MESSRS MORROW, BASSETT UNKNOWN

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10096, 23 July 1898, Page 10

MESSRS MORROW, BASSETT UNKNOWN

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE. The ceremony of laying the foundation Stone of Messrs Morrow, Bassett and Co.'s new building at the corner of Cashel and Manchester streets, took place yesterday. Thero was a goodly gathering on the occasion. Mr Burrowes, the manager of the firm, apologised for the absence of Mr Tom Bas&ett, the proprietor, through an acci lent, and asked Master Tom Bawsctt to perform tho ceremony of laying tho stone. This he did in a workmanlike and deft manner, declaring it well and truly laid, nnd ho was ably assisted by Mr R. Hamilton, foreman to the builders. Messrs J. and W. Jamieson, the builders, presented Master Bassett with a very handsome silver trowel, bearing a suitable inscription, and Mr W. A. P. 'Jlarkson, the architect, presented him with a mallet of black maire with ivory handle. The building was described in our issue of yesterday. A large number of representative gentlemen adjourned, at the invitation of the firm, to Coker's Hotel, where light luncheon was provided. The gathering was thoroughly representative, trade and commerce, agriculture, manufacture*, &c, being fully represented. Mr G. W. Burrowes occupied the chair, in the regrettable absence, through illness, of Mr T. Bassett, lie had on the light Messrs D. Morrow, F. Waymouth, G. Bullock, J. Ander-on, G. G. Stead, anl on the left Messrs W. Prcst (Timaru), R. M. Macdonald, J. B. Fisher, J. L. Scott, W. Bassett and \V. J. Bassett. Mr J. B. Fisher said he had to propose the toast of " Master Torn Bassett," who had laid the foundation atone that day. He trusted that the rest of his career in this world would ho as well and faithfully carried out as the work he had done so well that morning. Mr R. I>. Thomas returned thanks on behalf of Master Tom Bassett, and said he would like to impress upon those who saw the manner in which he laid the foundation atone to remember that they were present and here in kindly feeling towards him. If he turned out as good v man a3 his father, who was a good man all round, then they would' have a really lir.-t-class citizen and settlor amongst them. When the time came—which he (Mr Thomas) hoped would be a long clay—for young Torn Bassett to take tho place of head of the linn of Morrow, Bassett and Co., he felt sure he would do honour to tfu? position. Mr W. Rcece rose to propeno the toast of tho day, "The health ot the Firm of Morrow, Bassett and Co." He felt sure they would join with him in wishing them prosperity. The ceremony in which they had taken part that day marked an epoch in the history of the firm. He could not help referring to Messrs D. Morrow and J. K. Bassett, the founders of the firm who, when in business, were keen, shrewd men. He regretted the absence of Mr Tom Bassett, than whom no one was more widely respected. He had met Mr Bassett in the" reaper and binder contest field, and had experienced the greatest courtesy from him. On one occasion when his (Mr Recce's) machine, which was competing with the McCormick, met with an accident, Mr Bassett offered him the use of his case of extras. He felt sure the success which had attended Messrs Morrow, Bassett and Co. was due to the fact that their business career had always been marked with honesty, uprightness and integrity. Mr Burrowes said, in the absence of Mr Bassett, it fell to his lot to respond to the toast. The firm was here, and he hoped it was hero to stay. They knew the history of the firm—of which he had been the Christchurch manager—almost as well as he did himself, and that being so, he would only thank them for the hearty manner in which they had honoured the toast which had been so eloquently proposed by Mr Recce. In response to repeated calls, Mr D. Morrow said they hod called upon him to make a speech, but he was unable to do so. He thanked them most cordially for the kindly things which Mr Recce had said of tho firm. He thanked them for the way in which the toast had been responded to. Mr G. G. Stead proposed "The, Agricultural Implement Industry." The general public, he thought, hardly realised the important part played in the economics of human life by the agricultural implement industry. The fact that the great mass of the civilised race to-day were able to obtain an ample supply of cheap bread was mainly due to the improved agricultural implements of modern days, enabling the farmer to till the soil and grow wheat at a minimum of cost. Many of those present would remember the time wlben the farmer had to use a . single-furrow plough, with two or three horses, led by one man and driven by another. Now they had three and even four-furrow ploughs worked by one man, the rotary disc plough being the latest development. Then, again, he could remember when the corn was reaped with a sickle; now they had