MAYORAL DINNER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2502, 15 May 1909, Page 5

MAYORAL DINNER.

A SUCCESSFUL FUNCTION. "

SOME NOTABLE SPEECHES

The Mayor (Mr. W. D. Lysnar) last evening entertained the members of the Cabinet at present in Gisborne, a large number of members of the various local bodies, and a number of representative citizens at dinner at his residence, Whataupoko. There were present: The Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. McKenzie), Hon. James, Carroll, Mr. W. D. S. MacDonald, M.P., Colonel Porter, C. 8., Messrs J. R. Kirk, G. Smith, W. Pettie, J. Somervell, J. Maynard, F. Harris, and Dr. Collins (members of the Borough Council), Mr. J. Townley (chairman of the Gisborne Harbor Board), His Honor Judge Jones, Mr. Holmes (Chief Engineer for Public Works), Mr. R. D. IVi Robinson (Town Clerk), and Messrs J. R. Little and M. Morgan (borough officials). THE TOASTS. After the toast of His Majesty the King had been loyally honored, Mr. J. R. Kirk proposed “The Legislature.” He said the toast was one that demanded enthusiasm, and would, ho felt sure, be enthusiastically honored. In New Zealand, as in other countries, the political leaders were striving to benefit the people to the utmost degree, and were overcoming some, if not all, the difficulties that were ever those of the law-giver. There was ever in mankind a desire to express what was within, a desire for something purer and nobler. Many persons thought the, law made the citizen, and that com' merce, education, and religion could be voted in or out according to the liumbfer of voices that could be raised. But commerce, education, and religion made the law, for the wise man knew that legislation was but as a rope of sand that would break when it was twisted if the State did not inculcate noble ideas. However, systems changed, systems arose and had their day, as youth had its dreams and ideals. These ideals passed from the individual to the public body, and from the public body to the State, to be embodied m the law, only to lie some day replaced by other laws. What was the Legislature doing for the Pg>P lative1ative Yon land? In some legislative measures the country had outstripped its elders, and because the country was n its infancy its lanm were often laughed to scorn. But New Zealand had grappled with the question of pr victim, for the aged, and was steadily showing the people m othercmmtries +bo beneficence and wisdom of its lavs. The child of the poorest parents con d now go from the public school to the university, and through the wisdom of that great empire-builder,Cecil Rhodes, even to Oxford without making a claim on any private individual. It was possible lor laws to be passed that would be of some advantage to the Government, but lie was satisfied that tlm Prime Minister and Ins collea o u had cared not wliat was popular or profitable so long as the laws were just and for the benefit of the people. I he Hon. James Carroll, who waste reply to the toast, was a Cabinet Minister of distinction, but he was more distinctive because of the. rositmn he occupied l in. the hearts of tho.se who anew him best. He was not in Parliament to get leaves and fishes for lu'S district, but had gone there to deal with difficult questions and to watch over the welfare ot Nev Zealand as a whole. 'When one remembered his-vigilance for the prosperity of the native race, though no was the elected representative of the white people, liis fairness could not be aonied. Mr. Carroll had done a lot of quiet, unseen work, work that had been lecocmised in and out of the Cabinet, and wm-k that would live for many years to come. There was. also present MrW. D. S. MacDonald, who had been elected to the Lower House, and had always shown indomitable _ encigy m working for the people of his electorate. With such representatives of the people the Legislature stood high for the well-being of ourselves, our children, and our country. The high aspirations of the Government- were shown when New Zealand offered the gift of a battleship to the Homeland. The Prime Minister saw wliat effect such an offer would have upon tlje world and spontaneously made the offer. J hat offer showed other nations that the whelps of England were ready to stand by the Mother Country m time of need. ( Yu l replying to the toast, the Hon. James Carroll said that he felt more or less saddled with a'difficulty to find suitable words to respond after listening to the kind eulogism that had been passed on himself and the Government in power. In a young. country there were greater opportunities than m older countries to frame progressive legislation, and it was easier to adopt new principles because of the youthhiines> and pliability of the character of the people, and their thoughts and aspirations. The country learned from the experience of older lands, and nad tne •mod fortune to have been settled by some of the best-spirited men that ever left England. In looking back oyer the short history of New Zealand, they already found great names on the illustrious roll of fame. There, were the Wakefields, Sir George Grey, the Wells, the Staffords, ’ and the- I' oxs. There was the guttling hand of Atkinson, Ballance, and the much revered Richard Seddon, down to the present time. Alt these men licit! the highest ideals ami principles for the well-being of the nation, the country, and the people. In them patriotism was strong, there was always great laith in the land of their forefathers anti in the, pulsating centre of the Empire, and whenever a crisis appeared that threatened to involve the safety of the Empire they were ready to show they were sprigs ot the old oak .tree, and ready to respond to any call, oven to the gift of a Dreadnought. It was not the intrinsic value of the battleship or the money it represented, but it was a message to the world, to the British Empire, and taught the people in the -Old Land not to question the loyalty of its. offspring, and that New Zealand was true and would always be true in any trouble and in any crisis. (Applause.) r Jhe Legislature was of two branches, one of which was the elect of the people, .so that Parliament was always _ m touch with the people and the aspirations of the country. It was well that such was the ease, for changes m national life wore so rapid that the people .should always have a. speedy opportunity of making any change m thenLcsjiaihtur‘o. iu keeping with- their i clous. New Zealand was a great producing country.' and when the large- areas yet to'he opened up were settled, tjieproductivenes would be increased, both tor the benefit of the people and for the Empire. A day would yet come when the Old Country would insist upon some system of protection against competition by foreign countries. 1J other countries protected themselves, itnet a Prime, for tho. Crttmli Em-

