COMPLIMENTARY DINNER

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 543, 25 June 1920, Page 3

COMPLIMENTARY DINNER

TO MR. WIN. ROULSTON.

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MAN,

ROMANCE OF PROGRESS

A very successful function took place at the Pukekohe Hotel on Wednesday night, when Mr. VVr.i Roulston was tendered a complimentary dinner and presented with a beautiful framed illuminated address by his business friends in the district. The Mayor of Pukekohe (Mr. C. K. Lawrie) presided, and apologies for absence were received from Messrs. "W. Claud Motion (chainman of the (Franklin County Council), R, F. Wilkinson, John Schlaepfer, sen ~ Sergeant Cowan, 1). R. Hamilton (secretary of Franklin A. and P. Society), and Mr. Jas. Body (president Farmers' Union Trading Co., Ltd.). >•- Mine host (Mr. C. Clark) provided an excellent spread, and' the service was all that could be desired, beirn? prompt and courteous.

A Public Benefactor.

After indulgence in the many good things the cuisine consisted of had put everyone in a good humour, pleased with themselves and the world in general, tne speech-making commenced. In opening this part of the function the Mayor said he would feel very much the loss of Mr. Wm. Roulston in the town, for he had been of very material assistance in various ways. Only that day formalities in connexion with the taking over of Mr. Roulston's private park and tennis court, as a gift to the town for a Pukekohe Soldiers' War Mejnorial Park, had heen completed. Mr. Roulston had been a keen practical businessman, unfortunately he had not found time for taking part in public life, but he hoped he would do so in the future. He wished Mr. and Mrs. Roulston health and prosperity for many years to come. Advance Pukekohe! "The Progress of Pukekohe" was [proposed by Mr. C. Cooper, who pleaded for progress all round, and for public men with progressive ideas, and then the town would become one of the linest inland towns in New Zealand. The greatest bugbear against the progress of a town was the man who was satislied. You -could straightway read the burial service over the man who was devoid of ambition. We wanted men who were not satisfied with what their fathers had, but who desired greater developments for the future. Milestones of Progress.

Responding, Mr. J. Patterson took the audience back 28 years, when in Pukekohe there were about a dozen business places. Some of ther.i still existed. There was then a "main" ■street 12 feet wide, metalled in fomc places, and you were lucky sometimes to get through. However, the road board went out and the town board came in, which was the start of progress. The rates at first brought only £4OO. The guest of the evening was one of the first members of the town board, but was not prepared to waste his time over the expenditure of a paltry £4OO a year. The speaker did not blame him. The place improved more when the borough was formed. Last year the unimproved values were £211,000, and improved J 163,000. The total .debt ot the borough was now 5.42,000, which was little compared with, its value. The new loan of £84,000 would greatly improve the town. He would like to see some of the men who advocate progress go on the council. The Education Board, lately through, the work of the school committee, were spending £9OOO on new buildings. Referring to the guest, the speakei said Mr. Roulstoir, though he had not leen in the limelight, had taken a great part nevertheless, and ha-J greatly helped the carrying >,f the last two loans. He had done a lot of good work that no one knew anything about. The speaker hoped that Pukekohe would advance during the fifteen years at a similar rate to that made during the nast fifteen. The Mayor supplemented Cr. Patterson's remarks by stating that the present borough values of about J 370,00(1 would probably be doubled when a fresh valuation was effected.

Presentation.

The presentation to the guest was entrusted to Mr. Frank Perkins, who expressed his pleasure being in the position he was that night. The speaker had been one of the first to help to arrange the function, for he fully appreciated Mr. Roulston's good qualities, and whom he was p'eased indeed to do honour to. The High School would not have been built where it was now being erected had it not been for Mr. Wm. Roulston, who gave quarter of the money for the extra land, and his brothers helped considerably, otherwise the High School would be being built in a hollow. The park was another result of his beneficence, and posterity, as well as the present generation would appreciate him. Mr. Perkins then presented a beautiful illuminated address to Mr. Roulston, worded as follows:

Pukekohe, New Zealand, June 23, 1920. William Roulston, Esq Dear Sir,— On the eve of your retiring from the active business life of this district we desire to convey to you our deep appreciation of your business ability, which has always been characterised by integrity and straightforward dealing. During the past twenty-six years you have been intimately connected with the business life of this community, and we can assure you that your retirement will be a severe loss. We deeply regret parting with such an estimable citizen, and ask you to accept this small token of our esteem and respect with our very best wishes for your future welfare. We trust that the release from active business will assist you in regaining a measure of health and strength, so that you will the * better enjoy the rest which you have so deservedly earned. VVe are yours sincerely. . . . Then follow 52 signatures headed by that of His Worship the Mayor, Mr. C. K. Lawrie. Pukekohe In Retrospect. Hearty applause greeted Mr. Roulston as he rose to respond. The guest of the evening warmly expressed his profound appreciation of the goodwill and kindness shown towards him, and he assured those present that the occasion would remain green it. his memory till the end of his life. His career in Pukekohe dated back 42 years. The old railway station was then in existence, and the railway to Mercer was being completed With a large number of navvies at work, it might be guessed that the times were stirring in those vigorous days. Just opposite the 1 ukekohe Hotel, then owned by the speaker s father, was r. lagoon, on which boats were used, and duck shooting indulged in. At that time King btreet had just been opened up to a certain point, and there was no East Street, this latter having been surveyed .ong afterwards by Major Lusk. Also, the present Domain was another duckshooting haunt. I

