Dinner to Mr Baxter.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 41, 4 March 1899, Page 2

Dinner to Mr Baxter.

After the Council meeting On Mwlnevening the membeis adj-mined to rheKo^nl Hotel, wheie a io\al qpiead was piepaied. A number ot ex-councillois, ex-mavoir,, aid ofclieiis weie piesenr at this, a s^nii nfli" til farewell to Mr K. G. Baxtei. His Woi ship the Mayor (Di Baiclay) was voted fo the chau, and Mi ,T I<\ Dmglas, the vice-chaii. After the supper had been done justice to. the toast of "The Queen " was piopo^ed by the cluuman and chunk with enthusiasm. Other toasts succeeded in q ne.k sucoe^bicn, the houi of closing pievemmg ativ leivthy lesponsesi '• The Volunteeis," piopo&ed by Mr Clack, coupled with the names ol Captain Coitmau and Lieut! Inkstei. Captain Coitman said the Waimate volunteeis had been mcoi pointed m 1885, and hiid steeied sately thiough the tnals inheient in a small community. At piesient the coips waa at full stiength, and when the new dun shed was completed might aim at being the best dulled m the colony. Dunng seven year* they had tiled 37 team matches, wm-img 30 Lieut. Jnkster bnefly spoke in the 'Lamo sti.un, but thought that a gie.tt deal ot the ciedit was due to theeneigv ot Capt. Ooltman, a thorough volunteei at heart. "The Guest ot the evening" was ne\t pioposed by Mesais Claike and Giahan , ex-mayoi s. Mr Claike had sat some 14 veais a.«o as mayor, and could beai testimony to° Mi Baxtei's usefulness in the Council. The speaker would June liked to see a moio tangible tubute to Mr Baxter. He would ask them to dunk to Mr Baxtei 's futuie health and success. Mi Giaham was both soiry and glad tj be present. He had known the guest for a long time, and Was sony the town w,is losing a, most capable otticei, but he was glad Mr Buxtei was hkeiy to do better for himself. As one oi the oldest residents of the distiict, he had watched the fieice battles fought in the new boiough. The fiist idea was to stait a boiough as laigc as that of Melbourne. 1 his was protested against, aud the petitu n took ettect. Tne nexi, thing was a very h< i election contest ioi the honour of fii f e ft t occupying the majoial ehan in Waimate. Mr Hajes and Mi Manchester stood for electio and the latter won. Theie had been seveiai town eleiks, most of thorn staying a veiv alioit time. The piesent one had held t; c position by fai the longest. Mi Baxter wi s little moie than a lad when he came, he had been nnpio\ing e\ei since. Mi iSicol said he was completely a btianger to Mi U.i\tei but foi the Ja^-t two jeais, whJe occupying the ma%oial chau, he had bee.i close! v connected with him, and found him most coiuteous. When in the position < f town olfik, a m.in could do a giear, deal oi Jittle, and Mr Baxtei had done the gieat deal. He wished Mr and Mis Baxter Godspeed wheie\ei they went. Mi Coltman a' so expiessed his indebtedness to Mi Ijaxtei, while the speaker was occupying the ninyoial chair for two yearp. Any success which attended his eikntbwaa due to Mr Uaxtei's assistance. With the lest, he felt ve«y bony that Mr JUxter was leaving his oihcial position. He was not going away, but if he did contemplate this, they would be willing to iail in with ]\ r Claike's suggestion and contabute something moie substantial. The chanman, as the youngest Mrvor of Waimate, also expiessed his indebtedness to Mi Unxtei. He would iemind Mr Clarke that this wn & only a seim-ollic-jal affau, a suppei to Mi B.ixtei fiom Ins late employers, and that it would not in any way nneifeie with am thing got up by the' public. Someone had been good enough to tell him that he had womed Mi Baxtei out of his billet. He had been veiy angiy, and had taken some time to lecognise that this was a joke. Duimg the time he had been mayoi, Mi Baxter h.'d he'ped him in even way. Theie had been matters which ciopped up, and no one could take offence at a mayor who tued to do his duty, bo long as he dm not make himself ** a nuisance. Although he had no doubt ihe new town cJeik was a good man, he was, like the speakei, a new man at the business. He wished to join his testimony to that of the lest, and wish Mr and Mis Baxter prospenty and happiness. Mr Cameion, as the oldest councillor in the room, expressed the opinion that all the eulogy of Mi Baxter was deseived. To Mr and Mrs Baxtei and family he wished eveiy happiness. Mr Black said he was on the first Borough Council. Since then the town had gieaFly improved. As a piactical man he could say that the woik in Waimate streets and channelling was well done. He hoped they would be all spaied to see a system of watei -supply. The speakei had known Mr Baxter as long as anyone in the room, and wished him health and happiness. Mr Douglas claimed the honour, as a schoolmate, of knowing Mr Baxter the longest. He had known Mr Baxter in Wairoate, and could bear testimony to the excellence of his

