VALEDICTORY BANQUET TO E. S. LAPHAM, ESQ.

Inangahua Times, Volume 15, 6 November 1878, Page 2

VALEDICTORY BANQUET TO E. S. LAPHAM, ESQ.

(Concluded.) Mr Gullino followed Mr Hanlcin in responding to tho (oust of " Tho Mining Interest," and said ho had boon connoctod with that interest from tho dato of the opening of tho district. When he Jim

f cnmo to tho district thcro was not a house, whoro tho town of Koeflon now stood, and nt that timo ho bad littlo ulon tho plaoo would progross as it had dono. Uo was sorry to say that tho placo at tho present timo was not in suoh a prosperous condition as they could hopo, but still ho tliought with Mr Liphhm that it only required timo and capital to raise it to Uio first rank ns a hold! producing fiold. All roofing districts woroiubjoot to periods of poriodioal depression^ but ho thought this plaoo was in ft fair, wny of recovery, and on tho whole thcro was really nothing to complain of. Tip to tho prcsont timo tho different companies hud, comparatively speaking, boon only scratching on tho surfaoe, and when tho mines got openod up at doopor leyols, nnd a moro porfeot system of working, ho folt suro a more pornitinont prosperity would bo secured. (If oar, hear.) M!r M. Byrno, speaking on tbo snmo bolmlf said, bo had boen in tho district for nino yoars, nnd during that timo tho stone crushed lioro had flivon nu average yield, equal if not in excess of tho average rolums of any othor recili;^ community in the soul horn hoinisphe/ro. (Hear, hoar.) Asrogardcd tho place being dull, ho was df'<Splnion that the Hold uovor promised boltor than it did at tho proaoat lime, Thoro was undoubtedly a soaroity of capital, and operations wcro in consoquonco rotardod, bub so far as tho prospects nnd resources of tho placo woro conoornod that thoy nover lookoJ more hopoful. (Hear, hear.) Tho fact was lhat \ko bulk of tlio local capitalists had invested to tho full limit of thoir moans and could go no further, and it was a mattor of rcgrot tbut otitsido enpitnl was not lioro available to help in tho dovclopment of tho field. As a proof of tho soundness of tho district, ho could «ny that Iho district hnd of Into produood more gold than during nny previous period, notwithstanding that a largo nunn bor of mines wcro lying idle simply for tlio want of capital to work thoni. Ilo« gurding proupcdtiiiß ho also ngrood that l.lio district hud not boen half prospeotod. Tiio Goldon Floeco hud boon ono of tho best claims ovor opo.-.cd on tho fiold» and ho considered that it should not bo con* domned until cross»ont» had been put in for 400 feet each way. Tho Wealth of Nations mino hnd ris yot not been any. thing liko provod nt n doop lovol, and it wits his opinion that thoy would yet get. ns good a block of stono ns nny bofor» workod. Ho folt that in parting with Mr Ltphnm, tho district was loxing ono of ju best supporters, Tl'o (tho spoakor) in tho~Sdrly ii»r a 'uid workod vory hard against Mr Lnpbam and ilm-Uauic o f Now Zualnntl, but—woll ho (Mr Lnphnn)) had hold his own, "(Laughtor.) Tho Vioo. Chairman proposod tho tonst of the '• Oommoroial latarest."' Ho said that ho folt Unit ho occupied a tomowhat invidious ponUion fiaoing that thoro rrcrc so many Dloreke opera pro«ent, He could, howtvor, sny thot thoy (tho storokoepors) w re about tho sloadiost going toam that could bo found on tho West Coa r jj and hear, hoar), nnd know won how to take euro of tho £r d. Ho wns, howovcr, glad to sny that thoy we o not backward in supporting Iho mining interest, and in so doing provod that thoy woio oloaHieadod fur Booing mon. (Hoar, hear,) It was a good sign that tho storohoopprs of the Inangalutn gay« oilhor tlio lawyors or tho Judge vory litdo to do and thnt fact spoko volutnos for the inlsgrity of the Commercial Interests. (Hoar, botr.) Ho was glad to say as a \ further inslnnoo in their favor that manjr of thorn wore wonlthy, nnd not a foW of them vory wealthy. Thoro was Mf Oxloy, who he die (vioo'chivirmmv h«ni kuown in lloss in years gone byo, nnd lio wa» a man. who had always oarriod hi lusolf through honor* ably, nnd hnd ntluinod a high position in tlio commornial iutorost of this district. Ho would oonplo with tho \oafit tho naiuos of Mossrs Oxl?y, Shields, Archer, nrnl Gallaghor. \ Mr Oxloy wna soiry tint tho Imflt had not fallen into moro/vblo hands than his. llowovor, ho lhankoil this compiny honrtily for tho manner j in whioh thoy h'«l (•runk tho tonst,, N^ith roqnrd to t!io siorokoopors of Roeftou, not ino'uJiiiaf* hinsolf, ho could sn^ they would bo a credit to nny plaoo. \]\oav, boar.) Mr Arobor. Siiid' tbflt rognrding himsolf n« ono of Iho lilUo storokcopors ho foil cnllod upon to ncknowledgo the toast. Tim commercial intorosts of tho diaU'icV h/Vil t,o look nltogolh«r t* tho ..mining induitry, nnd it wnH oousoquontly tho duly o" nil business men to aid that, industry to Uio utmost of Ihoir powor. (ll«ar, hoar.) Nothing buteft|)ital wns required to muko tho Jnnngahua tho weulthicsl mining community in tho world. (Hear, hear), and next in impbrtnnoo was railway communi-" cation! (Cheers.) Until tho district was openod up thoroughly it would nover pt'Ogroas «vt a rapid rnto, nnd they shouKl (horeforo uso ovcrj effort lo hurry on tho eonstruclion of a railway with either Nelaon o- tho Wost iCoast soaboarJ. (llonr, hear.) j Mr GWlngher said thft though it wns gratifying to him to boasiociatod with tho commercial intorost of tb Inangahun, yot for his success ho wns va'y largely, if not onliroly indebted to miilng investments. Mining wa« tho staple industry of the dis'rict, and just ns thoy encouraged and assisted Iho mining iujoMst, in equal mannor would thoir cominoroial success bo injured. (Hoar, hejir.) They bad met that cvoaing for tho furposo of toa-

