THE SPEECHMAKING .

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12212, 6 June 1905, Page 5

THE SPEECHMAKING .

i; £fUCCESS TO THE .SYSTEM." After the loyal toast had been honoured, Sir John Hall rose to give to the Christchurch Electric Tramway System." He remarked that, in the ordinary course of events, that toast, would have"Decn s prppo9ed by the Mayor.s As it happenSL however, no was a member of the Trrtaway Board, and his native modesty woOtd prevent him doing justice to his own.: work. He (Sir John) had, therefore, been, asked, as the first 'Mayor of Christchurch, to.propose the toast. (Applause.) He was sorry to 6ay that he was the only survivor of that first City Council of Christchurch, and he could not, at that moment { refrain from a word' of praise for his old colleagues. The city had had many good men on its Councils, but never had there bean a better set.of men, more hard-work-ing, "more . patriotic more publiospirited, than the first Council. (Applause.) CJoming to the matter in hand, Sir John remarked that on such occasions it was customary for a lot of statistical information to be given. But he had not come prepared for that, and they cduld get it very much better : from the newspapers. Speaking as a private citisen,'he said it was a matter for congratulation, that the tramway scheme had been almost entirely' car-s ried out by local resource. (Applause.) Tho money had been raised, and ho hoped they would not have .to" 1 send interest abroad on money borrowed in the future. If rates had to be paid* the ratepayers would have the satisfaction of knowing that the money was going into the pockets of other ratepayers, and not across the sea. It was a matter, for warm congratulation that such- a great work hod been carried out by. local enterprise.- They 1 had not had to send abroad for contractors; they had found men within their own borders who were capable of carrying out.the undertaking, and who had employed local people. It was, he believed, the first time a scheme of such magnitude had been carried ont entirely by local enterprise in New Zealand, and they' Could congratulate the company on' the success they had ishown ao far,, It »was -a comparatively easy task to put .down * new line, but to replace an old with a new.system, and at the san)e timelteep the .traffio uninterrupted, was a matter of no lit% difficulty. The.cony pany had done their work with as litilo inconvenience as possible to and "with .very little friction. The «y** tern Christchurch now possessed •vi- > eluded the anoat up-to-date- maohinerV and. material, and wja in every respect' equal to any, to be foupd in #»« • SoutJx em Hemisphere., He wastry. >how«*. ever, the seats on-top had Qs«n largely done away with/» He thoupit that' by-and-by those seat* would- beetle ho popular that thejjr/would have to be puton otioroars as well. In regard.to-the elect y of the electric tram system, ->h« , had seen a great deal a the OW Copntry, and beibelkved it would to a jion--Biderable extent revolutionise;:: what might'be called' the residential habits of the people. ' The system would provide a cheap, expeditions means of communication between Qiristchurch and outlyatg 4istricts, and would enable many people tsL,gq puiaide the present bouadanes; a3d thereby secure roomier and more healthily-situated' dwellings. than Could be obtainod_within the confines I the city itoelf; i - (Hear, hear.) v Another, indirect ativahtage that would accrue, was that the system would be a lesson to the people, showing theTalue of eleor tricity. Electricity would claim; the future for itself. Lord Kelvin had sail' that the'childfen's children of the present generation -would not. see a drop of watar going over the fallaof Niagara ; it wpuld all be 'used for generating; electrical«foi"ce.Mlt» New Zeaianajthere: was no NiagajcKvbut there> was'sojife--thing that * wai perhaps /better—;a large and widely supply ; SIU 'oter the oolong; r -_W. believed,!