Our Forefathers, An eloquent tribute was paid by ( the guest to the pioneers of Franklin, in which connexion he would like to mention the late Mr. Thos. Kennelly, about whom a highly interesting biographical sketch had recently appeared in the 'Times." Many of the settlers of that time came out i.nder assisted immigration, oimilar in some respects to the scheme now in operation, about which much wrepublished in the press of the Dominion lately. The immigrants irom Cape Colony (South Afiica) settled ii. the area centering around the present Convent, known as the Cape Settlement, the Roman Catholics settling down there, and the Protestants taking what was known as the Paddock Settlement, in which areas the churches of the various denominations were built. His father, ii; the early days, owned the Pukekohe Hotel, and also a general store at-

tached thereto, in which several hands were employed. There was very little ready cash available, but the settlers had been greatly assisted by his father. The main produce consisted of Gutter, puriri timber, and cocksfoot seed, ami his father hficT commonly given many of the settlers credit for a year in advance on the strength of the produce they intended to grow. Without this as sistnnce many of them would have been hard-pressed to find the means to pay for their food and clothing and general necessaries. It was a common thing for his father to have tons of butter stored, as guarantee for the credit supplied, and this would ultimately be, in many in- ; stances, sold for 4d or 5d per lb. ! Farmers had to carry an exceedingly heavy burden of finance in those • days, being obliged to pay from 10 " to 12 per cent, interest on mort- ' gages to financial institutions in ' Auckland City. 1 Touching on the personal side, Mr. : Roulston said that nothing would * have given his father greater pleasure, had he been alive, than to have been present at the function that s night, and to have known that his 5 son had made a success of his career.

The speaker wished particularly to make mention of Mr. H. Wilcox, who was an associate of his father's on the Thames goldfields. Regarding his late business, he freely admitted that he was fortunate in having been able to dispose of it as a whole, because it would have been a difficult business to sell piecemeal. Nevertheless it grieved him to sever his relations" with the people of Pukekohe and district to that extent, though he still retained other interests in the town. He thanked Mr. Perkins for the handsome tributes paid, and was happy to be able to say that his relationships with Mr. Perkins and other business people of Pukekohe had been, despite occasional differences of opinion, of the most cordial description. Mr. Perkins, especially, had shown him many courtesies in the course of business relationships. He regretted having had to part with his splendid staff, to whom he owed a great deal for his success. Also, he had to part with business associations with his brothers, which was a sore point, as he and they had worked together, as brothers should He had previously been given a send-off on the occasion of his going to Australia, of which event he had pleasant recollections. He had always been treated with such kindness by the people of Pukekohe and district that if, perchance, the Farmers' Union Trading Company Limited in the future were not satisfied with the deal, he would take the business back—at a liberal discount. (Laughter and applause.), and thus make himself eligible for a third farewell—which there was not much chance of. (Laughter.) However, he still had interests in Pukekohe.

In regard to public life, he admitted that he had not been in the limelight, nevertheless, he had done a lot of good work behind the scenes, and he trusted that be would always be able to place his services at the disposal of the public of Pukekohe and district.

In respect to the matter of the park, he was very pleased that, through the agency of the council, he had been given the honour of having his name associated with a memorial to the glorious dead who had given their lives for the sake of all that was held most sacred in our Empire; and all those who had served the Empire in the hour of need, including the men who had the good fortune to return.

The speaker expressed his unbounded confidence in the future of Pukekohe, which, he believed, would have grown out of all recognition before another quarter of a century had passed. He hoped to see rows of commercial houses and industrial concerns in Pukekohe, and residences dotted all over such country as existed between Pukekohe and Auckland, and in other directions. The attendance before him gave him keen pleasure, consisting, as it did, of so many of his old business companions and also a number of new ones, the associations in both cases being of a decidedly congenial nature. Nothing could have pleased him better than the form of present chosen, for he could hana this down to his children after him, and they to their children. He would treasure it proudly all his days. After again thanking those present for their kindness, the speaker resumed his seat amid great applause.

A Helpful Influence.

