and come back the same day. As the people would go away, the celebration - ought to take place early in the morning. ■ l; - - - ' The Chairman did not think that would make much difference. . It there was a ball in the evening the people would be back in time to go to that. / Mr Haraerton thought that the train would leave Wanganui and come here ; so they could have the demonstration before it returned and, the people left. J Mr T Hamerton : If Mr Rotherham were notified what time we wanted the train to arrive here, he would see that, our wishes were carried out. The meeting that night was scarcely large enough to take ; the full sense of the Borough, but that was not onr fault. Mr Rose here apologised for Mr Christie’s absence.

Mr Williams supposed it would be necessary to form a committee to get up a programme. The Chairman presumed that was the object of the meeting. Mr G D Hamerton proposed, “ That the opening of the Railway be_ celebrated by a luncheon, with a ball in the,; evening.” . Mr Taplin wanted to know if any of the Railway officials would attend. The Chairman said that the intention had been to invite the Mayors of Wanganui and Hawera, but Mr Milroy had informed him that he would be away on the day, of the opening, and unless their mayor was present they could hardly send invitations to other mayors. Mr Sherwood felt somewhat indignant that the representatives of local bodies not present. If anything was to come off those gentlemen ought to be present. When the Railway was completed to Waverley, the local bodies were there took the matter up. He

could go almost far enough to say that it was a slight on the community that those gentlemen were not present. If they could not do the thing properly, they should not do it at all. At the same time he thought it would bo a had thing for the place if this matter were allowed to pass without public recognition, for if it were, other parts of the colony would say we were grieved at the Railway coming through. He had been informed that his Worship the Mayor would be away on the very day the Railway would be opened.. He (Mr Sherwood) was not in public life, or had he any wish to be in it, but at the same lime he would like to see those who were take an interest in it, (Applause.) With regard to the proposed procession, the Volunteers and Fire Brigade were all the same, and if they were divided would not be creditable to the place. As for the champagne luncheon and the ball in the evening, there was a proposal that the people clear out to Wanganni. That was a queer way of entertaining visitors. This train was not to take people away, but to bring visitors here. He said once more, that it was the duly of the members of the local bodice to be present. (Applause.) The Chairman said it was only duo to state what action he had taken in the matter. He had seen one or two members of the County Council and the Mayor, who rather threw cold water on the scheme. He (Mayor) said that demonstrations did not do much good. As he (the Chairman) saw the Mayor did not take much interest in it, he had spoken to a few others who had taken the mailer up. He agreed with Mr Sherwood, that the members,of the local bodies should have been present, but he thought they had enough in the room to carry out the thing. The motion was seconded by Mr Lund berg. Mr Williams thought something else should be done. Mr Hamerlon said the committee would arrange what could be done and what would be done. Mr Williams thought the first thing to form the committee. Mr Hamerton thought if they appointed a committee with nothing to do it would be' valueless. Mr Williams was of opinion that if the Mayor did not attend to this matter it was no reason why they could not do it themselves. Those things showed whether the man was fit to fill the position he holds or not. In his opinion the man was not fit, (Applause.) The resolution was then pnt and carried. Mr Williams proposed “ That a Committee be formed to carry out the arrangements of the day.” Mr T. Hamerlon thought that in forming a committee they should nominate a large one. Very few of these things were self supporting, and he did not suppose this would be. They could do as much without the Mayor as with him. The Council had sat on the proposal, and they should punish them and not the Mayor alone. The committee must of necessity guarantee themselves for the expenses. The luncheon would, of course, be free to visitors, but the local people would have to pay. The ball would be self supporting. Mr Sherwood had said that the people should stop here. He said let the people please themselves. Why lock them up here more than anywhere else ? All they would have to do is to arrange with Mr Rotherham what time the train wooi^v arrive here. The Committee divided into three sub-com-mittees^ The Chairman added to the resolution “to arrange for a procession to meet the train.” He thought a Committee of 15 would be a good thing divided into three snb-committees as Mr Hamerton had suggested. The following gentlemen were appointed a Committee :—Messrs Tapliu, G. D. Hamerton, T* Hamerton, R. Horner, R. C. Tennent, J, H. Clayton, W. Williams, T. Haywood, Peacock, Dixon, H. E. P. Adams, Norman, Potto, Eyton, Cowern, Barton, Wilson, Turner, Stuart, Taylor, Lund berg, Miller, Bright, and Wilkinson. Mr Dixon said the Fire Brigade could not take part in the procession, as three parts belonged to the Volunteers. The meeting then closed with a vote of thanks to the chair.

Committee Meeting. The Committee then held a meeting and Mr Tennent was voted to the chair. Mr Bright was elected bon secretary and treasurer on the motion of Mr Hamerton. The election of snb-committees was then proceeded with, with the following result: Reception Committee : Messrs Taplin, Horner, Tennent, Norman, Cowern, Barton, and Haywood. Ball Committee: Messrs G. H. Hamerton, T. Hamerton, Peacock, Smart, Potto, Turner, Taylor, and Wilkinson. Luncheon Committee : Messrs.J. H. Clayton, W. Williams, Hu E. P. Adams, T. Eytoh, Lnndberg, Miller, R. C. Tennent. The Committee then adjourned till Wednesday evening.