ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 168, 29 July 1901, Page 2

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

LONDON, June 21 THE ANNUAL N.Z. DINNER.

'"The best dinner we've had was the unanimous verdict of those of the 16. New Zealanders at the annual dinner ■at the Hoi bom Kestaurant last luesday who have foregathered at ail the live functions. The first of the series, an Jubilee year, was, of course, an exceptional gathering. The 350 diners >vere all invited, and so it cannot be compared with the following subscription dinners. In 1893, at the Hotel Cecil, HO assembled; in 1809 and 1900, when the Monico was the scene of revelry, the numbers were 121 und 147 respectively; and 1901 saw 162 genial spirits grouped round their chairman, the Agent-General. From the jump the proceedings were marked with a genial warmth and enthusiasm. Perhaps the Committee gave us just a little too much of a good thing. .While the dinner was excellently served and the speakers judiciously chosen there was too much music. •With three New Zealonders. Mr Bantock Pierpoint's two songs were superfluous, and one song apiece from the New Zealand warblers, and a trio to conclude with would have sufficed, ftome of the speakers too might have cut it a little shorter. The AgentGeneral himself was—a rnre event for iiim—an offender in this respect. Not that he did not hold his audience throughout. On the contrary, if he doubled his allowance of twelve minutes for his innings, it was because when he had got his eye in and was making a boundary hit off every second bowl, he scored so freely that he did not realise quite soon enough the precise psychological moment to declare his inning's closer!, and to carry out his bat triumphantly. I use the word bawl advisedly, for the acoustic properties of the Venetian Hall "cruel" both speaker and singer, and Mrs Howie's "Let My Voice KingOut," in the Song of Thanksgiving, fell upon irresponsive walls. With a little judicious curtailment the dinner which went with a swing would have closed with a snap. So much by way not so much of criticism as of kindly hint to the committee to go just one better next year.