SWITZERS.

Southland Times, Issue 1001, 10 August 1868, Page 3

SWITZERS.

BEMOYAL OF THE WARDEN. TESTIMOMAIi TO H. A. SIBATFOBD ESQ. At a public meeting held at Jenning's Hotel, on Thursday, 23rd July, in consequence of theremoval of Mr Warden Stratford, the following resolutions were carried most enthusiastically. — •That the meeting desires to express on the occasion of Mr Stratford's departure from this district their 'warm appreciation of the manner ■ in which he has fulfilled the duties of his office as Warden, and their sincere wish for his future welfare and prosperity." •That the address just read (given below) embodies the sentiments of this meeting, and that it be now signed and afterwards circulated for signature ; that it be forwarded at once to Dunedin to be engraved on vellum or printed for a presentation copy. It was also resolved that Mr Stratford be invited to attend a public meeting on Monday evening, that the presentation of the address should be as public as possible. It fortunately happened that the day in question was very fine, , and towards evening the diggers began to collect ■ from all quarters; At eight o'clock the room was j crowded, and Mr Stratford having arrived, Mr G-. Bailey was elected chairman. ! Mr Bailey then addressed the meeting to the fol- , lowing effect : — Perbapß there is no occasion where the duties of chairman are so pleasing, or where, as on the present occasion, the inhabitants of a district meet together to pay a tribute of respect to a gentleman with whom their '"terests had been closely interwoven for a length of time, to mate a public recognition of their sense of the integrity of his character, of the faithfulness with which he has discharged the duties, the onerous duties of his office, and the zeal he has displayed, and interest he has taken in farthering the social welfare of the community of which he has been a member. — Gentleman, I am not about to enter on a fulsome adulation of Mr Stratford's character, it would be in exceeding bad taste for me to do so on the present occasion. At a late meeting you are all well aware that the feelings of the district on the subject were unmistakeably and warmly expressed, and it was then agreed that on the present occasion a written embodiment of the sentiments there evinced should be handed publicly as a lasting memorial that the miners of Switzer's are no whit behind the inhabitants of any other district in their appreciation of those virtues and qualities which should never fail to earn the respect of every intelligent member of the community. The Chairman then addressed Mr Stratford as follows : — Mr Stratford, I am requested by the committee appointed at a public meeting held last Thursday evening to read publicly, and present to you in the name of the inhabitants of Switzer's, the address I hold in my hand ; I couple with it the request that you will preserve it as a poor, but well meant and sincere token of respect, esteem, and friendship from those you leave behind you on Switzer's. Perhaps years hence, in an idle moment, you may glance over its contents with some kindly feeling towards the friends who are now assembled around you— " Sounds which address the ear are lost and die In one short hour, while that which strikes the eye lives long upon the mind." And in thus presenting a written record of the feelings of the district, I must say that I cordially and conscientiously endorse every word therein contained. The following address was then read, and waß confirmed by those assembled, by long and continued applause : — " Henby Aidbobotoh SraAiPOBD, Esq., " Resident Magistrate and Warden, "Switzer's Goldfield, Otago, N.Z. " Sir, — We, the undersigned residents of Switzer's, desire to express to you, on the occasion of your departure from among us, our high estimation of your character, of which we have had so many opportunities of judging during the time you have been Warden of this Goldfield, our appreciation of the benefits we have derived by the influence of your presence in our midst, our feeling of regret that you should not be permanently located here, and our anxious hope that whatever new sphere of action iJivine Providence may assign to you, prosperity may attend your steps ; every happiness surround yourself and family, and that you may long be spared to exert the beneficial influence of your character and conduct in whatever community you may hereafter be fortunate enough to include you in their number. " As a citizen you have fostered and encouraged the development of every movement calculated to advance our interests, and, as a Magistrate, your decisions have been guided by a sincere desire to administer the law — fearlessly, impartially, and beneficially to the community. " Again repeating our fervent and united wish for your lasting health, peace, and prosperity, we subscribe ourselves, Sir, your sincere friends and well-wishers " (Signed) G-. Bailey, Fred. Bertrand, Q-eo. Armstrong, P.F.Lett, J. M'Cristall, FJR.C.S., James Graham, And 135 others." At the conclusion of the chairman's address, Mr Stratford, who had stepped forward, wa3 greeted with loud and prolonged cheering ; he must, indeed, have felt proud at the enthusiastic reception accorded to him. After bowing his acknowledgments, he addressed the meeting in a lengthy and interesting speech, which is considerably condensed below ; the following can-not be considered other than a mere outline. Mr Stratford commencedhis speech by alluding to a public meeting which had been held in the same room 8->me months previously, whereat an urgent memorial to the Government for the retention of his services in the district had been adopted ; he took that opportunity of thanking them, one and all, most cordially for having bo memoralised the Government in his favor. He felt sure that it had not been without its influence, and though it had not been successful, the cause was obvious. The policy of the government was retrenchment, a reduction in the service must take place, and, as a junior Warden, it was of course to be expected that he would be one ot thoße whose services were to be dispensed with. It was a wise policy, and if the money thus saved were used, as he trusted would be the case, to encourage immigration, to foster education, to form roads and bridges, and to offer facilities for cultivation and settlement, much good must ensue. These benefits^! were greatly to be preferred to a mx^tiplicity of rulers. They had in the Executive, a gentleman who was an energetic supporter of education, he was Bure * claims of this district in that direotD would be liberally dealt with. He t£ttthe Government had of late shown a jn Ik desire to acknowledge Switzer's a goldfield of considerable importance. This was especially evinced in the selection of the Warden who would in a few days, supersede him. Mr Wood had been Warden oi this district before and was intimately acquainted with the nature of the workings, the rights and priviliges existing, and with the geographical position of each section of the district. He thought that the Government recognised the rights and position of this U oldfield by supplying them with the services of a Warden, and the one most suitable by his previous experience j he also understands the : road lately cut to Xuapeka though, perhaps, the influence of that place may have effected it. The Government had also sent a survey staff into the district to nrap the country, select a site for a j town and generally to prepare the way for throwing the land open for settlement which they were aware had been promised shortly to be brought about ; he then alluded to the future- of New Zealand, and said that through many errors and troubles she would eventually prosper. The tide of immigration was fast increasing and settlements progressing and he doubted not she would in time find for herself, a government* and a people who will, as in other newly settled^ countries, abandon