pire to find some retaliatory method. It was not a crime, but a duty, a duty from the point of kinship, for the betterment of the national family and for the . consolidation of the Empire. (Applause.) New Zealand coatd produce much that was wanted in England, and England could produce much that was wanted here, and it was bettor for both the Mother Country and the children to consider kinship before foreign countries. He had to thank Mr. Kirk for the wav he proposed the toast, and those present for the honor they had done to it, (Applause.) In proposing the toast of the Minister for Public Works, Mr. John Townley said he was- glad the. Hon. R. McKenzie had, visited Gisborne, and he hoped that his term of office- would be a lengthy one, and his services appreciated by the people. The Minister was at present in the earliest known part of New Zealand, the first spot where Captaini Cook mded, but the spot worst off for public works. He hoped the Minister would tee many ways in which to apply tile work of his Department, not onlv in the construction of our railway, but he (Mr. Townley) hoped that in a little time another line to the Coast country would be commenced. Mr. McKenzie was a Scotsman, and was in consequence quick to see what was profitable or unprofitable in public works. When Air. .McNab was in Gisborne, he said that if there had been more Scotsmen in Poverty Bay there would have been more public works. He (the speaker) hoped that Mr. McNab’s mantle had fallen on Mr. McKenzie’s shoulders. It was to be regretted that Air. AlcKenzie had not been able to obtain a more extensive view of the country, for if he had done so he would have seen many ways in which to spend money. He hoped Gisborne would see Air. AlcKenzie often, and that Air. AlcKenzie would on each visit see fresh scope for jmblic works. He wished the Alinister every success in his Departmental office, and that his present visit to the district would always bring pleasant recollections. In rising to respond the Hon. R. McKenzie was received with applause. The Alinister said that! he found it difficult to find words to thank those present for the way they had honored the toast. The position of Alinister for Public Works carried great responsibilities. Each year he had to spend some '■2,000,000 of the people’s money and spend it to the best advantage. His Department had large railways and public buildings in hand, and new post offices were being erected in Wellington and Auckland. Gisborne a few years ago had a new post office, but already it was found that the building was too small, so great was the prosperity of the district. The Government found that the postal business was the best barometer of the prosperity of the country. While his Department was spending large* sums, a great deal of money would yet- be required before the country would be railed and roadedl He had been told that he had only seen a narrow tract of the Poverty Bay country. but the narrow tracks over which lie rode his horse would be wide enough in a few years for a trap and tcain of horses. (Applause.) No part of New Zealand was more suited for the settlement of farming families than the East Coast. Captain Cook had chosen the district as. his first landing place, but lie had misnamed the place, and the people should strive to get the name changed from Poverty Bay to Bountiful Bay. The policy of the Government was to give railways and roads for the use of every settler, so that all would stand on an equal looting in getting their produce to market, lie had 5000 men working upon railways m the Dominion, and one-twelftli were employed on the Gisborne railway. (Applause.) It was already the intention of the .Government to push on the line t-o the Motu with all possible speed as soon as Parliament provided the money. The engineering staff of tho Department was equal to any Government staff in any country, but he, the lion, speaker, was fortunate iu bavin" succeeded the late Air. Seddon and Hall-Jones in the Public Works Department. and those present could rest assured lie would try to follow in their footsteps. He had been many years in Parliament, and had met. many members, and each member he hacl met worked for the good of the country to try and make New Zealand better than he found it. It was claimed that. New Zealand had the model Parliament of Christendom. In proposing the toast of “Local Bodies,” the Mayor said that in some degree tho local bodies were in a similar position to tho Department of Public Works —they took care of the people’s money and tried to spend it to the best advantage. Though Gisborne was a prosperous town, it was backward in public works, and the Alinister had, perhaps, been surprised to have been asked for a grant for a road only five miles from town. He could tell of roads closo to tho town that in tho winter time were so impassable that the children could not get to school, and had to go through the paddocks, and even vet the settlers in the Motu had to pay £9 a ton cartage on goods. That, however, would, be relieved with the construction of the railway. Iho district was a wealthy one, the capital value was between £6,000,000 and £7.000,000. and the value of the sheep £5i000,000 or £6.000,000, and with sucH wealth the local bodies should strive to push the place forward. Some things the people must have, and the chief one was an outer harbor; next tiie town must have drainage and the town and district good roads. The County was making traffic by-laws to suit the roads, whereas the roads should be made to suit the traffic. He was pleased to receive the promise from the Alinister that the town -would get its fair quota of tho Government guarantee for local loans, and if the ratepayers did their duty he hoped that by this time'? next year a drainage scheme would be under wav and the roads under formation. > Mr. W. D. 8. AlacDonald, ALP., as Chairman) of the Waikohu County Council, and Alt. W. Pettie, Borough Council, briefly replied. . Dr. Collins proposed the toast ot commercial interests, and said the appreciation of the people was duo to the members of Parliament who year alter vear strove to advance the commercial interests of the country. All*. 0. A. deLiuitour replied to the toast, and said that the .commercial interests of a community were dependent upon the ’communications between countries, and that as the commercial interests Were developed or neglected they made for progress or retrogression, The commercial interests of the I ovefty Bay district were considerable, and were increasing at a very rapid rate. Tho district would this year export 700 0001 lambs, and by the time'the railway reached the Alotu the-output •would he up to the million, while the export of wool would be-, in proportion. Tho butter and cheese output was also assuming bulky volume, and other ex-pori-S Mere. xisiWj increasing. Unly a

