CHEVIOT A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13717, 26 April 1910, Page 4

CHEVIOT A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

THE ANNUAL DINNER

The annual dinner of the Cheviot

Agricultural and Pastoral Assoeiat'on was'held in the Mackenzie Hall on Saturday evening. Mr Robert Sluss, thr> .president of the Association, occupied the chair, and about fifty members of the organisation were present at the I function, which passed off most successfully. _ A long toast list was honoured, and in the- intervals between the speeches musical items were rendered by Messrs C. Holton, A. S. Allen, J. Sepie, and T. Cutler, Mr 0. Chapman officiating at the piano. Mr l>. Sustins also gave an excellent recitation.

After the toast of "The King" lad •been honoured, Mr G. W. Forbes, M.P., in replying to the toast of "The New Zepland Legislature," (proposed by Mr 'Laiigecon, said of th© many Rood speakers in the House, he considered Mr T. ,E. Taylor the best. He jvas fluent, incisive, and clear, and besides that he was one of the keenest critics in Parliament, and 'could generally n;anage to malse the meet hardened politician squirm in his eeat when be '• started in to criticise his manners and customs. No matter how tough his Par. liamentary hide tres, Mr Taylor was iiswafe, in finding the weak j spot, and though" lie(tho speaker) did' , , not identify himself with all Air Tay-! lor's tenets by any means, yet he mnst give him the praise due to him as ono of the best, if not the best, speaker in ' the House. As for the personnel of the House in general, ho thought there was certainly a change since twenty years -or so ago. The members now seemed to be "more' alike—to be cast very much in the same mould, and there were considerably fewer men. viho stood strongly out from tlieir fellowsand showed distinct characteristics of their own. For all that,-lie considered that as far as the business of the Legislature was concerned, it was carried out as well now as ever, and with ;i £reat deal more decorum than existed in Australia or even in England. Fortunately, there had never been any of those disgraceful scenes of violence that had marred the narmorij? of other ParliuTuente, and this state of affairs he put down to a great extent to- the.; beneficent mle, kindly yet of the Lau> fv.vaker of the House. Sir Maurice O'Rorlte, who had kept the niembers in order with a firm hand. While the-present .Speaker, the Hon. A R. Guinness, was well up in all the lav.? of debate, yet he fancied he had not- {iiiitc ihe same grip of-tho house ns his pr«lei*essor had, and he could detect a certain amount of creeping; in with regard to the manners of the members, which did not d:sjihiy the same punctilio as before. Ho thought that the present Parliament \v«s composed of men who were sincere end who, in different ways perhaps, had the good of the country as a whole at heart. Great changes 'were taking place now owing, to the universal suftroge and the spread of education, which would necessitate very careful statesmanship, but for all that he did not think the Labour .warty would make great headway in New Zealand, a≤ most people recognised that tb© Dominion had a really progressive Legislature.

Mr G. Tabart proposed the toast of "The Cheviot A. and P. Association," and the president, Mr R. Slos's, responded. Mr T. Gee, the (secretary, made a statement that showed that the Association had spent about £182 in cash for the three years it had been running, the expenditure bein-j; for permanent impiovernents. Besides this, a large amount of ivork had been done gratis by members of the Association, which would represent an expenditure of at least £S6. so-they might say the permanent improvements effected had a value of about £269 to £270, which j he thought was highly creditable. Thoyj owed no one a penny, and had a. credit balance of £16 10s—(Applause)— notwithstanding the deficit on the special train from Chrislchnrch, which had been covered by several generous ex-h:Vi:-ors reti.rninc; their prize motty. The entries had ris<m steadily from 800 hi lfK)7, 700 in 1808. to SCO in 19()9, ond next year he hoped they would reach four figures. There had hwv grave doubts a<; to the •wisdom of starting tlu; Anweiatioti in the first place, tint on Mr M. Murphy's advice it'had been organieed and had proved a creat success.

Tin? President then pre'euted tlie fiilver cup, given l>y him for the v.-innrr < I the greatest number of ,;«:nts ontrside tbo produce rhwl. to Mr J. McQueen, Sir Charles Cnrnnbo!l r s tr.ni,:igor, as the lattr-r exhibitor was the winner of the rup. Mr D. McTafr.cart's silrpr run. for the ivinner of nxist }K>ints inside the produce pjied. went to Mi?a K. Maolarcn. who i-.nd scored heavily in the classes for cookery and i)resprvns.

The healths of the president, sc-re- I tarr, treasurer, wmmitter, and snl>scrtbers and exhibitors were propo-wd by Messrs T. Sulltfan. W. M. Cottrtll. C. W. Lee. J. OHiver. D; Sirsfins. ami A. S. AHcn, end suit-ahlv responded to hv Messrs R. Slose. T. G«w. Li Madden, M. MoOucon, l>. McToctrart. 0. Tabart, C. W. T-00. S. Pettinaell, J. Auld, and W. O'Brien.