_; lha? fature of electricity, and was-coijyitfeed that it would be used to promote the , industrial prosperity of New Zealand, though not, perhaps, in his time. hear.) 'In conclusion, he said he was sure they would join hi; heartily congratulating the Board, the' Company (especially Mr TvE- Taylor, its righthand man), and' also the citusehs upon ,the oonvenieaoe and .comfort'which, would" be secured' by the new - system; (Loud :•' ,-, _ -.;•'. \y ~■;. MR REECE RESPONDS. {n responding to the toast, Mr WI Recce (chairman of the Tramway Board) remarked that there were many, present at that gathering who took part in the formation of the Board— those who might be called the godfathers of the movement-—and he was sure they would, feel that they had worked for a good cause, and would agree tmfV"' owing to the large area affected and the number of local bodies, it was very advisable to form a Tramway Board.! It made them feel old when theyjooked back on the different stages through which locomotion, had passed in Christchurch. He could remember the old bullock dray, with . its picturesque driver, ao<L hia. wierd, and occasionally salphurous, language: Then oame the day of the horse, and he. might express the opinion, by the" way, that they, would never, see 'the ", passing of the horse" carrred. into effect. T_e r rhorw was likely to be come the frjJe_d rather thin the servant , of Iman, and he was glad that, that be «b. ..-|Mexf' they had steam, and that was not likely to pass -away , either, for it had lately been directed into a new channel, and that day they had seen the first'steam turbine'worked in. New Zealand. The nextv,stage brought them that subtle } force' knowp as electric fluid, or, as the, triihwlif men called it t "electric juice." Thotigh perhaps of dissolute habits, electricity was .like the Prodigal,' who generally contrived to return home,, though somei thnes by y«rj devious Referrihg to tbe magnitude of tbe scheme^ - Mr Recce, sa|d that in the early-days of the;jprorince -it, would • havj, -been looked npon^almost ;■•_-a.crime ior a City Council,to put before the<public an undertaking, involving the expendi- ; ture of £300,000, which was to be controlled by a Board. Since then- however, ideas had changed to a great extent, and it was felt that if any profit was to be made out of the use of iheir streets, the ratepayers thenuelves should have it,.-. That feeling was growing" all over the world/and it was recognised that what could be done by a company employing the best skill, could be done by a city also. Dealing with the Tramway Board, b*.po|_te<r bqt th„t the aim had been to look to the future, to some extent. With/especUto,t»>e buildings, they would-have sees that there had been no waste of money in extravagant, ornate 'architecture. The design had been to provide every facility possible, and also leave room for extensions should such become necessary. ■ to the machinery, they had already read in the Proas that it was .of the'rery latest'and most economical kind. The Board ""had. differed as to the type of car to be used, and so it was decided to provide different kinds of can, and leave it U>