vnk Mp w^ k no " going to Iny himself out foi il,,^ voik, « iid it was certain he would IIM ip Ins [nokssion. !l! l ie t M^t was then chunk with musical }]( IIOPi 1 - Mi ili.xtei, levhinp '.fiul lie could haidl\ , nif-s Ins (pelnigs. He was \eiv pleaded to i,>' pi rc tj< Jt'iy a tiiii Council to do him |h)>! )iu along with so ni.uiA e\-n\ivois nnd . i tii'i ilicis Und lepU'^eijl<iti\Ls ol Hie Com it v ('<>! ml It had been a pieasuie to him to vi,'. iui su' h a bod\ .is the Council Dining I i, whole exponence ot it, lie did not think it ] ,mI Ikm fed ,nn one unjustly When he umic lo V «ni'<itc lii'-t. he was piactica']^ a boy ! 1,0 town then was \eiv piospeious, but soon ,iftti it \vnt thioug'i about scnen xe.iis ot ii(,i \ iloDiPsMon But when the rountiy became cut up, matteis Waited to piogiess He himself ieit that the town was now )ust ]..iIH stalling to 'piogiesiß, and in anothei l< \eais he was sine it would have made linidstudcs Ne,ulve\eivone was biibv and Me j/oneial tone ot busmen w.is bettpi. and ]c Ht Miif 1 that it was peimanpnt. He was (."itiiin that a, va*"Pi supply foi Waimale w,is <>im a niaitei of tew \eais He had not been it ilinii" deiendpi of this bthenie on account c! "\peuse. hue he siill thought wa^ei could 1 c bi ought in, sullicient loi the nexi 20 seals, f i .CoOOfl. O.is would aiho he laid on, and Waimate woald t-oon flomihh into «i ctv. A U 1U 1 'ii'ioniai hid been spoken ot thai cnenm^ Ik was pleased to be piesent at th's, litlrle « <ir,)iPiiiiß : but be had nevtu asked loi a prime testimonial, and In, did not *isii one lie was not leawni? the to^vn at pios«. j nt. The •nee rhinsi- s nd weie also i>iatitMn<> to hi.n, lie could only wish half weie tiue Foi jibo'it siv lnoijths he had thought ot leasinu flic Council, but he ne\ei legietted the 17 \?ais he had sp Q nt vi its heniee. He liad 1 id the good i'utunu to get a nice wife in WaiiMAte and foi that iea«on alone it would 1o d peasant pl.i-e to lium. When he caiue 1 o n.ts too -souiJ,; to pa^^ hii examination as n sui u»\oi, and a-3 theie weie si\ smveyois m ' th' 1 ,'in'i then, he found it useless to stait ii'j \\').t tl em IJe k°' the situation at to\vn cl<ml" pud although one by one the other t'.iunois went away, he still kept the oilioe 'LI is isinvey bu«jness had nicieased, and as lie co aid not do both woiks he had decided, a though with legiet, to give up the cleA'snii J' l i '• County Council," pioposed by Ui l'a'i'.M and coupled with the name of jSJI P ui"-',is. Mi Douglas said it pave him gieat pleasiue to nit ft M i Bdirei. He hoped that gentje i i.) n \ ould not s;o away iiom them. 'I Ik " New Town I'leil," pioposed by Mi (VUii.nioi, who eulogised Mi Taaife, and hopoii he would make as good a cleik a& Mr Mi Ta.ifle b.nd it wsj,s an impossibility to li'l Mi 13axtei t> place, but he would do Ins best The "JSankeis," by Mi Coltnun coupled wi'h tne name ot Mi Mathias, In icphing. Mi Malhias b.nd he was sony ~\h Viieup w.n not piesent. but it was a cusp < l •' y'utue ipeedeb and \ice holds the snaj.' A lvnkei's lite in W.ninaie was geneiall\ a bapp> one, the town was going ahead in" >i i Tnc 't\-M<noi& and Conncillois," bv Mi lla'iulujij, who would have like i k ittle mmc in i' to do lushce to tin subu> ' I'iien « '"> in :» ' i mi, 1 uib, Aii ( il ,i.'ii lepieseutiiitj iho - iimlp ujii.', Mi JNicoJ, the spoiting, Mi tlnii ,m, e'ocj'jence, nm[ Mi Cuiikc, (he ]< ',i .sei tiou of tliccohjiuunitj, The town \. . p'o peimg, ami it lellecled gieat ciedit on 'h iv- 1 gentlemen who had occupied the ni.i»"ial chan But without a good cleik i i a. fis could not go on well and ciedit must 1 '■ gnen to the latp town ceil:, who had held !'■( jiosition tlnongh the dilTeient fetonns of 17 yous, and who could leave the town on good turns with eveijbody. Mi Graham said that to be mayoi was no |ok'% toi lie wab ottcfl made a J.P. 0 aike hoped that they would see Mr l"! N 'u amongst them foi a Jong tune. Aicol was veif pioud ot being elected 'u (-Hi atiei a veiy Lew >eais lesidence in the Ii" >, biu wuh the assisunce of Mi' B*xter '■' > i'l filled the position, Mi Coitman said he had held the unique Il'I 1 ' J iu. uof being the younge&t mayor in the bo oluli '•* iim toasts weie "The Piess," coupled lie names of Messib Smith, Boiehaii), n"'ln "' 1 >'i son, "The Ladies," coupled with ''• ''''ne of Mi Wilson; '-Oui Host," le- "■' "' ' uto bv Mi Miduieton ; "The CLian " ..'i „ ,,i " Vice-ehdji," lebponded to by Dr i and Mi Douglas iespecti\ely. I- i 1i 1 '-iithei jng then broke up, a \eiy enjoy- ■' ' i" ' b.uing been spent.