ORDER OF DRUIDS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 98, 1 June 1914, Page 8

ORDER OF DRUIDS.

AN IMPORTANT EVENT.

CANTERBURY GRAND LODGE.

CONSTITUTION CHARTER PRESENTED.

AUSTRALIAN DELEGATES

PRESENT.

An event of very great importance to the 3000 members of the United Ancient Order of Druids in Canterbury took place on Saturday evening, when a charter was presented to the District Lodge, constituting it the Grand Lodge of Canterbury. The meeting was especially notable in that it was attended by eight of the most prominent officers of the order in Australia, who have been attending the biennial session of the Supreme Grand Lodge of Australasia, held last week in Dunedin. They were:—Supreme Grand President Bro. Beauchamp (Grand Secretary of West . Australia), Supreme Vice-President Bro. Richardson (Grand Secretary of South Australia), Supreme Grand Secretary Bro. Barry (Grand Secretary of New South Wales), Supreme Grand Treasurer Bro. Liston (Past Grand President of Victoria), Supreme Grand -Guardian Bro. Shiells (Grand Secretary of Tasmania), Bro. Goldstein (Grand President of New South Wales), Bro. Roberts (Grand President of West Australia), and Bro. Chipper (Past Grand President of West Australia). Never before in the history of Druidism in Canterbury has there been such a distinguished gathering of office-bearers of the order. It is now thirty-seven years since the first meeting of Druids was held in Christchurch —being also the first in New Zealand. On that occasion the late G.S. Bro. Brennan, ofVictoria, came across and opened the Pioneer Lodge of Christchurch. Bro. Brennan was for about 40 years Grand Secretary of Victoria. He died about a fortnight ago, whilst preparing to visit New Zealand in connection with the present functions. Since the opening of the Pioneer Lodge, the order has grown until there are now 23 lodges in Canterbury and over 100 in the Dominion.

The advancement of the order has been such that there are now in the Dominion three -Grand.Lodges duly constituted by charter—Southland and Otago, Wellington, and the West Coast, and finally Canterbury. Up till Saturday. night the affairs of the order were administered in Canterbury by a District Grand Lodge. However, following the example of their Otago and Northern brethren, the Druids of Canterbury met last March, and decided to apply for a charter from the Victorian constitution, and it was granted. Following on the granting of the charter, P.G.P. Liston, of Victoria, has come to Canterbury, and on Saturday night he handed over the important document which constitutes a Canterbury Grand Lodge of the Order.

SATURDAY NIGHT'S MEETING. The District Grand -Lodge assembled in the Druids ' Hall, Worcester Street, in special session, District Grand President Bro. W. J. W. Neale occupying the eliair. A larg6 number of delegates from all over the province ' attended, and several apologies for absence were received. The officers of the Supreme Grand Lodge of Australasia were accorded a I Druidic welcome, with musical honours.

P.G.P. Bro. Liston took the chair at the invitation of the D.G.P., and assumed charge of the session. He then read the charter constituting the new Grand Lodge, and handed it to D.G.P. Bro, Neate on behalf of the Canterbury Grand Lodge. Bro. Neate responded. Supreme Grand President Beauchamp installed Bro.*Neate as Grand President, and the installation of the other officers was then proceeded with, the new Grand President performing the ceremony. The officers are as follow: — Grand Vice-President, Bro. R. Walls. Grand Secretary, Bro. T. Walker. Grand Treasurer, Bro. J. Jowsey. Grand Guardian, Bro. J. W. Batey. The newly-installed officers returned thanks. A motion of condolence with the relatives of the late Bro. Brennan, of Victoria, was carried in silence. His death means a very great loss to the Order.

