MAYORAL BANQUET.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2478, 16 December 1886, Page 2

MAYORAL BANQUET.

Last evening Mr M'. Caselberg entertained at the Occidental Hotel between thirty and forty representative settlers in the town and district, whom he had invited in honor of his assuming the Mayoral chair for a third consecutive term. The banquet prepared by host Phillips on this occasion was commended ou all sides,-the menu being all that could be desired, the arrangements of the room the tables and others accessories being simply perfect. Tliehostwas supported on his right by Mr W, C. Buchanan, M.H.R., and on his left by Mr H. H: Jackson, of Stonestead. After an hour having been devoted to the discussion of the good things provided, the usual loyal toasts wero proposed, the Chairman alluding to the fact that this was Her Majesty's Jubilee year, and reviewing the progress of the Empire and the birth and growth of the colonies during her reign. The Chairman, in proposing ''the Legislature of Now Zealand" expressed his regret that Mr G. Beetham was unable to bo present, and coupled with the toast the name of Mr Buchanan. ' '

Mr Buchanan! who was well received,

expressed great pleasure in being present' that evening at suclvan hospitable board, Ho was sorry to see sumo vacant chairs in the room and those who were to have occupied them could scarcely have realized the importance of the gathering on that occasion, They had boon invited therothat evening in the most liberal manner, in the largest centre of population in the district, and he asked them to consider the importance of the position of Buck a centre and tho influence which municipal institutions had in the past exercised ou the affairs of tho colony, He believed that if Mr G. Beetham had had the slightest inkling of a gathering like the present one it would have been his pleasure as well as his duty to have been present, In the home country,, from which they derived their free and representative institutions, so much importance was attached to municipal meetings that even the Prime Minister took the opportunity of the Mayoral banquet in the Metropolis to, in a measure, foreoaßte the polioy of tho Government, and it might be regretted that on the present occasion no representative of their own Ministry was present. Of course, at a gathering like the one at which they were assembled party politics must bo discarded, but any member responding to the toast of the legislature might fairly take credit for belonging to it. Outside of New Zealand the diameter of their legislature stood hie;h, and it was admitted that the colony was ably served by its public men. Such men as Dillon Bell, Fox, Grey, Whitaker, and Stout, a selfmade man in the best sense of tho word, reflected credit on their legislature, and looking even at the younger men in thoir political ranks they needhavenofearforthe future of the colony. But even the efforts of their best men would be taxed' in the difficult position in which the colony was now placed, and which demanded their utmost energy and forethought. He might remind thorn that their representatives wore very much what the electors made them. They had a budget ot taxation to face, and intimated that in view, of this the calls made upon them by their constituents for public expenditure should be light. He concluded amid loud applause by thanking them for the hearty manner in which the toast of tho legislature had been received.

In proposin? the toast of " The Army, Navy and Volunteers," the Chairma'n apologised for tho absence of Captain Donald, and coupled with it tho names of Captain H. H. Jackson, and private Perry, of the Taranaki war (a laugh). Captain fl. 11. Jackson in an interestins speech gave a brief, narrative of the troubles of tho early settlors with the Maoris when they drove them from the Hutfc over tho woodclad ranges into Porirua, and described in humorous terms the way in which, when they were at bay, ho took pot shots with a big duck gun at tho' enemy. Ee also referred to tlie early days of volunteering in Wairarapa South when they used to drill three days a week.

Mr W. Perry, in returning thanks, reminded the Chairman that he, the Bpeaker, had been a fall-blown captain, hot a full-blown private (a laugh). Hiß experience of Colonial warfare had taught him that tho Maories, had it not been for the Volunteers and the Blue Jackets, would have been a match for the soldiers,

Cr Horon took charge of the next toast, the health of tho Chairman (applause). Mr Caselberg had been very successful aa Mayor of tho Borough, and had got on woll with the Council, When little differences had arisen ho had acted as a peacemaker, so that instead of brawling they had been able to work amicably together for the good of the town. He did not intoud to make a speooh on this toast, as he did not bcliove in praising Mr Caselberg to his face, but would simply oall upon them to drink his health. Thetoastwas then drank in a most enthusiastic manner with the usual musical honors.

