PRESENTATION TO TEE HON. W. P. BEEVES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 7

PRESENTATION TO TEE HON. W. P. BEEVES.

At a recent meeting of friends in Dunedin it was unanimously agreed that the Ageutgeneral's work re conciliation and arbitration should be commemorated by the presentation to him of an illuminated address. The illumination was entrusted to Messrs J. Wilkie and Co., and the artist (Mr Hawctidge) hae finished the work admirably. Ofl the first p*ge are two panels portraying "War" and "Prace," Tho upper paael is dovaced to a battle — a large vulture showicg the horrors of the dark fisld ; while on the lower panel Pe&ce is represented by the figure of a woman holding cornucopia near an agricultural scene. The second page holds the text of the address with border of clunntis, convolvulus and kowhai, with views of Miifrwd Sound, Lake Wanaka, Arthur Eivar, and Sutherland Palls. Ou the fcbird page there in hhofagadeot a Maori house, wish floi'&l designs and views portraying Like Te Anau, River Avod, and a West Coast Sound. In a panel on the cover is the figure of a workman looking towards the rising sun in the east, and evidently asking with Tennyson — Wher» shall all men's good Bs oaoh mau'? rule, and universal peade Lia like a yhaf fc of light aci-oss the land, Through all tbe circle of the golden year?

The'text of the address, which will be on view on Monday ia Messrs Wilkie and Co.'s window, is aa follows :— To the Hon. W. P. Raeves (Agent-general for New Zealand), London, England. Honourable i>»d Dear Sir, — Seeing that information has reached us of your frequent labours for the artvancement of the intertsts of the working classes and others iv the Home countries, wo respectfully ask you to accept this address as a mark of our cordial astesni and interest in. your welfare.

We wish to euapliasias the fact th*t "Tho Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1894 " (whioh waa passed during your ttrm of office here as Minister for Labour, <fee , in the Hon. Uichard Seddon's Cabinet) h working satisfactorily.

Our Arbitration Oouit (under tne presidency of his Honor Mr Justice Williams) has done good work in settliug trade disputes iv various parts of New Zealand. It is clear that if a similar measure of conciliation be adopted by the Imperial Parliament, much benefit must reach all classes in the British Empiie. Recent sxperieace Dhows that hundreds of thousands of pounds could be saved by prevention of "strikes" if the piinciple of our Conciliation and Arbitration. Act were applied in all countries.

Arbitration should tend to establish peace, and also to mark the speedy approach of the time when the nations shall turn their weapons of w&r into articles of industry ; and we feel that if the spirit of arbitration be fostered by the British nation, others in various parts of the world will soon follow the good example n ithout any sacrifice of manhood. Wishing you "a long, useful, and prosperous carear,— We remain, yours ios>pactf\iil,v. v (Signed by 24 members of Political Committee, four officers of Trades and Labour Council, Hon. IX Pinkerton, M.L.0.. and W. A. W. Wathen, hen. secretary to Special Committee.) Dixaedia, May 20, 1598.