The meeting was then resolved into a social function, at which G. P. Bro. Neate presided. The following toasts were honoured: —"The King and the Druids"; "The Supreme Grand Lodge of Australasia"; P.G.P. Bro. Liston," and "The Canterbury Grand Lodge." The' Australian visitors delivered short speeches, in which they congratulated the Druids of Canterbury in taking such a progressive step. PROGRESS OF THE ORDER. Bro. Burgess read a statement, describing the progress of the Order in Canterbury since it was first established. He said that the Canterbury district was first granted a measure of local government in 1890, when a district Grand Lodge was constituted. The following amounts have been paid from the respective funds: —Sick pay, £42,718 14/-; surgeon's and chemist's fees, £48,582 7/2; death payments, £14,540. Total £105,841 1/2. In addition to this a considerable amount has been paid out of the benevolent funds of the various lodges. In 1890 the district funds were £9,397 18/8 or £l2 per head, and now stand at £51,398 2/3 or £lB 3/3 •per head. In IS9O the membership of the district was 780, and is now 3,000.

All this has been done without iiny outside assistance, and for the members by its own members. This was surely a magnificent record for a society to achieve, entirely unaided by Government or outside assistance, and administered and contributed to entirely by working men. He believed that the inauguration of the Grand Lodge would ibe an incentive to even greater endeavour, and that the future would have in store only a continuous advance in

membership and prosperity. .(Applause). fclfja. Suadiay the visitors were entertamed by a drive round the city and j neighboring country districts by brake And in the afternooi? they ; some of the sights of Christchurch, including the Museum, which they heartily admired.

CIVIC RECEPTION.

AUSTRALIAN'S ENTHUSIASTIC. 1' " _ HIGH PRAISE FOR CHRISTCHUBCH, This morning the Australian visitors were accorded a civic reception by the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr H. Hoi-, land) at the City Council Chamber. The Mayor said that it gave him the great-, est pleasure to receive ed visitors from AiisjbrjWiA> : ' ; '^ ! as he believed that several of them had taken a great interest in municipal affairs in Australia. Such 'gatherings and inter-changes of visits were of the greatest value, in promoting friendship and reciprocity between the various states of the Commonwealth and the -Dominion. He would be very pleased to 3how the delegates round the city, so that they might possibly pick Tip a point or two. (Laughter). The City of Christchurch had a population of 83,000, and he thought it was the finest city in the world. (Laughter). They had 145 miles of streets, which he thought compared favourably for quality with those of any other city in Austr&lasia. The council had also many trading concerns, the greatest of these being the Lake Coleridge electric, power scheme, which was in its infancy. When it was completed' Christchurch hoped to be able to supply power to its citizens at a cheaper rate than any other city in Australasia. His Worship dealt with many other features of municipal enterprise and recommended the delegates to take a trip to the Cashmere Hills, so as to obtain a comprehensive view of the city. He extended to them a very hearty welcome, and hoped that they would have a very good time. (Applause). MUNICIPAL PROGRESS.