The Mayor, m responding, said- that 1 if able to do justice to himself, he hardly felfc equal to doing justics to the high position which ha filled. Ho referred to the past history of municipal institutions when civic rights were wrested from the feudal powers of the middle ages, showing that every privilege which they now enjoyed had been paid for and fought for in old times. •Municipal Government nowa-dayß was the cradle of all good government. In New Zealand the men they returned as the representatives of municipalities might not he accomplished but they were well moaning practical men, arid he would impress upon ratepayers to elect such representatives. Sometimes men were elected whom privately they would not trust with fourpence, and yet they inado them stewards of the public purse, and what wonder if such men were not above taking a bribe or doing a job, If tboy were careful only to return men, who bore a good character and possessed some stake in the community, they would have no reason to regret their choice, He next adverted to the progress made by the town of Masfcerton in material wealth and population in buildings and trade. They were now about to light tho town with gas, supply a water cart (a laugh), but their future requirements would be a high pressure water supply, drainage, (hoar hear), asphalt pavements, and well lighted streets. Thoy might have to bide a wee for the high pressure water supplyand drainage, as these enterprises would require a loan of £20,000,-and they had recently been pledged to one ot £IO,OOO for gas, Still these were projects to bo steadily borne in mind, and he might point out that he was leaving something to be done by future Mayors and future Councils, He would suggest to Mr Buchanan tho expediency of a law, which was in force in another colony to compel owners of property to register all transfers with the local authority as for want of Buch a provision they found that they could not recover seme of their rates.

Or Parsons proposed " The Pastoral interests of the district," coupled with the name of Messrs R. S, Hawkins and W, H. Beetham. Heclairaed that when theso interosts flourished every iurefesfc was advanced. (Applause). Mr Hawkins, in responding, acknowledged tho cordial way in which the people of Masterton appreciated theagricultural and pastoral interests of tho country of which theirs was the chief town. Nothing could be more unfortunate than to suppose that the industrial or pastoral interests of town and country were antagonistic The other'day their host had honored the farmers uf the district by dining with them and was now in hiatum regalins; them with an ample and sumptuous banquet He hoped the good example set this year might be continued in the future. Referring to populous centres he instanced Wellington as a common foe and as a common friend. As their port it was their friend, but as representing the official centralisation of the Government it was their foe, He instanced the poor law as administered in the Empire City and expressed a hope that the Borough would join heartily with the County to bring about a divorco of the union now existing between Wairarapa and Wellington under the Charitable Aid Act. He concluded by assuring his hearers that the County desired to see Masterton prosperous and no one would witness'its prosperity with groater pleasure than the farmers, Mr W. H. Beetham in responding, thought that the pastoral and agricultural interests just now noeded the prayers and good wishes of all men (a laugh). Had it not have-been for the energy of some

few amongst them, notably Mr Buchauan, ; they would now have been in a'very bad position. Thanks to Mr Buchanan they could export frozen sheep, and this, as the local consumption wait email in proportion to the supply, was a great help. They might endeavor, by improving the, Quality of their stock by extreme care in management, and avoiding all waste, to tide over the difficulties, which they now had to encounter (applause.) , Mr Buchanan in proposing the next toast of agricultural interests said that though usually classed as a runholder. he had been connected with farming all Wb life. He had farmed in Canterbury, and in this district he had farmed almost' to his own hurt. At the present timo he had twenty horses engaged in ploughing near Greytown. In a colony like New Zealand land was first occupiod for pastoral purposes, bub as it progressed agriculture followed in tho richer soil. He noticed that when farming had been tho mainshy of districts in Canterbury land Otftgo, the depression had been deeper than iu places where pastoral and agricultural pursuits were combined. He regretted that a larger area was not avail-. able for agriculture in the Wairarapa. Till such timeasthostunips woreclearodup in thd.Forty-Mile Bush they could not to a large extent become an agricultural community. He must, however, congratulate the agricultural settlers around Mastorton. When he met so many of them at the Christchuroh Show he felt that agriculture must be thrivim; in this'neighborhood. Any differences between the two endß of the district which had been expressed by unfortunate statements recently in certain publio prints would not prevent him, nor would it pervent the bo3t men in the South, from acknowledging the progress made by Masfcerton, and from taking a warm interest in tho welfare of this part of the district. (Applause). In coupling the names of Messrs Hessoy and E. E. Chamberlain with the toast he eulogised tho onorgetic efforts of Mr Hessey in tho formation of the Farmers' Club, and spoke highly of the advantages of such institutions. Country Bottlers suffered from isolation. By unity and concerted action they could reduce the enormous charges which produce often had to bear before it reached the consumer. As an illustration of this he cited the fact that a very partial combination two years ago succeeded iu reducing the freight on wool by |th of a penny per lb„ but they had now to fight a combination of shippers, who in frozen meat charges were reducing the value of each of their sheep by eighteen pence. He spoke at some length on tho value of dairy factories in the community, They had but two, where they should have half-a-dozen. In the South Island farmers were resorting to them to a larger extent, and realising the advantage of co-oporatiou. He himself could haidly hope in the present circumstances of the Colony to see the new settlers in the Forty Mile Bush make an income off their properties, unless they worked together to osbablish ;dairy factories. He hoped the business men of Maatortou arid the settlers of the district would look into this question, (applause.) MrE. E. Ohamberlaiu responded to to the toast. He had been connected with agricultural interests since he was a boy, and the first crop of corn he saw harvested in this district was cut by a tailor with scissors. When he first commenced ploughing he used one bullock, and an old-fashioned plough, but had lived to adopt all the modern machinery now usod in agriculture. He was not 6ure, however, that they did not do better in old times when Mr Konall gave them twelve shillings a bushel for their corn, and bolieved that the railway had been more a curse than a blessing to the farmers of this district.