tifying their appreciation and respect for 0110 who had proved hiinnolf a truo friend to Iho mining intoros 1 ;. (Choorii), and it was thoroforo highly flittering to soo so large nn as»einblago, and such a cordhl fooling prevail, (Hoar, hoar-) Tim vico-Chairmnn next proposod tho " Banking Intorest." Ho said th« quoslion at onco Biiggeulod ilsolf why is it that Iha banking business of tbo district hnd boen no successful, nnd tho answorwns •xnclly tbo snmo os in tho case of tho storekeepers. Simply Hint Ihoir operations had boen diroctod with both pnulonco and sagacity, and no less to tho fuel (hat tho gold was being produced. This district, as in fact tho wholo of tho Wont Coast was largely indebted to tho liberality of tho Banks, and especially the Bank of Now JZo*land, although tho National Bunk bad also done its share. Tho district had now boon plncod in a position by tbo Banks from which it was difficult to rooodr, but after all everything did not dopend upon tho Banks, a good donl rested with tho pluck and ontorpriso of tho pooplo thomsolvcs, and so long as tho two workod in harmony and in mutual good fait« thero need bo no fear as to tho outcome. (Loud cheers.) TIo coupled with tho toast the names of Messrs Lapbam, and Montoath. Mr Monloalh, in responding to tho j toast said, ho folt proud to have- his name coupled with tho toast under tho ciroum« stances, for ho ontcrtninod tho vory highest rognrd for Mr L'lphnni both pr vatoly and ns v banking offtoor. With regird (o iho success which had nttended tho mining intorest ho thought the prosperity was in <i lar^o mensuro duo to tbo mannor in which tho banking interest had conducted ( its nffiirs, and ho could not help thinking that a la .-go portion of tho g^od conduct of hanking was duo to tho skill and ability of their guosr. (Loud cheers.) Ho ('ho speaker) was vory glad to Ijovq tho opportunity of bearing toslimony to that skill and ability, booauso thoso preiont hnd only tho opportunity of judging of it na fiionds, whoroas ho had boon placod in a position to j'vlgo o r it in a practical business mannor. Personally ho rogrottod nxooodingly at losing Mr Irtphum as a privato friond, but ho could not rogrefc losing him as an opposition banker. (Loud ohoors and laughter.) Mr Lnphom also responded. Tho vico-Chnirmnn nest gnvo the toast of tho '• County Council nnd tho Chairman," speaking in ou'ogislic terms of tlio pnst oonduot of tbo Chairman. f[o said it wai rory easy for pooplo to find fau't with legislative bodios, The position of n Councillor was an especially thnn'tloss ono, for no mattor how earnestly and as*iduously a rcproscntHijpQ might net ho could not ploaso ovorbody. Ho enterlninod tho vory highost opinion of the ability and integrity of tho Chairman, and thought tho body as a wh',lo would boar fur or • able comparison with any similar ono in tho colony, (Cheers.) Mr John Tronnery proposod tho toast of tho pioneers of tho district, coupling with it tho namo of Mr Goor n »o Walsh. Mr Walsh acknowlodgod thoonnpli" ment in suitaMo tei* us. A number of other toasts woro proposed, and ('uly respondod to, but wo find that to roport tho whole would over tax our rosouroo*, and aro ihoroforo, compolloJ to cut short tho roport.