COMPLIMENTARY BANQUET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 62, 22 June 1910, Page 5

COMPLIMENTARY BANQUET.

HONORS FOR SUPERINTENDENT F. C. BELLRINGER. BANQUETTED BY THE BRIGADE. There w:is a gathering of about sixty at the coii.plimentary banquet tendered by the New Plymouth Fire Brigade to Superintendent F. C. J. Bellringer, upon his completion of twenty-five years' service with the brigade. Lieutenant Boon presided. On his right were Superintendent Bellringer, Messrs. H. Okey, M.P., F. P. Corkill (representing the N.P. Fire Board), and W. J. Penn. (as ex-president of the Chamber of Commerce), and on his left the Mayor of N.P. (Mr. G. Tisch), Hon. O. Samuel, M.L.C., and Mr. F. T. Bellringer (town clerk). The members of the Borough Council, and Captain W. Griffiths, of the Fire Brigade, were among 13110 guests, who included a number of former officers of the New Plymouth brigade. Apologies for absence were received from Mr. J. Paton, chairman of the New Plymouth Fire Board Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister of Agriculture; Hon. T. Kelly, M.L.C.J ex-Captain C E. Bellrnger; the Wanganui Fire Brigade; Mr.

Watts, secretary; M. A. Leaver, vicepresident, and Mr. C. E. Boyes, vicepresident of the United Fire Brigades' Association; Mr. A. C. Hansen (Westport) ; Mr. W. G. Malone, M. A. E. Eagleton, captain of the Napier Brigade; and Mr. E. Griffiths.

The gathering loyally honored the toasts of "The King," proposed by vlie chairman; "The Army and Navy," propo»»d by Mr. F. E. Wilson, response by Captain-Adjutant Bellringer; "The Parliament of New Zealand," proposed by His Worship the Mavor, response bv Hon. 0. Samuel, M.L.C., and Mr. H. Okey, M.P. The chairman briefly proposed the health of "Our Guest, Superintendent Bellringer." He remarked that of his thirteen years' service he had been for the most part under Mr. Bellringer,, an Ificcr who was held in the very greatest respect by the whole brigade, and one who had held the highest office that could be held in the United Fire Brigades' Association, and had taken, a very active part in fire brigade work throughout the Dominion. The health of the guest was drunk in bumpers. His Worship the Mayor then made the presentation of the gold star to the guest. Captain Bellringer had, he said, joined the brigade twenty-five years ago as a fireman, and had filled every office in the brigade, right up to the top rung of the ladder. His record was a very creditable one, indeed, and one that any man might be proud of. The citizens of New Plymouth had been very fortunate, indeed, in having had a man like Mr. Bellringer at the head of affairs, devoting so niuch time to the work of the fire brigade. Twenty-five years was a very long time, and for the whole of the past twenty-five years Mr. Bellringer had been on the alert to improve the appliances and the efficiency of the New Plymouth Fire Brigade, until now they had a brigade second to none in the Dominion, in either men or anything else. Citizens should recognise the good work done by the fire brigade in turning out at any hour of the day or nig'ht, without fee or reward, to fight and suppress fires. He had much pleasure in presenting Superintendent Bellringer with his long-service gold star. He trusted that it would be handed down to his children,, and that it would be an incentive to them to "go .and do likewise."

Cheers were given for Superintendent Bellringer. The chairman explained that, according to the rules of the United Fire Brigades' Association, every maTi who attended two-thirds of the musters in his first five years' service was entitled to a silver medal, and every two years' service after that earned a silver bar. At the end of twenty-five years' vontmuoiiß service there was the gold star, the hiehest honor in the gift of the Association, and he warmly congratulated their superintendent upon having now earned his star. On hehalf of the New Plymouth Fire Brigade he asked Mr. Bellringer's acceptance of a gold watch as a token of the esteem in which he was held by the members of the organisation. At this stage Mr. . Cock, who headed a deputation of citizens, stepped forward and said that they had come to show the appreciation of the guest, and to present him with a token of esteem from some of the insured people in the town. He explained that the movement for making this presentation had been very hurried. One or two gentlemen had met him that afternoon, probably because he had a reputation as a "good old cadger," and asked him to wait on the people. As a large holder of property in the town, he felt that Superintendent Bellringer had benefited him personally, and he had been glad to take the matter up. Every man that he had waited on had contributed willingly. He recognised, and the citizens recognised, that it was due to Superintendent Bellringer and to the) worthy men in the brigade, that New Plvmouth had been immune from fires of any consequence. There had been many little fires which, but for the MTiciency of the local brigade. wourd have, resulted in great disaster. Thev lnd ,\l-1 ways managed to be eoual to the oc-j casion, nipped the fires in the bud. and saved the propertv-owners seriou-! loss. Mr. Cock referred to the fact that Superintendent Bellringer 'had elnrge of the public buildings, theatres, clni'Hies. etc., and the owners of these properties were being made to provide decent cAits for the nrotection of iife m Hie ca.u> of fire. He then handed th? Vi'HTor. for presentation to Cantain Bellringer, the citizens' nrosent of r>, fipp easier, of cut-' Wv. He would find there nl=n ;• r-nbl cha'n to attach to th" v>vi»*n it rf tlm firemen. Referring aon in ti Hr» w'<!ni<T. ness with which the "'iid* hid been subscribed. Mr. (>»i: *ai<l lie fi-M. sure that £2OO or :0300 r-o'i;:' c?ily hive boon collected.

