A Banquet at Wellington.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 198, 5 September 1901, Page 4

A Banquet at Wellington.

Wellington, September 2. The banquet tendered by the “ Eighty Club” in honour of the Hon. W. C. Walker was held to-night. The company, which numbered upwards of 100 1 persons, included Mr Seddon, Sir Joseph Ward, Mr Mills, Mr McGowan, and Mr Carroll. The Premier, responding to the toast of the Parliament, said that it had been asserted that it had coat the colony £1,000,000 to send away the contingents l to South Africa, bat as a matter of fact the cost was only £138,000. He announced that the Customs revenue last month established a record, the amount being £227,000, as against £222,000 for the corresponding month last year. The Customs revenue for five months of the financial year was £893,000, as against £904,060 for the corresponding five months of last year, despite the fact that last session Parliament had given away £150,000 in Customs remissions. In' face of these figures there was no justification for-croaking. Sir Joseph Ward said that it wonld be found that as time'went on, instead of there being any weakness in the financial structure, it rested on a very solid basis. .

Mr Walker was presented with » handsomely illuminated address and a number of eilver souvenirs. He said that the payment' of good salaries to teachers was at the root of sonnd education, and for the sake of all concerned it was necessary to put teachers on a proper and, satisfactory footing in this matter.