Mr A. R. Bunny then proposed the commercial interests of the town, eulogising the onergy and enterprise displayed by tho business men of the community. The Chairman, in responding, referred to cheese factories, as indirectly profitable but directly a loss. Farmers wanted factories built for them instead uf finding the money for them themselves. The consequence was that when the factories were furnished by outside capital they would not supply milk at rates profitable to the Factory, and so the shareholders sustained a loss. This was tho caso in Grey town. There, when milk did not pay, they tried bacon, but unfortunately they entrusted tho buying of their pigs to one of his co-religionists, a Jew (Laughter), and as a sort of divino vongeauco on this action the pigs did not thrive (Renewed laughter). He hoped his friend Mr Oolonian Phillips would not be wrath at this allusion to him. Farmors must not expect business men to put money into any enterprise which would not yield a return. Only bad business men did this, as it was against the spirit of trade. Looking round the Colony they had reason to be satisfied with tho prosperity of the Wellington provincial district) and Mastorton in particular. Ho had every reason to believe and hope that they had seen tho worst of the depression, (Applause).

Mr Foist, whose name was also coupled with the toast, expressed confidence in the future of the colony, if settlers worked as earnestly and energetically in the future as they had done in the past. Mr J. Williams, whose name was also attached to the toast, advocated the introduction of local industries to retain population and keep the working men employed. He considered that Carterton and Greytown ought to be proud of establishing Factory enterprises, which Masterton, with its larger population, had been unable to launch.

Mr A, W. Renall in a racy speeoh proposed sucoess to the new gas works coupled with the name of Mr Smith the Engineer. For half an-hour he amused his audience by relating humorous incidents of old times in the colony, and characteristic anecdotes of old identities, He said he had no sympathy with tho cry of tho unemployed. Had he his youth and strength he felt that he could go now into any part of the colony and earn his living, (applause.) Mr Smith said that for thirty years past ■ho had been engaged in gas engineering, The Masterton gasworks were the seventh thathefcadconstructcd. He didnotbelieve that Mastorton would degenerate as some tho.digging towns he had supplied had done, but, would increase and make its new enterprise profitable. Their plant was capable of supplying 12,000. people. When they made their first estimate it was thought there would be but eighty consumers, but already more than a hundred services had been kid (applause). He was hopoful that during the second year tho gas distributed would clear expenses. He intimated that barring unforeseen accidents gas would be lit in the town by the middle of January (applause.) The following toasts were also celebrated, tho formal list being concluded at 1 a.m.—" Ex Mayors and Councillors" proposed by Cr Mason, and responded to by Messrs McCardle and Williams; "Old pioneer settlers," proposed by the 01iaii> man, and responded to by Messrs Renall and Jackßon ; "New pioneer settlers," proposed by Mr Hogg, and responded to by Mr McCardle; "The Corporation officials," proposed by the Chairman, and responded to by Mr R, Brown; "The Press," proposed by Mr Grundy, and responded to by Mr Hogg; "The Ladies," proposed by Mr Mason, end responded to by Messrs A. R. Bunny and Wi 0. Buchanan; and "the caterer" Mr Phillips, proposed by the Chairman,