MIRANUI FOOTBALL CLUB DINNER.

Shannon News, 3 December 1929, Page 2

MIRANUI FOOTBALL CLUB DINNER.

Qn Saturday afternoon, the members of the Miranui Football Club held their final celebration, in .the shape of a much enjoyed dinner party. A .short toast list was honoured, the chairman for the occasion being/Mr Gillespie, who proposed the Loyal toast. "Miranul Football Club," was proposed by Mr Bert Seifert and replied to by Messrs Gillespie and T. Watson. "Minimi Ltd.," was in the capable hands of Air .1. Curran, and Mr A. Seifert

replied. * ■Mr 11. Seifert in proposing the toast "Miranui Football Club” traced the history of the team. Formed in 1923, the club succeeded in losing every match played in its first year. Good team work, however,' saw it head the competition in 1927 and become run-ners-up in 1925. The success was undoubtedly due to Mr Tommy Watson, who had made the club his hobby. Unfortunately, the. closing down of the. iiax mills In the district, with the corresponding decrease in the number of employees, had led to the decision to wind up the club. At this stage of the proceedings, the' toast list was interrupted whilst Mr Gillespie, on'behalf of the members and Club, asked Mr. T. Watson to accept a pair of ebony military hairbrushes and case in appreciation of the time and work lie had put in for the club. Mr Watson suitably replied. Mr A. Seifert, in replying to the toast of Miranui, Ltd., made, some interesting remarks on the history of Makerua. Unfortunately, they had been unable to overcome the yellow leaf disease and he had come to the conclusion that in future, flax would be grown in special plantations, and would not bo used in its wild state. With this idea in view, he was turning a further 1100 acres of flax country into dairy farms and was convinced that the richness of the country would prove as beneficial to the farmers as to the flaxmiilers. His first acquaintance with the district was getting lost on a very wet and cold night, only to find next morning that they were close to a flaxmiilers’ camp which they had been unable to see. In those days, there were 14,000 acres in flax and a vigorous drainage scheme was in process of being carried out. To-day on the same ground, there were prosperous dairy farms witli metalled roads, telephone, electric light and mail services running through the district.

The toast of the visitors was proposed by Mr P. Cole and replied toi by Mr Herman Seifert and Mr A. Richards. “The Press" was proposed by Mr Bert Seifert, Mr 11. G. Leng-Ward replying. , At the conclusion of the toast list, Mr B. Seifert called on Mr Val Croon, manager of ithe Motuiti Flaxmilling Company to make a few remarks, after whieli Mr A. Seifert thanked Air Curran for the keen interest he had taken in the club.

Among those present were Messrs A. Seifert, 11. Seifert, B. Seifert, Gillespie, V. Croon, Larsen, Richards, Watson, Mabey, Croon (3)',, Lankshear, Payne, Sands, Cole, Fitzgerald, Vertoiigen, Murdock, Batt, Goodwin, Curran, Lee, Olsen,. Mason, Peenie, Jude, Prentice, Miller, Walker, Tana, Skeene, Cootes and Leng-Ward. Au apology for absence was received from Mr Roy Priest, who regretted being unable to attend.