'. V ' - , _,'. : '-*il "__♦__. : /_r„a_4" ■4 f the _übllo' ■'W'v {BpV&ii w ™.^^W^fill__ii_i _ ; - wa»i::«et|®r.' ■.• --..Is .;."-.-f»fM_| ;.i .9UloaUy ;; .., s |»«^^mJ^- i , ; ,.«lt* Work "i ! I_£. ft S_Bl I more eOJiveaiew.sor i WJ -._V_?* ; J^__sfflH_ ter r ,arid "more' aatea*t> v - rail As to ;fche;. ; ,§g| been «»n»^ c** at'^ll ■ norma_enfeV'w»yi^WJn%sl^P- , *. i -= n^l - '-_T'_S_| s^s?sß_f__^ , a^ i«en> reading-railway;^ w " *rT _i rh "?i» w*W «Sa when the was ffunder^,()Oa»m»^^ tumiaht all would were How. There woviAjAmOm^m^ T^iS^L^Smm but the- Board liad IpfS had. totem firwt, and they might TOjvgJbS siblo to make reductions >^;Sft_ffi*SS wero running B " <^,j,^ of the trama should pay f maintoimiwe. ferring to the contractors, mented them «^^ B WifflJ| they had done their work. w .i*£Ui «£» amoun* 0* .work the| 'jffiM&m their iende?*at '•*_• X« in Ks£ _rf§___Jlli that they were dMermuioditt. JKgHSH the scheme with' energy.and >WM£2H9 , When -they had secured »« oott^^M| * they 'did thoir utmost: Bcheme to a euc>c««ful. plause.) In conclusion, W .]»§#* W£Sg| XL W*sS& J^j|f||j public, tiSMm thought toj* YUM jMod of. tho. whole; '^^£^£krS«| should look.a* Mo endeavour.>; make a great; fe»-^r^t|«ngHra| with tha aid of the P« b^^MSSSiiil pare favourably _*» i^-v*JSffl&'WHB gr^worM.f<ApplaU^,^^ MR-QEO. g. )9P^mm^ggM .; Mr Geo. G. Stead the toast, had lett hha ::T#H| fell with* oVeraoxiaUy t JM ''they. bad an j»UMMI«QH^H • '»hSfcwaa nnobjiailed WWMJ&mmfflNam w4m_x -i*<ssfe»y^^4^ffl_9lH ;.- tko^PQwer^ ' : Jl«fc3»i*.?^<^^fS2i__Hß C fot.' ./, (Appt|ulß?)M^H t .Recce /nton^ned^a^lW^^^MM fied that it.was the: : nT^|^^^^™ v.: iyfct«irn^^^^^^^^^M| . -inor^ill^^ ' Utid on ejk'i*^A;h^^iPis^^___liH ever, taking:-.tho -^Yni^f'm^iW^W^m^ ' they- would -fijacT it eyorTtiiuagf^^^l^^B ; trom' ths outlying. distriobj^E '' clamouring ■:frj i r;;'ttto^OT J'^ido 6 /grater •y.^stpmthTu^adalready^baill^ '. had mentioned ; to' Mr^ : '' back, >and-that I ;;Hehad^J^W^ \ bad'Cflme to-»Uy'v, : fW^S they ; to the main tram Uielfe^wia)^^^ ■ of grtat conv^oie„e«^>Utt^|i 1 ' of ouflving districU^^AP^««PP|BMM ; . feuring to ■thd:''m6vei^^jpiPMH_HßH r done hia inite; :: .-thjrftt^Sta|^^ " for tha rat^Jwn^ i payers feund'-tho tnjoney^|uiM«^^ [ . 'been - cairod . out., bY i workmen^who livedo ' That, h^thought;>wi»i)»BiMp^^ffl - history of - • the I ■ In .-MtySL^aii^^^^atVmiMW^^^^^^M I ■ which tha toast had heeittj^ j- . received. t CONSmUCTTION^iff^cOT r : Mr"'A.' : iy i ..-''Beaven-; ; *'M^ : New Elcct^ci-'Con^r^ I Company/ and lit doing n| » who had ■ been to the P o^ffiOT ti_jffl_____ y L over- the line, mtut^^co^ij^i^^H^l > required c a gr^'at;'"d<^:f^;e»ha™S^^^^W » .undertake snch a-■woTk^^-^'.■;Tlle| :^B>m|j^^ b had done their work spleMidly>^«iaf|isi^M b rtried'ali t3vrongh^rto'--/-ie^■ fIA^gHHI , venience of th«:_ltifsons;r ! there had been-feuliles.' '!^^ I difficulty- had always been preae-t^agg r l quality^of ;the S H>WW-"inJw^_n^^ 1 ,of the brF feoTid^liir^Sa >'I 'thin seams, / and: 'was'-'^hard^'jlj^tfEpMßMl r The "ootnpany, howeror,vh_a (^j|^B|^^B r. j; bestl' :^-'.''S6^^lQ'c«%^^iP^VP^^H| ••"if'ffrrfll^'iTlTrrfnWfTr^ViJ'TT'ri i ' therefore W"ert'*b]e^^ \ I to '■% j" ' -. the', art elm He- . ;thanks to a-locaTcotoptoy/havh^|6^ - grit W,take such a v^ - tho resirit^.>could^'_.bfe,^f^|;;^ r . - Ih;'j^ym_V'Mr^ : _l?i^ce|^f^^ ) and,said th^.oompany; ;ap<^ 1 ' preciated.'. .very-.:in'rjl^'' : s«^;^iirig'frftt^^^ 1 existed in. regard; to tb^^ondertaluaip^^ r, At.nrst » ft iSwpfet* ta»_||*_M » had been made a work';o|a^( 9 such magnitude fcrX local t he fluent that ii would: l>e , 1 that could opo-rjr lout \- *w»rk^-nO'"iptritter,-of^;;w'halr^ma^i^^ >'- ■ wfcetiief tnecompany^wasK°^M__f^|__l - : they:"hJopedv«o,v hi&mKEßLm b the completion of nine 9 romarkfld, they had °^^___ff'|_i_Bi__p__| - broken metal in ■ , -in .the- estimates.. '.' t, for - t much in,' or' there were^!*?^S___s_S_S - (Laughter.)/Refo^fc'^WWS^ , holders in the^comiwlliyi^^^l^S^^