all idea of returning to the old country and make thi3 colony their home. Mr Stratford then entered upon a very interesting and comprehensive retrospect of his own career, almost from boyhood, having entered the naval service at 14 years of age and remaining at it eleven years The audience were evidently deeply interested in the recital of the ' ups and ' downs' of life experienced by the narrator, but space forbids a full account. On lea ting the navy he embarked in various schemes, and filled many different positions in the social scale, unt'l he finally found himself a Warden. He had had charge of six districts, and mentioned several instances where his services had been recognised by the public in a very handsome and substantial manner, and he felt proud of such testimonials. He feared sometimes he was not understood — perhaps some might consider him unsociable — in one respect he admitted he had not failen into the customs and ways prevalent on the goldfields ; he had made_ a resolution, and he had kept ifc, never to drink mii toxicating liquors so long as he occupied the rej sponsible position he did, while he had not his own, but other people's affairs to think about and | arrange, and this resolution he had kept, not only i amongst the public out of doors, but also in I his own home. Could they blame him for having I made such a resolution, or for keeping it when ! made. If he had appeared unsociable : i this j respect, he had endeavored to remove the impression by showing that sociability may be demonstrated m another way ; he mentioned a lecture he had given some time previously for the benefit of the local School, and "for which he said he had purposely selected a humorous subject, to bliow that he was not naturally of a morose and unsociable temperament. His official position reqr'red a certain degree of reserve, he had to regard the feelings of the sensitive, to guard against the artillery ot the cunning, the wit of the sarcastic, to be armed against flattery, and occasionally to put up with rudeness. For all this he reminded them that he had but one temper to deal with hundreds of tempers, one brain to deal with hundreds of brains. He had felt a constant dread that while his actions were keenly watched, they might have been misenterpreted into sinster motives, '•" he had courted the friendship of those who might have what he would ca 11 money influence, he would rather almost be an enemy to him who thought himself entitled to especial preference because he might be able privately to exercise his power or influence to keep him (the speaker) as a public servant, flr on the other hand to injure his future prospects. He now turned to the kind, the very kind address read to him, that he might appreciate it the more Bincerely because he saw in ifc unmistakeabl signs of sincerity. Its phraseology was not hackyned or formal, but dwelt on those very po:nts that he was *nost sensitive about,, viz :■ — his honor, sense of justice, and fair play to every man, h's abhorrence of corruption or making any distinction between peroons. A recognition of these traits in him by the residents of Switzer's was so pla' lly set foith in the memorial that while he felt sorry to be stripped of his honors as a Warden and Police' Magistrate, he felt extremely proud and delighted to exchange the former for the commission they were now investing him with, it wasapasport that would befriend him not only '~i the colonies but in any civilized country he might travel through, and after he was dead it would yet remain to be held sacred by those he left behind him. Whether his position was exalted or humble, hereafter he hoped he would always have the good fortune to meet with those who will learn to understand him as the people of Switzer's have done, and hoped he would always remember the lesson they had taught him on this occasion that, however exalted our posi> ion, we are dependant on those around us for our happiness, and those who try their best to be honest in all their dealings will surely be rewarded. They had rewarded him for all his trouble all the nights and days he had sat up pen in hand to reorganise a long neglected district, and establish an office which he was not a little proud for the good order it was in to hand over to his successor. He concluded his speech, by again warmly thanking those present and others who had signed the addvess. Mr Stratford sat down amidst enthusiastic cheering, after having spoken for nearly one hour and a-half, to a deeply interested and highly gratified audience. It would be quite impossible to embrace in the limits of a report the many humorous and telling anecdotes with which Mr Stratford enlivened his address, occasionally eliciting roars of laughter. A vote of thanks to the chair was passed, and three hearty cheers for Mr Stratford followed, at his request by three for Mr Wood, the conrig Warden, terminated the proceedings, and the meeting seperated.