The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1903 THE BOER DELEGATES.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LIII, Issue 2753, 27 February 1903, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1903 THE BOER DELEGATES.

We regret exceedingly that the visit of the Boer Delegates should have have turned out such a fiasco as it did. Great pains were taken in the first place to arrange such a programme as would fit in with the time Mr Ritchie told as would be devoted by the visitors to the Peninsula. Mr Moritzson, who deserves every credit for the action he took, did, it is true, arrange a very full programme in the first place, but it was a programme that would have fully explained to the Boers the manner in which these hills have been rendered amongst the most fertile lands in the Colony by the nutritious qualities of our cocksfoot grass. The prime sheep raised on it, were to be exemplified by Mr Fleming's flock, the cattle by those great beeves which come to such unequalled perfection in the Pigeon Bay pastures of Mr T. 0. Hay. They were also to inspect those factories of ours, whose cheese has taken so many prizes both North and South in competition with the rest of New Zealand. ,

However, the Secretary for Agriculture—who, by the bye, has not, we believe, ever set foot on the Peninsula himself—seems to have been rather alarmed at the work set out for the party on the Monday, and to suit him the plan was modified. He concurred in the suggestions that the party should drive round the Summit road so as to have a good view of the cocksfoot country, and that on Tuesday they should steamer round the harbour, and after lunching at Mr Latter's, return to the plains via Barry's Pass.

This plain being mutually agreed to, every arrangement was made for the comfort of the visitors during the trip. The Chairman of the Farmer's Association, Mr Bruce, and Mr Moritzson, staretd on Sunday for Little River. It was a particularly hard matter for the former to get away, for there had been very bad thrashing weather, his seed was all cut waiting for the flail, and Monday promised to be fine; but he sacrificed himself—as he has many times befsre—for the good of the community, and went on what turnedjjut,

through the incohstaney of the Secretary for Agncuiturs, to be a needless and fruitless errand.

On the arrival of the train Mr Ritchie and the Boers were there all right, but the former announced that fresh arrangements had been made, and they were not going to Akaroa, but were returuing to Christchnrch by the same train an hour later. Here was a nice mess ! There was Mr B. Barker, with a spanking team, ready to drive the party round the picturesque Summit road. At Duvauchelle's, Mesdames H. W. Piper, and B. Barker were prrparing a sumptuous lunch to assuage the needs of the visitors at the Little Akaloa Saddle. At Mr Burland's Hotel, Akaroa, careful preparations were also being made for the party's comfort, whilst the German Bay and Barry's Bay Factories were eagerly awaiting a ppreciative inspection. The steam launch Piraki had been engaged for the trip round the harbour, with the civic authorities on Tuesday, and Mrs R. Latter was making every preparation to exercise tfmt wide hospitality for which she nnd her husband are so justly noted; No notice of the change of plans reached those interested till after the coach arrived in Akaroa at 330 p.m. It is true a telegram had been sent by Mr Ritchie about 9 a.m., addressed to "Mr Moritzson or the Postmaster," but'Mr Moritzson never received it till late in the evening, after he had returned from the River, and so no one was the wiser, and all preparations went merrily on till late in the afternoon. Then there were strong opinions expressed regarding Mr Bitchie, and general regret that the Tranpvaal people, after being so near to us, had been allowed to go away without any idea of the true value of our cocksfoot grass

The Secretary for Agriculture did, it is true, throw us a bone to keep us quiet, for he promised several sacks of the seed should be sent to ench of the Boer delegates to be tried in their respective districts, but thnt is poor consolation indeed, for preventing the visitors from seeing the Peninsula at its best.