vigorous harbor policy would give investors confidence to put capital to increase the productiveness of the district. Poverty Bay could produce many commodities, and fruit could be profitably grown. There was a fear of the ravages of pests, but pests had been stamped out iu Tasmania, where the people exported 95 per cent, of thenoutput of apples, and could be stamped out boro. I here was also an opening for a big industry in lavender, and he wished that some gardeners would take up the growing of the lavender plant. There was a big demand for the oil m England, and the plants would grow in tho poorest of land. The lavender od was volatile, and bad To be exported in tuilowA; If tho Tndb.strv pas started, he would promise to proenough tallow for a consignment rr f°iI aV il li<^er ,°il *° Home market, lie relt that tnere was a great future tei .lie district, am! felt the farmers could well apply the principle of cooperation, not in profit-charing, but to lessen the cost of production. He tJianxed the gentlemen present for the way they had honored the toast. (4nl plause.) v 1

F. Crawford proposed “Tim J rose, and the representatives r resent responded. • 1

The Hon. Air. McKenzie th'.-i nropo.sed the toast of “The Ho- - and Hostess ” and in doing 60 state ? that from what he had see? of Mr Lysnar he was satisfied that Gisborne had a thoroughly progressive Alayor, - tpable of doing good work for the district which' ihr iaa - r - bnefly re Phed, after tl f , sln &>ng of _ “Auld Lang broup-ht at J ona l Anthem DuriL - evemn g to a close, trih,te S r eromn £ 5011 & OMt and rf- J J Manning. Barlow. Mmsr G tefn 3 n d musica i selections bv - u -sr.s Vita Bros.