Mr. Tis"h said he felt verv p'-oud. indeed, of the hi>h esteem in which Superintendent THlringer was held bv the members of his brigade, and more" than proud, as Mavor of the town, to see tlip manner in which the citizens had recognised the services which lie had given to the people during his twenty-five vearc in the fire brijro/10. During his term as Mavor he had had excellent onnovtum'ties of noting the sunerfritendont's i keenness in all matters connected with I the fire hri<™de. and b's advic. based lon his fire brigade exnerieii''c, Vid been |of verv srreat valu" to the ■Rornncyii Council when attendinir to reticulation of the water snimlv. TTe was indeed nroud of the spontaneity and nature of the citizens' present. No one knew, '•■vpjitv-fonr hours aero, or ten hours a 2O for that matter, that the prcsentatio-i wis to be made, and' it reflected the greatest credit on the people.

The presentation w s made amidst great enthusiasm. Superintendent Bellringer was received with salvoes of applause. He said he couldn't adequately express his feelings, for he had been quite taken by surprise by the many expressions of good wishes and the handsome manner in which he had been treated. He didn't deserve half that had been said concerning him, but it was highly pleasing to him to know that he had the goodwill «nd esteem of his comrades in the lire service. It had been a source of great pleasure to him for a great number of years that those associated with him iii the fire brigade work at New Plymouth had, so to speak, placed their lives in his hands, and from that confidence had come success in confining fires to small areas. It was to the men of the brigade that he owed his present position among them—(Hear, hear)—and he thanked them for it. He had been quite unprepared for the citizens' expressions of their good wishes, and these handsome gifts would always be highly prized by his wife and family. Later on, in responding to the toast of the New Plymouth Fire Board (proposed by Mr. Penn), Mr. F. P. Coririll expressed his pleasure at being amongst the brigade, and being able to do honor to their worthy superintendent. He referred to their guest's useful public life in the Borough Council, Fire Brigade and Hospital Board. He briefly explained the purpose and duties of the Fire Board, and went on to remark that it was no fault of the board's that the superintendent received no honorarium. When the board took office it found in existence a volunteer fire brigade, and at the members' own request it had remained so. But it was hardly farr to expect Superintendent Bellringer and Deputy-Superintendent Boon to do the work that was being placed upon them, and in the next estimates it would be found that some provision was being made in that regard. The remaining toasts were: "The Mayor and Councillors of New Plymouth," proposer Mr. F. P. Corkill, response by the 'Mayor; "The United Fire Brigades' Association," proposer tain H. T. Ainsworth, response by Secretary Ford and ex-Foreman Woolcott (Wellington);. "Visiting Firemen"; proposer Ex-Lieutenant Carrington, response by Captain W. Griffiths (Fitzroy); "The Press," proposer Mr. J. Clarke, response by Messrs. Penn (Herald) and Staples (News); "The Chairman," proposer the Mayor, response by Lieutenant Boon.

The chairman thanked the musicians and the caterer, and Superintendent Bellringer thanked the members of the brigade for the very pleasant evening arrangd by them in order tc present him with his star. "Auld Lang Syne" and the National Anthem concluded the gathering. An excellent musical programme was given, comprising: Mandolin and guitar selection, 'by Messrs. F. Cornwall and B. McEwen; songs by Messrs. Pockin,' A. Courtney, H. Moon, H. Ainsworth, B. McEwen, J. Somerville and F. Cornwall; and a novel violin solo by Mr. Brooks. Mr. Bruce Lewis was the pianist.