COMPLIMENTARY LUNCHEON

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18135, 26 July 1924, Page 4

COMPLIMENTARY LUNCHEON

TO MR GEORGE HARPER. Mr George Harper, who has been solicitor for the Waipara County Council for 45 years, was entertained at a luncheon held in'* the Council Chambers at Waibari on Thursday. Mr JS. D. Campbell pesided over a large gathering. V After the loyal toast had been honoured, the chairman proposed "Our Guests," saying that he was dou y pleased to he able to do so as Mr Harper was, like himself, an Etonian It was in the year 18<9 that At, Hartier first became associate! vwtn the countv or road board as. it was then and' since that year the»r puest had woven his name into the history of the district. The record of the road board and of the county was one of progress hosed on economical admmstration To-day, the nublic debt was only £l2 000, and behind the hoards rd councils had the <ioiind advice and assistance of their es Scl His of drainage and water rrrhts had led the council ont of many diffi. had been stated on eood aiithnntv many pending; law suits asrainst the council had been withdrawn when it had been found that Mr Harper wasjoin? to act on the councils behalf. "On local body law and finance his opinion has cayied out the Dominion," said Mr Campbell "and his by-laws are sound, and havn met with nnprovnl when y. the Courts. He has guided this county safely Pve and dunne: that time th s council has never be°n implicated in „nv litigation whatever, escort thj brought about by a foreman contrary to instructions. That, in itself, is a great record. He added that he was only one of the second generation who was carry-"™-who was trving to pay a shpht tribute to their esteemed guest. Li wnclnsion, he could say no more than to qnnte a well-to ownph rase which was annli-able to Mr Harper-' Si ranmmentum requiris, circumspice you seek his monument look around. After the toast had,been drunk M Campbell presented Mr Harper with a silver salver, with an engraying suitable to the occasion. Sir George Clifford said that nothing of recent times had given him more pleasure than to be present in order to pay a tribute to Mr Harper. For forty-five years the advice and assistance' of their guest had been invaluable. It was a difficult matter for him to sav all that was in his mind, i it was difficult for him to stand face to face to a friend and tell him all | that one thought of him. In P lay I the part of a candid friend, there was I nothing that l.e could find with whrb to accuse Mr Harper. During the many years' experience as chairman or the Road Board, it had been a great pleasure to meet Mr Harper. Iheir guest had helped them all through the years to pass over all their questions without troublei Water rights and boundaries had invariably—been settled by Mr - Harper, and the district owed a debt of gratitude to him. The speaker was sure that all would join with him in expressing their gratitude to Mr Harper for his assistance all through that time. Messrs A. Todd, 0. Evans and J. Jones, also spoke appreciatively of Mr Harper's services. "In all the years I have been connected with the council I have only done by duty," said Mr Harper, after he had expressed the pleasure he felt at being the guest. His. connexion with road bords had been oyer a great number of years, and later he had been connected with county councils and land drainage board. It had been a ! special hobby of his. and he had watched them grow up and attain their present activity. He had been pleased to work for them, and it had been his duty to try, and act as an arbiter and judge in bringing about settleI ments. In 1863 or 1864 the Road Boards Acf was first passed by the Provincial Government but it was not until 1872 ,that a workable Boards Act had been passed. That legislation had been taken from a splendid .old English Act had been passed in the reign of William IV. and which now went under the name not of the Highways Act but of "the" Act and with only a couple of amendments this Act was in force until the present day. With the coming of the County Councils Act the law had been amended almost yearly up to the present day and it waß a marvel to him that the county clerks and local authorities had been able to keep up to all these amendments, but they, had done so * . ~ .j "I am getting on m years said Mr Harper "and I will soon have to I give up most of my work. I cannot hope I to have your confidence as your legal adr/iser for much longer but until 1 do retire I hope to do as well lor you as in the past. This is a unique occaI sion, and the first I think of its kind in C anterbury, as far as are I concerned.. * They are usually paid j their money and not given another ; thought." He added that he was ! thankful, not only for the testimony, but for the kind way in which they i had given it to him and for the can- . did—knowing them to be sincere—ex- ! pressions they had made regarding i In proposing the toast of the exi councillors, Mr D. J. Doak referred to i the present generation's indebtedness [ towards the men who had given their i | time, towards the laying-out of the

_ ; Messrs J. Jones ana T. E. L. Roberts responded. . Mr T. Lindsay, clerk of the council, proposed the toast of the adjoining members of the Highways Group 13. He referred to the need for good roads and of the difficulties of maintaining roads. He said that the Main Highways scheme would eventually result in better roads. Sir M. Bethell, in response, said that the people must not expect too much at once, but he was sure that the time was coming when they would have really good roads. Other toasts honoured were:—"The Waipara County Council, "proposed by Mr O. Evans, response by the chairman, Messrs Doak and H. E. Finchham; "The Chairman, V proposed by Sir George Clifford, and "The Press," proposed by Mr T E. L. Roberts, replied to by Mr E. C. Huie.