PUBLIC BANQUET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 146, 17 July 1909, Page 2

PUBLIC BANQUET.

'EXDERED TO MESSKS CONNETT AND kjnu Despite the unceasing rains of yeserday evening, tliere was a gathering ot bout two hundred representative men f the district at the complimentary sinquet tendered to Messrs J. B. Conett and Newton King, chairman and reasurcr of the New l'lyiuouth Harbor ioard, upon their r eturn from England, lis Worship the iMayor of New Plyriouth, Mr. ti. Tisch, presided, with Mr. .'oniielt on his right and ilr. King on lis left. Aniong We guests' at the principal taible were the Hon. X. Kelly and ion. W. C. ¥. Camcross, II.L-.CVs, Messrs H. Okcy, W. T. Jennings, J. B. dine, and B. Dive, Taranalii M.P.'s. Apologies were reeived from the Actng Premier (Hon. J. Carroll), the Minster for Marine (Hon. J. A. Millar), Messrs Hughes and McOluggago (mem,ers of the Harbor Board), 0. A. Mar■haut (chairman of the Stratford bounty Council), W. At McCutchan (chairman Wlrangamomona County Council), J. W. Foreman (chairman Jlifton County Council), W. D. Webster, W. U. 'MaJone, and J. Knoiwieb' (Tariki). ■Had, the night been fine the committee's estimate of the attendance would radoubtdly have been greatly exceeded. As it was, the tables were almost filled. The arrangements' for the banquet, and the catering, were in the hands of Mr. J. W. Thomson, caterer, who certainly deserves the greatest credit for the manner in which the .banquet was "put on." The tables had been arranged by Mr. H. Wells, and the attendance and the comestibles were all that one could wish. Whilst the dinner was in progress, a programme of capital music was given by Mr. 'Perry's orchestra, and things went merry as a marriage bell. Dinner over, glasses were charged at the invitation of the Mayor, and the company drank with enthusiasm to the health of "The King and Koyal Family," the orchestra leading "Cod Save the King." Then followed the "Army, Navy and . jlonial Forces," the chairman dealing >vith the Empire's defence forces in a highly patriotic speech, which ,waj>' loudly applauded as he proceeded. His concluding remark, that the Marsland Hill memorial was a. fitting acknowledgment of what the Army, Navy and colonial forces had done for this part ol New Zealand, was greeted with enthusiasm. The names of Colonel Fitzherbert, S.Mi, Colonel Ellis and Colonel Okey were coapled. Mr, Fitzherbcrt, /before dealing with the subject of the toast, dealt with the great service which Messrs's Conuettand King had rendered to this district by going Home and arranging the flotation of this harbor loan. He re-called the fact that it was his father—the late Sir William I'itzherbert —who arranged the dotation of the first New Zealand ioan in London, and it took him twelve months to arrange for the raising of seven millions with the whole of the colony as security. But these two gentlement had gone Home, and they were away for such a short time that they t'eemed hardly to be missed from their usual haunts; and now they were back, having iloatcd the loan upon the security of only this small portion of New Zealand. Colonel Ellis replied on behalf of tho Army and Lieut-Colonel Okey on benaif of the colonial forces. The next toast was "The Government and Parliament of New Zealand,' which the proposer, Mr. Tisch, characterised as "the best in the world." Kesponse was made by lions. T. Kelly and W. C. F. Carncrosis, M.L.C.'s, and Messrs Okey, Jennings, Hine and Dive, jLP.'s. The Hon. T. Kelly remarked that the New Plymouth Harbor Board had much to thank Parliament for. Away back in 1874 a law had been enacted to give to the Board a quarter of the land fund of tho district— probably because Parliament of those days thought there was little chance of Taranaki providing any land revenue at all. Later on, he got a Bill through the Provincial Council outhorising the Board to borrow £200,000, a pretty Ibig undertaking for the district in the seventies, when there were only 7000 or 8000 people here. The Hon. Camcross stated his pleasure at being present, saying that he had a warm spot in his heart for New Plymouth. On his first visit 15 or 10 years ago he was shown the sights by the late M. E. M. Smith, then member lor iaranaki, than whom no man had done more to make the place favorably known. He was never tired of praising ■it as "The Harden of New Zealand" (Applause). He was' glad to see that the people were showing their appreeiaiiou of the work of two of its public men. Such appreciation was all too rare —there were more kicks than ha'pence given to men who gave their time, brains and money in the public interest. Mr. Jennings, M.P. for Taumaranui, also responded. He gave some reminiscences of the early "seventies'' in Tarxnaki, and compared those days with the present. Keceutly he had 'loured the whole Dominion, but he could honestly say that no place filled his eve as Taranaki did. " |

