GATHERING OF IRONMASTERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 77, 24 December 1907, Page 8

GATHERING OF IRONMASTERS.

•■•'■: ■.■■■■ .- ' V. •-. r~n~\.:%■.:■■■'■ '::■:■' COMPLUIENTAIiy ; . DINNER. :■ : / ,- of the:, local association, of. ironmasters Room's, Cuba.:Street;'■to\ l do hp'nour- to',twb of the oldest members of the 'tradeV:Mpssrs'. 'E. 'Se'agar anid H.' Gaby, vihp~ have 'now/'retirod from- actjve' business. ■'■' ; ",.'\ ",v' ■'. '• The ! lpyal toast having: b,ceh honoured,..tne Chairman, Jl.r.''.•W.' Crabtroe, "proposed , the toast, of .'"Our, Guests.":-, Mr. Seoga'r, lie said, had been one;-of the pioneers of the ;iron trade in New Zealand,-and had earned their esteem, by his' straight'-.dealing- and 'sterling. liQiiosty.'. Mr.' Gaby.'had .ii'ot! been 'Sq long associated ' with : the -trado . as Mr. '.'Se'aßa'rV having : previously' been'a sawniiller andthen a soap manufacturer,.' J He was, however, one of the pioneers of the Dominion. Ho congratulated both gentlemen on the fact that they had, after years of honest effort, earned for '.themselves a • competency, and wore now able to retire. '

/■Mr. J. P. Luke said lie .considered'that this function was a happy idea, ' and regretted the absence''of one of their .oldest members, Mr. W\ Cable, who was '■ aivay from tin; Dominion. 'As President of the Ironmasters' Association,' ho congratulated their guests on 'being''able 'to' retire.' and enjoy ' tli'o .autumn of their lives in''.'• wellearned rest. Members of the iron: trade-in Auckland had. asked him, when' in that,city .recently,; to convey' their . heartiest' •good wishes ! .'to .Messrs'. .o aby .and Seagar, and^ did :so ' witlv great pleasure.'. Mr... Seagar's name was .well known', throughout". the •'Doniinioii, arid the Seagar family had been intimately . connected with the trade for many-years. ''_ "When •-.his- (the- speaker's) family arrived in New: Zealand in' IS74;.Mr. Soagar engaged his father and his'■ two elder'brothers in his establishment.' At- that time Seagar's. foundry .was'the principal engineering firm in Wellington: Both Mr. Seagar and Mr. (Jaby had battled liard in the; industrial , ' world. Thoy were inen of moro than ordinary capacity an,d resource! .■•Mγ. p. Robertson endorsed the x remarlcs of the previous speakers. Harking back : tb old;'times,' ho remarked that' those wore strenuous' days. They had not the ' ap : pliahces then that thoy had now, and capacity and resource .were tho qualities which counted. He well' remembered the beginnings of tho Lion Foundry. Mr. Robertson then gave ; somb interesting' reminiscences',°of their . early., struggles,' and ■ described the pioneering work doilo by Mr. Gaby, who was sawmilling in the Pelorus" district at the time when he (the speaker) was at work' in that locality. Mr. Gaby represented the type of man they badly wanted. Ho regretted to note ■ a relasiilg in the present generation of workers, of that spirit of rosburco and energy displayed in the work of'the early pioneers. Tho Hon. C. M. Luke; speaking from twenty-eight years' association with the trade, also dpscribed tho difficulties which beset tho engineers of tho early.days. Mr.' Cable, jun., added a few words on behalf of his father's firm. Tho toast was heartily honoured.

Replying to previous speakers, Mr; Beagar urgeu thoso present to work together." Less work and bettor prices were preferablp' to out-fchroat competition. Ho wished his successors in tlio business (Messrs. Hutchison and Campbell), and also' " tho 'firm of M'Koegan Bros., successors to Mri Gaby, every success. Mr. Gaby gave an interesting resume of his career. So had como of a family of lawyers, arid liad himself been trained for the legal profession'. Ho camo out to Now Zealand in 1857, when Wellington was a fishing village with a'population of about 2000. ' Ho began first as a floiirmillor in 13G2. Flour was then sold at £25 per ton. Ho was then attracted to Gabriel's Gully in tho days of tho gold fever, but ho had not dono so wojl there. Bread sold for ss. per 'lib. loaf in those days, and lirowood cust in cartago £5 per load. . Ho was practically tho pioneer sawmiller,'in tho l'elorus district. His engino cost him £100 in freight alono. In 1870 ho visited England, and on his return set up as a soap and caiidlo manufacturer, aftorwards selling out to Messrs. Kitchen.

Other toasts wore "Tho Now Firms," proposed by tho Chairman, and responded to by Mr. C. M'Kccgan, for tho firm of M'Kcegan Bros., and Messrs. Hutchison and .Campbpll, tho members of. tho lattor firm. " Tho Chairman," .proposed by Mr. O. Winder, vraa ropliod to by Mr. Orabtrep. " Tho Secretary to tho Association," proposed by Mr. Seagar, wa.s rpsporided to by Mr. H. F. Allen; secretary, to the Ironmasters' . .■ ..