Supreme Grand President Bro. Beauchamp responded. He said that he had been struck by the very evident signs of progress both in Christchureh and in the other towns of the South Island they had visited. They had been very pleased with what they had seen at the Museum, and had come to the conclusion that there was only one thing wanting —Jonah to stand beside the whale. (Laughter.) The residents of the city in days gone by had evidently had great confidence in it, and had provided for its advancement. They could, not help noticing the great spirit of advancement evidenced in the solidity of. the buildings, the fine'streets, the beautiful reserves, and the excellent tramservice. regard to the tramways, he was glad to see that the people had ; not been afraid to launch out upon new lines in the districts where they could, not hope to have the expenditure im-r mediately recouped. (Applause.) They had also 'been glad to see that the people were not hemmed in. Every householder seemed to have a nice block of ground. He was sorry that this was not the case in Australian cities. Although they had acres and acres of land, they seemed to have crowded their housea together most Australia they .had more land than, in any of the other States, but they often found three cottages a quarter o&an acre. This should jiever ;h,ave beeii allowed by the' Government: Now, however, every new- house had to -have a frontage of 40 feet, so that they were doing something to remedy the errors of the past. Of course, in West Australia they did not -'have the same natural advantages as - had the people of some of the other States and the Dominion. For instance, they had had to make their own harbours, and they had had to raise water 135 feet and send it many miles inland. This work was, perhaps,' the greatest of its kind in the world, and was a considerable achievement for a State with a population of only 200,000. (Applause.) They were very pleased with what they had seen: in New Zealand. Dunedin had struck them with its prosperity, and the spirit of self-reliance of its people. Invercargill also, for an inland town, seemed to have the makings of a very fine city. He returned thanks for the reception, and wished Christchureh and its citizens all prosperity. (Applause.) THE STREETS OF CHRISTCHURCH.. P.G.P. Bro. Liston, who is Mayor of Williamstown, Melbourne, said that he had been greatly impressed by the stately public buildings of the city. Their existence betokened great municipal enterprise. Nowhere in Australasia had he seen such long streets, or streets better kept, than he had seen in Christchurch. (Applause.) So far as the footpaths and channels were concerned, Christchureh was the cleanest and most comfortable town he had ever been in. He had been very much impressed by the majestic scenery of the Dominion. Another thing which had struck him was the debt of gratitude which the present generation owed to the foresight of the pioneers. There was no other city in Australasia which was so well provided with recreation grounds as this great city of Christchureh. He was certain that no other city of 83,000 people had 463 acres of reserve. (Hear, hear.) His Worship: That is only one reserve. There are many others. Continuing, Mr Liston said that the tram service of Christchureh, with one exception —that of a leading city of Australia, but not of the first or second city—was the best he had ever seen, and the service Avas a very fine one indeed. This was especially true of the service to the outlying suburbs. (Applause).

THE CIVIC SPIRIT. S. G. P. Barry, who is an alderman of Petersham, Sydney, said that one of the things which had impressed him was the hearty co-operation of the people with those in charge of their municipal life. He was sorry to say that this was not the case in Australia —certainly not hi New South Wales. Of course, they had a different scheme of local government there, but that would not account for this Jack of co-operation. An alderman who went before the-electors there and proposed any addition to the rates, ro matter for what purpose, would be signing his municipal death warrant. (Laughter.) In New Zealand the poope helped to beautify their cities, and took an interest in the proceedings of their councils. There were also bodies of citizens acting in conjunction with the municipal councils, which heard their suggestions and carried them out. When he got back to his own district he would endeavour to have something of the same kind established there. (Applause). FORESIGHT OF THE PIONEERS. G. P. Roberts, a councillor of the model suburb of Subiaco, Perth, said that if his visit to the Dominion had only enabled him to take back to the people of his town his impressions of •what lie had seen in New Zealand cities,

his (Hear, hear.) He could not but admire the public spirit of the towns and cities of the South Island, They had heard a, great deal, about New Zealand, but they had seen far more than ever they had been told. He had seen a great deal Jin Christchurch which he thought would be of great value to his own town, and on his return he hoped to be abltf to tell his fellow councillors about it, Some seventeen years ago there were only 550 households in Subiaco, most of them living in tents. Now they had a population of 15,000, with 4000 beautiful houses and shops. One of the impressions he would carry away with Mm was the sagacity of the pioneers of Christchurch. (Hear, hear.) He counselled . Christchurch people not to allow one inch of their beautiful reserves to be given away for any other purpose. NEW ZEALAND'S ADVANTAGES.

The Mayor said that he had overlooked mentioning the city's magnificent supply of artesian water. In order to obtain a plentiful supply of the purest and best water in the world, it was necessary only, to sink a pipe some sixty or eighty feet, and a permanent flow was assured. The city -supply, drawn from this source, and pumped to the reservoir on the Cashmere Hills, provided a pressure of 1051bs to the square inch. In New Zealand they had four large cities, and the population was. well distributed throughout the Dominion. In New South Wales he believed that 45 per cent, of the population was confined to Sydney, but in New Zealand they had no such congestion. (Applause.)

After the reception, the Mayor and visitors held an informal discussion on the subject of municipal enterprise in Australia and New Zealand.