_ Speaking as a ratepayer ami responding to the toast, 3ir. H. Okey, M.P., Hunked Hie guests for what they had (lone in Lnglaud. When men were ready to leave home and business to give their time to the ratepayers they were de- ! stwing of every thanks. Mr. J. B. Hints HP. for Stratford, laid stress on the fact that the Parliament of New Zealand should give every assistance to the backblocks. The completion of the New Plymouth harbor would have a. good effect on the backblocks ol Taranaki. Ml \ B- Dive, M.P. for Egmont, congratulatod Hie delegates on their success in the London market, and trusted that they would he as successful hi dodging the rate as they tad been in raising the loan. lf e hoped, too, that the money would be well and carefully spent, r giving Taranaki a really good

the chairman, proposed "ou r Guests.' in doing so lie remarked that Mr. Connetl hud 'oooii a member of the Board, with .but little intermission, ever since 18/0, and Mr. King, who was ft nativc of Taianaki, hud seen ten years-' service on the Board. These gontlemer tad identified themselves with even progress,™ moment h> the hajior and othei matters for the advancement oi lie district, fn connection with this loan they had had to hurry oif to Lon don at practically a moment's notice and had negotiated the loan with ver, great success effecting a saving to th ratepayers of from £BOOO to £lO 000 i were deserving of thanks for'tin My m which they had done their work and of absent friends he extended ■ very hearty welcome to Messrs Connet ™< Kiiir. He hoped that their „ pocta ions concerning the new dred* i-el-id' ,Wrtor W0Ul(1 be ™>« aa" Mr. Connctt, in acknowledging th oast, return,., thanks particularly t thos who had come long distant , oidei to l,e present. This rccentioi and the kind things which hj „( 1 e *id would go far to make up 01 . n P °! meonv™,encewhi,h they had'been "p"{ JieisJnp he had advocated harbor im Platioim„. thrown, in rivers, and bitter oi s all through. H is cU , cti " ner for many years past, and as S ™« for a considerable time was source of gratification to him after * yiyep account of the work of th» rfn pu'iat,on in London, on thesamei ne c-ieat aimetv, awl said it was "nr one-man jao." nc veh I '; i ldT;- S t VC 'nt a< : counfc of W» tra * • l' 1 '? *?*'« m London i„ ]li: ?L i' y • '" 0I1 - He rolnted how 1„ ad been impressed by the "JXad «nee the Marconi svstem of telem-nnln jm fi o„,, be installed on even fe™,S of upwards of 250 tons. Prior to -each *t,:T fco,tiie * loin T„' ! ' hl ' Vl ' in rnis, '"K th. bo,s i,, V 7 !,,, i ,°» tli »<' of their la bo,, ,„ London their surprise wlic, Ji""!" sl ' e1:1 ,,° 4% I* r ccnt ' a' n tU uck them, their plugging aw ay unti he price reached 101, the vexatious de ays and nanw escapes of 'non-flota lion that occurred, mid the di flic alt, experienced by two colonials of "gettin'. lie strenn-th." of thi .„ n> ; fe„ m.1h0,,. people. -They tried t, i*H me on the Hoard that I should g, mysel ," said Ml , Ki „ p « gone „,ad ; T was nearlv ~,,,,1 as i "as. It was rather much to ask am one mail-to do. He wanted to disillu ■■ionise those people who thought befte ui m* siiould have been secured, Tin k» \7"-" * n "': ~ ,!" I'"v loans could no no obtained at th ft same price as muni ojpiil loaiw, o r under 4V : , per cent. If strongly advocated the finvernmen I'lH-king 1n,,-1 I,„dies loans whe--» th ,eop,e. rated themselves to provide in lerest The loan was just comfortabf -ii„sr--iP,ed. He regretted that the,; lionld have been friction on tiro Boar, kvinist lie was away. The meeting iince tliev returned had been as live! is peas in a fryfog-rair. Whilst admit ;in the freedom of the Press, and likin; llio Preis, there were times when h rould like to tie and gag it, for dome

times tliey started "rows" which were never intended. Now, when the loan proposals were -before the Board and the people, there was no more loyal friend to them than Mr. Maxwell, and it had been very wrong of the Press to attack him and Mr. Wilkinson—the latter at that time an untried member ibut one of the first business men of Taranaki. He wanted to make it perfectly plain that he was not working for New Plymouth, but for Taranaki. A great thing had been accomplished when, after the report of Captain Hone, Mr. Maxwell had become convinced that ocean boats would be safely berthed at Moturoa. Mr. King then referred to the '"fishi»e.ss" in New Zealand butter and the Tooley Street complaints' about it; and, to a motor-Avago-on which would suit tli New Plymouth-Opunake road traffic find enable «oods to be carted at £1 instead of £2 a ton, if the County Council could be persuaded to .lower its toll charges. Concluding, he assured his hearers how very glad he was to get back here and see the faces of his friends again. Other toasts were: "The New Plymouth Harbor Board," proposed by Mr. Okey, M.P., response by Messrs Connett and Price; "Commercial, Shipping and Farming Interests," proposed by Mr. E. Dockrill, response by Messrs A. Morton, R. Fleming, AV. J. Penn, and M. Rudd; "Local Bodies," proposed by Mr. ?•«'. Cock, response by Mr. J. Heslop; "The Ladies," proposed by Mr. E. P. Wobster, response by Mr. C. Gill; "The Press," proposed by Mr. T. C. Sohnack-

enter',', response bv Messrs W. J. Penn (Taranaki Herald)," and T. C. List (Taranaki Daily Xews). "The Caterer,'' proposed by the chairman, and "The Chairman," proposed by Mr. Newton King. Songs were contribuetd during the evening by Mcsrs Farmer and T. Woodonl, Mr. Perry playing the accompani-

ments; Mr. Heslop told the story of "The Ghost." The gathering concluded, with the singing ol "Auld Lang Syne.'