After the applause and musical honours had subsided, Mr. Roulston again rose to his feet, stating that on such an occasion he could not take leave of his late business without mentioning the helpfulness of "The Franklin and Pukekohe Times.." Apart from the efficiency of the printing work done at the "Times'" Office, and the undoubted effectiveness of the "Times" as an advertising medium, the splendid articles published in the paper had materially assisted in the progress of the town snd district. The community was fortunate indeed in the possession of such a valuable medium of publicity, and, in the interests of the whole district it was entitled tq the fullest possible recognition and Bupport. "Old Identities." The toast of "Old Identities" was proposed by Mr. A. A. Ross, -president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union (Auckland), and director of the Farmers' Union Trading Company Limited,, who said he had no i'oubt the business relations with the Trading Company would continue as they were with Mr. Roulston. New Zealand had been particularly fortunate in regard to old identities. Only those with brave hearts would face the ordeal of coming to New Zealand in those days, and so we got the pick of Britain's manhood. They often had to wade ashore when they got here, and then were shunted up into the wilds, but they bucked up ' and pulled through. He had known Mr. Roulston as having a wide reputation as a man of upright business methods, end the service he had given to the district was of a very high order. (Applause.) There were enoimous possibilities in Pukekohe, and room for everyone. It was a pood sign that the old identities had neatly all done well enough to retire, p.nd therefore there was a reserve of men (among whom he hoped to see { the guest of the evening) to give time to public affairs. He knew Pukekohe about 30 years ago, when it was in stumps and logs. The old-

est identities in other districts had j butter only, and no cocksfoot seed J| or puriri posts to sell as had. We owed them a debt of gra« titude we could never repay. Land of Promise. Responcfing, Mr. R. F. Webster |(c hairman Pukekohe Chamber of Commerce), who came to New land in 18751, gave an interesting sketch of the old days. The reason his people came to New Zealand was that they were lull of hope and determination to make headway, which they could not make in the Old Land, All the old identities had much the same reasons. Aias! they were a dwindling company. However, a great number had succeeded in life. He had done his best for himself, and also for the community. He had known Mr. Roulston since his boyhood, and he knew no ill of him. (Applause.) Ail uis business relationships had been lair and straight. Pukekohe would advance to be as fine a centre as any town outside Auckland, in the province.

Community of Interests. Cr. H. Wilcox, who followed Mr. Webbter, said all had to work for the general good, in whatever walk in life one was. While the pioneers were logging, burning off, sowing grass-seed, others were working in various ways, and all together they were enabled to get the produce out of the country. Though the pioneers had not present conveniences, they were happy enough. He had known the guest's family for fifty years, / end they had always been straightforward." In all the dealing he litd with Mr. Roulston he had never known a business man who was more accurate in his accounts. There were now 21 families on a certain 1000 acres held by one man 38 years ago; that showed what a large amount of settlement had taken place, and was a good augury for the future. "The Press'.' was proposed by Mr. Dynes Fulton (chairman of the Tuakau Town Board, member of Ae executive of the Franklin A. antrP. Society, of the Racing Club, and other "local institutions). The speaker humorously remarked<• that at one time he used to think that newspapers, like lawyers, were only an excressence on the body politic (Lour laughter.), but that was when he was young and inexperienced. Later, when he entered public life, he gradually discovered that he had made a grossly unjust estimate of the value of the press, which could be a potent influence for good or ill. Ten years ago there was no local paper in Franklin, and, as a member of the Franklin A. and P. Society, he knew full well how great was the inconvenience, and how unsatisfactory it was having to get the printing and publication work done Jrem outside offices. "The Franklin am Pakekohe Times", had been a^K>re. powerful influence on the the district than most people ed, and certainly the county as whole would not be in its present forward state had it not been for the great_assistance rendered bytjjeL#; "Times/' *The reports were aWiys 1 \ fair and impartial, and the leading articles sane and judicious.^A paper, of the standing and influettrf of "Times", was ot much grefeter value to the district than several small and comparatively insignificant papers could possibly be. • A representative Of the "Times" responded. The toast of the "Host and Staff 1 was proposed by the guest. He had i resided in the Pukekohe Hotel, with i Mrs. Roulston, for three years, and ; during that period the house had been to them a home v f rom i home. If hotels in OHK>raTj'ere conducted on similar would be fewer complaints-^arj^ The proprietor (Ijgs briefly and suitably ing that he had catered ggflpiany , functions, but for none of from did i he provide with greater pleajMce than for the guest that eveningJjjJStJP Mr. A. B. Barter, at i prominent public man. in PtiXegple, . and always a popular and higmr- _ esteemed resident, proposed the . health of the chairman, whom, he ' said, "revelled in the position of ' chairman." (Laughter.) By compan- ; son, the Mayor was fortunate,, for . whereas previous councils had VKf I small funds, the present one bad I J. 84,000 to spend. (Laughter and ap- • plause.) . [ Harmony was supplied by Messrs. . Cannell (piano), Churchhous* I (songs), and H. V. Gribble (recitations). It happened that these tnree gentlemen were given very short no- ■ tice that their services were requir- [ ed, but nevertheless they rose well to the occasion, contributing admirably to the pleasure of the function. The ringing of "Auid Lang Syne [ concluded one of the most pleasant i and successful functions <jf its kind I ever held in Pukekohe.