their abundant harvests expeditiously reaped with that most valuable of inventions in agricultural machinery, the reaper and binder—a class of implement for which the firm who were their hosts that day were the principal agents. Sowing broadcast by hand was the ordinary process some years ago; now they had drills by which the seeds were sown with mathematical precision, so much so that hardly a grain was lost. Still, speaking on the improvements which had been introduced into agricultural machinery, he would remind them of the time when the corn was taken from the field to the barn to be threshed by tho tedious and primitive method of the flail. Now they had steam power threshing machines to do the work. The result of the introduction of modern implements was that they were enabled to hay« wheat grown at a price which enabled th< poorest in the land to purchase an ample supply of the staff of life at a rate within the reach of all. Ho repeated that the general public did not realise the *cry important part in economics which the introduction and manufacture of agricultural implements played. He would desire to remind them that the agricultural implement manufacturers of New Zealand were just as enterprising and ingenious as the implement makers in the United States, and he could hardly pay our local manufacturers a greater compliment than to compare them with the manufacturers of that oreat country. He asked them to drink the toast most cordially, as it was one with which tho progress and advancement of the colony was very intimately associated. (Cheers). Mr Bcaven (Andrews and Beavenj responded to the toast. The agricultural implement manufacturers recognised that tho success of their industry "was in the hands of the farmers, and what success had been achieved was due to the fact that the farmers used the implements themselves that they purchased, and they took care that the makers supplied them with what they wanted, This was the cause of the strides which had been made in the manufacture of agricultural implements, to which reference had been made uy Mr Stead. Mr P. Duncan, who was loudly cheered, also briefly responded and said that the manufacturers of implements were to a large extent indebted to the farmers for many valuable practical suggestions. * Mr A. Kaye proposed " The Hardware Trade." He felt sure that it was a credit to Chrißtchurch that they had such large establishments in Christchurch, headed by such men as the proprietors of the hardware establishments. They were constantly on the move and keeping themselves posted up in the latest and most improved productions of their trade. He coupled the toast with the names of Messrs Recce and Sons and Ashby, Bergh and Co. Had Mr Struthers been present on that occasion- he would have coupled his name also, as all mew he was a most enterprising business man and a good citizen. Mr W. Recce briefly responded. Mr Raye had been good enough to speak of the enterprise with which they conducted their business, but he could assure them that they did so from a purely philanthropic spirit. He had recently been round the world, and looking at the matter from a purely unbiassed point of view, he found that the hardware establishments in Christchurch had nothing to be ashamed of in comparison. Mr E. C. Ashby said, like Mr Recce, he had recently been on a tour round the world, and he could assure JEhem that he saw nothing in his travels to equal his own shop. (Loud laughter.) Mr Burrowes said that Dr. Symes wonld tell them that Mr Bassett was absent from an accident. It was a very serious matter that suob great men as the Prince of Wales

and Mr T. Bassett had been laid up by accident. (Laughter.) Dr. Symes said his Honour Mr Justice Dennhton declined to take a written certificate, but insisted on the medical man coming into Court and stating the fact. That was the reason ot his (Dr. Symes) appearance that day and, owing to an accident in the hunting field, he had precluded the attendance of Mr Bassett there that day. He, however, had now* much pleasure in proposing the health of Mr Bassett, whom they all respected. The other toasts proposed were, "The Architect," proposed by Mr John Anderson, responded to by Mr W. A. T. Clarkson; •' The Builders," Messrs J. and W. Jamieson, proposed by Mr J. L. Scott, responded to by Mr J. Jamieson ; " The Farmers of Canterbury," proposed by Mr W. Recce, responded to by Mr Joseph Haydon, who said he ascribed the gi eater amount of his success to the improved machinery introduced into farming of late years, while Messrs McLachland and W. J. Bassett also spoke ; " The Press," proposed by Mr E. G. Staveley, and "The Chrisichurch Manager of Morrow, Basett and C 0.," proposed by Mr G. W. Russell, responded to by Mr Burrowes. A gathering of the employees was also held in the offices of the firm, at which s-.veiul toasts, including that of "Prosperity to Morrow, Bassett and Co." were proposed.