I"'-'.' iimid at first, but he bad been able to restore confidence, and h« «*as gratified at tho faith reposed in him. * Mr T. E. Tavlor, M.H.K-, also responded, and remarked tliat ho was confident that the fact that a local syndicate had done the work had resulted in ,a saving to the ratepayers. It it had not been known in Britain and America that a local syndicate was prepared to take up tho work, ho felt mm c some '•pooling" arrangement would hatv been made among,t tbe other contractors, with the result that tho cot to the ratepayers would have been nu-rea.-eJ by about £20,000. After rcfermig n the splendid efforts of Mes.-r.s t.. l>o»------ron and J. L. Scott, pi. -uhi.t and engineer of the Company, >!,- J.i-w'-i warmly eulogised the serviceby Mr'L. Bilks, the dec; no.il engimii • They had also had a good .-t.».t «y o-•■« . --. officers. MrChamlHihiin. tne l.'.aHl. .. engineer, had, he remarked, kept ■-■•.• A{- tightly to every de.ad «t th.l ' '«• specifications, and he "a, *■ • ■■'• , - , r -.many countries bad l.c-n M ',',', no- :-: V.. * :,' Board could not have umvi *'. «' iV. ."greater ability or ot more <■>. Mr Chamber am. -• P- • ;'" ; ' s Both he and Mr Birlo "-' ,7 ?„..£" -. . energy and capacity ior woik ih.n n.*oo 'A" ono envy them. Mr Taylor then referred to iht> lac. that Mr Stead bad worked hard. to-; prevent the tramway, * ib :<A*X r) fng into private hoii-j--. > I would bo pl-a-sed now it .Mr M.a,l, . could render assUtiuu-in another y..a i .""- ..- wsheme—tlio municipiuiwuioii m" mic , '•'ft '"'** lighting system, lie knew ih;i. -M- j "Suvad would look at thes, qu-tnm:. ] :•" honestly, and surely it there, w.*, a ': • need for tho tramway -system to.b.-Kng X- ' to the city, there was a much gr.a.er «"•>' need for the city to hold its uglit.ng T system. [Mr Stead: "1 made v proI posal to the City Council to buy the I- gas works seven years ago. ] il** (,Ur f Taylor) agru-d that that was quite true, and ho hoped i-hey would have tho lighting system municipalised before very long. New Zealand should der velop her industrial capacity as wed as her agricultural, and local industries should be encouraged a* much as possible. Ho was pleased to Hear Sir John Hall make-reference to tho duty of tho city to try to secure the control of a largo amount of electrical pow;*r ior other purposes besides the tramways. * The cify had within reach some 3000 or 4000 horse-power which could be worked at very low cost, which would make Christchurch tho> most luxurious / and successful town in the colony.* It* was an urgent duty, for * the City Council'to find out definitely : '•'' whether the Waimnkariri, tho Ruk'i.a, and some other rivers could or coti.'d J ' •- not'.be-used for generating electrical "power." ■ ? «vf." MORE CONGRATULATIONSS&,,' "Tbe Staff of tho Christchurch Tram- .-*&"'*!:. way <jßoard" was proposed by 31 r H. '■i*i' : '. Quano (president of tho Chamber, of : . He referred en!*o'glsti-;'■■■>>-V. 'calfy'to-Messrs F. H. Chamberlain and and expressed pleasure.; at -;: the.fact that many of the drivers and-:,-;•((f conductors of the old company .wero "'£<A. beirigtaken over by the Board. *• '•■ -. toast w : 'ai enthusiastically :A:A$ honoured. ".