COMPLIMENTARY DINNER AND PRESENTATION TO MR J. P. CAMPBELL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1866, 21 June 1884, Page 3

COMPLIMENTARY DINNER AND PRESENTATION TO MR J. P. CAMPBELL.

Thf many fiicnds of Mr J. P. Cimpbell, who for the past thirteen years has held "* a very prominent position as a public man in the Oambmlge distiict, entertained that gentleman at a compliinen taiy dinner in the ciitciion Hotel on Tuesday evening, on the occasion [of ins leavin" the distiict. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the wcath«>r. theie wcie about forty piesent, including the leading icsidents of the distiict. Mi W . Moon occupied the chair, and Vr E. B. Walker the vice chair. After the usual lojal toasts had been disposed of, Mr Moon, in a few appiopnatc remarks, piopotcd the health ofMr J. P. I ampbsll, the guest of the evening. He could not say any more about Mr Campbell than they weie abeady awaie of, and to &piak of his. man) good quail ties, not only as a socinl, hit ,i public man, would simply be telling them what they alieady knew. The services which, as a public man, Mr Campbell had already rcndcied to the district which he was now leaving did imt inquire to he impressed on the minds of those theie that evening, their veiv picsence on such an occasion was a sufficient testimony of their cogni/anacc of Mr Campbells services, and then unniistakeableappieuation of the same. On all public occasions when any tact was lequiied to cany through the proceedings to a successful issue, they all, as it vveie by common instinct, looked to Mr Campbell as the man for the woik, in whose impaitial dealing public confidence v\as univeisal and never mistaken. Indeed, for many years they looked upon then guest moie in the light of a public scivant. handsomely lemuneiated for his services, than as a pin ate individual, so used had they become in all matteis concerning thegeneial welfaie and piogiess of the place to seek his assistance and advice, and avail themselves of its advantages. They might think that he was touching the eulogistic chord too heavily, but he thought they would all agree with him that the occasion fully justified his sentiments, which however extiavagant they might be, vveie neveitheless sinccic and heartfelt. As a guide, philosopher, and fiiend the Cam bridge people vveie losing a gentleman whom they could not well replace. But while they suffeied a loss in Mi Campbells departure theie was one gieat consolation which the change afToided, and that was, that while they lost, MrCampbellgained. Itwasveiygiatifying to think that some one would benefit, and if Mr Campbells success in his new splieie w. n s anything appioaching that which his old Waikato fiiurls wished him, it would be very gieat indeed. (Applause ) As he came amongst them so he took his departure—a bachelor. (Laughter.) He was sony for this— veiy sony. It was one of the things upon which he could not congratulate him. But in the words of the song, "There is a good time coming boys, wait a little longer,'" and he hoped that Mr Campbell would make his " little longer " as short as possible and enter the sphere of life for which he was most suited. The Chairman, before resuming his seat, said : Mr Campbell I have been deputed by your Cambiidge friends to piesent you with this i/old watch and albert chain as a token of then esteem andregaid for you, and as a small recognition of your valuable public services dm ing your long stay in their midst. Mr Campbell having donned his presentation made a neat and appropiiate speech in acknowledgment. He referred at length to the sincere 1 egret which he felt at having to tear himself away tiom the people at Cambridge, with whom he had cast in his lot for the past thirteen years, and his inability to express the true evtent of his giatitu'de towards them, not only for the high tribute which they had paid him by their pies ence there that evening, and the valuable present they had bestowed him, but also for the maiked kindness which the people of the district had al ready manifested towards him. Mr Moon had dwelt at some length on the services which he (Mr Campbell) had rendered to Cambiidge, but bethought he had not done more than he ought. Every man who had an interest and a stake in a distiict should aever lose an oppoitunity of assisting on every possible occasion to forward its welfare. He was pleased to see that whatever little he had done had been appreciated by those with whom he had worked. Mr Campbell referred at considerable length to the rise and progress of the Waikato district, from the day on which he first arrived in it to the present time, and attributed the prosperity of the district to the reclamation of large tracts of country by such men as Mr E. B. Walker, Messrs Grice and Benn,'Maclean and Co., and the other companies, such as the Piako Land Association, the Auckland Agricultural Association, and the Thames Valley Land Company. As an instance of the futility of settling small farmers on most of the unbroken land of the distiict, he quoted the Deferred Payment Settlement at Te Aroha as a case in point. There the settlers had been located for about ' four years, and up to the present had not able to raise a crop of any descripw>n, the larger portion of the block i being under water during most of the year. Some people had cried out against '• land-grabbers,'' " monopolists," &c, and declaimed against the men and companies he had named as the ruin of the country and something to be got rid of at any price. But those who had any experience in the acquiring and breaking in of large tracts of country in this district knew to their sorrow that their prpfits were more visional than real, and j that the rewards of the efforts of speculators wjquld be reaped not ty themselves, but by those who succeeded them. Mr I Campbell gave many interesting experiences connected with his own life in ' Waikato, and at intervals throughout his ■ ' 'iddress was warmly applauded. A number of other toasts were pro- '- posed, including "The prosperity of the Waikato district," responded to by Mr *■ 3S. B, Walker ; " The commercial interestsof Cambridge," responded to by Mr " TTieTejEPl profession," resr onded t? ' "toby Mr 'Keesing and Mr Dyer; "Th« Tvljianking interest," responded to by Mr

spontted to \ry ThtT Messrs 'Stubbing "f '•The farming interest," responded to by Mr Runciman; "The Press," "The host," and " The Ladies." The table having been cleared the social programme of the evening Was entered upon, and a very enjoyable evening was spent.