KATIKATI.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 3837, 21 April 1899, Page 2

KATIKATI.

(CoNTBimrrKD.) A meeting of the Banfurly Be- \ ception Committee was held at the Talisman Hotel on Tuesday, at 10.30 a.m. Present :— Messrs Vesey Stewart, (Chairman), Edward H. Gledatanee, (Hon. Treasurer), A. W. Fisher, (Secretary), Noble A. Johnston, John Killen, J.P., James Boyd, Robert Hunter. The Committee had a most protracted discussion with Mr Shepherd as to the arrangements for the banquet to be given to His Excellency. The matter was discuesed on several stand points with the result that the banquet will be held on Thursday, 11th May, at 7 p.m., at the Talisman Hotel. Tickets to be one

guinea each ; members of the Road Board to pay for their individual tickets, in addition to the £7 10s voted by the Board. The supply of wines, spirits, and other liquors, commencing with Old Pommery, Scotch and Irish whiskey, Australian and other wines, down to English ale and lager beer, to be unlimited, the menu to be left entirely in the hands of Mr and Mrs Shepherd with the fullest confidence that this course will secure a most ample and varied supply of all the delicacies obtainable locally and in Auckland, in fact, the entire entertainment is intended as a genuine display of Irishhospitality, the cost of which will come out of the individual, pockets of the Beception Committee without drawing on the public funds of the ratepayers, as the amount voted by the local Board to their solitary paid officer will not meet the expense of the guests invited in the interests of the settlement. A large number of additional names was placed on the list of the Reception Committee and it was decided to send invitations to the following gentlemen to meet His Excellency and suite :-— His Worship the Mayor of Tauranga, representing the Bay of Plenty Times ; James GalbraitK, Chairman of Waihi Improvement Com* pany, representing the ' Waihi

Miner ' ; Sir George M. O'Rorke, M.H.R., Speaker of the House of Representatives ; W. H. Henries, M.H.8., who has already-accepted the Road board's invitation ; Hon. "W. Kelly, M.L.0., Hon. Oapt. G. B. Mdrris, M.L-C, and the Hon. A. J. Cadman. Sir George O'Rorke, Mr Kelly and Oapt. Morris were invited as an evidence of appreciation by the original Katikati settlers of the aotive part these gentlemen took, in the then existing Auckland Provincial Council, in securing the first grant of 10,000 acres for the men who are now rooted to the soil and as honest Irishmen endowed with feelings of gratitude do not forget an act of kindness ; while the invitation to Mr Cadman is sent as a graceful act of appreciation for the various grants of public money voted through the instrumentality of this gentleman upon the applications by the Road Board initiating the commencement of those grants. * It is intended to erect a triumphal arch over the Uretara Bridge with the appropriate words of '"Welcome' and ' Caed Mille failthe.' The local Brass Band has been resuscitated and will render .valuable assistance in enlivening the proceedings. On Friday forenoon, May 12th, Mr Diggleman will be requisitioned to display his ability with the camera to take photographic views of tbe Hotel and survivors (!) of the banquet. The greatest

enthusiasm and unanimity prevails, all little petty feelings and differences in local politics are sunk, and with such a universal consensus of opinion and intentions of the entire local public, there is no cloud on the horizon to mar the most unqualified success of the movement should the weather prove propitious, (and thiermatter unfortunately is not in the hands of the Katikati settlers), — we are however usually fortunate in this respect. It is* a very curious coincidence that on the 11th of May, 1876, the first public meeting of the Katikati settlerjs met at Mount Stewart to form and elect a Road Board and School Committee. 44 subsequently sat down to dinner after the transaction of all the public business, and many will doubtless recollect that the Company broke up with, every member feeling in a most happy frame of mind with both himself and his neighbour, though one of our original colonists settled here, declared in attempting to mount his horse, that his noble steed had got intoxicated : he still survives,

however, as X tad the pleasure of znpptf bj? him jesterday. Katikati, April 18th, 1899.