-'-<•■* '' : ;.-.'■"-'-"..._ >V.-«.;!". In responding, Mr Chamberlain (ene&sffegjrjeer) emphasised the fact that great jf3^'credit "was duo to, the assistants,-;and ■!^'"'"--also'to tho chairman of . tho/'jßoard/ ■$YV'Frb'm his ho certain iMiHtbat the Board was getting the best P'K-i.'system it was. possible to obtain.. He Kl-is'Ould" stake bis reputation that when the'system was completed, it would be.| and would |;feMp^ssasß'rmany advantages over other ffifEf feayatema'-'in. Australasia. ■-■•.. ,' ( > < * TOta *?Y» •*r st> , re * remarked on tho fact that ib^id 1 always 1 ; been * well '.treated g^#W?W : 'jW^';-.'' , Amoxigit - theTp^bers fflmtitijox. aWftioo: • the' most, »raw«s' »WbigaVhM';exmed,- and that was irfrrgely good humour of. Wp'^Sft-frOTgtaeer.'. " ' He |'.-fei^'.sure-'- those. cordiality would cbli"The. Staff, of te;,th^l.'-Ck)Mtructien■ " and. declared a-bettw rian than W Burks could Ir*ve been.seotired anywhere.. Ho KSiwaa tdid , thAt 'AVherever v possible tno} WMOmaKiy local men when -. .their J staff, and tho: result had ,■-'/-; '*- Wff-;'lfrlifeßirM" gratefully ackpowledged eH^iholtoa*;*: ; aM^refflarl^-thaV-w»t h on* manvhad", beett- Idcal-y lSP+*&cevttrfflUiered''by oi ..thee;.f ; :t'glSJjt-'aJid spoke vrith-ftppreciation of ! thc KJWiit -wnich:ftey^ been'-met U S-||<4&tdirefAers. .• tmwith'- -Boa »f ,o*Hhc*ugh disputes had at -times arisen) WS^'and'-'luw-had tb;bo settled. ; A=k■ "-..:- PE^VS:«'#roposißj{' "The. City Council cn>r withisatistaction to the' assist-' Tramway Board by* local hedies. '. "■--' '<T0',:..; .'Maybr \ilr C. M. Gray)* with name the toast wntficoupledj said prepared a: but as it was ||;-v'. -getting-so late ho would not inflict it op / fefetbimti He would refer them, however, %'iSMU*Jast''Saturday's "Press," in tvhich a m&Avory- good report of his remarks on tht ■ •*.» mM:AI%o -.toast;of>-"The Ladies" was pro-|PjflK>»sd'-by,MrP.'M. B. Fisher 7 MiH.R., ai*^.responded to by Mr A. Henderson. Mr J. J. WA^ .Inferred yin complimentary to the high characfeV of tho and especimentioned the full descriptions they given of the tramway ivorks. He jM" ! ' : : : 'coupled with the toast the name of Mr B. Griggs, editor Of "Tho-Press." }p^'.-**''Mr'"-Triggs,'in replying said it had M:AyA been "his pleasure to travel in electric pf'vtrama in-many places. The most luxttwas in Milan, and the |Si' : oheapeat in Glasgow, where there were *&-A halfpenny sections. But for dealing s&v*"'-:-'wtth large numbers of people and for jgetierar "hustle" tho St. Louis trams ?■,?,' v.'toOk.urst place. He could honestly say, •jf; ' hbweveT, that wherever ho had been no had never seen "a more complete and jrift!;, ".modern system than tho one which had *,sj ■;?; .'.been' inaugurated that day. 5V '; WELL-MERITED THANKS. "vS'-'v .Before the gathering dispersed, Jlr ,'.-. r '' Stead said there-was one toast they must honour, and that was ''Tho Chair•j, man."' Mr Stea<l w-ont on to worm.y .eulogise tho assiduity with which Mr .- Recce had corrie<l out the duties of ,vs i Office ns chairman. Every day of the week except Snuday ho had attended' %-,"■ ; the office of the Board, nnd spent /us i . time looking after the rate pa vers' ?-V- finances and interests. They could not -'"'•" part without drinking his health. (Loud applause.) The toast was ivarmly honoured, and !, , Mr Recce returned thanks in h sen- : -tenee, remarking that the work had been a pleasure. '■•-.;. It was six o'clock when the ceremony concluded.