COMPLIMENTARY DINNER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 236, 29 June 1908, Page 9

COMPLIMENTARY DINNER.

SEVERAL TOASTS HONOURED. INTERESTING SPEECHES. Tho teams wero entertained at dinner at tho Grand Hotel in tho evening by tho Now Zealand Ku'gby "Union. Mr. G. I'\ C. Campboll (president) was chairman, and those present included His Excolloncy tho Governor (Lord Plunkct), tho lliglit Hon. tho Premier (Sir Joseph Ward), and the Mayor (Hon. T. W. Hislop). After the usual loyal toast had been enthusiastically honoured, His Excolloncy tho Governor proposed tho health of the membors of the British team. It had, ho said, given him great pleasure to attend tho

match. Tlio Britishers, who wero real : good sportsmen, hud put up /as; good a'fight;, as tlio " All Blacks " could have wished'for. So long us the Mother Country and;thc Colonics produced such lino specimens of .'maiiljo6d,' the stability of the Empiro,. waS .. assured.;, (Loud applause.) ■;

FATE AGAINST TliK VISITORS. Captain Harding, in reply,. said,that ho did; not know whether his team had shown that' the good opinion formed-of it-after 1 tho initial match had been justified. 1 ; They, liad won some matches, and had lost ..others..'...Ho did not wish to make, any excuses, liut it could not be denied that they -had been unkindly dealt with by Fate.. Owing to- tlio number of injuries that had been, sustained, it had hardly over been possible to put. a really good side in tho field. In every instance, they had done their best to put up a good fight and play a clean gamo. (Applause.) The team hoped to have better, luckin tlio North Island than they--'had-had on their Southern tour. Everywhere they- had been they had received every kindness. Ho was especially thankful for what had been clone for him whilst ho was laid up. The visitors might not perhaps-look at- football in such a serious light as . the- N ew Zealanders did, but when they went on .to tlie, field they were quito as keen. (Applause.) Some people, had said that; t-hoy-took-things too easily, .whereas as a:\niattor ..-df.- fact training was always tho first consideration,. The present team had trained. harder than that which came out in'l9o4. " Members of the team would always remember; the'kindness which had been extended-to them -in New Zealand, especially what'liad been dono by the New Zealand Union ■ to, niako their: stav so pleasant. (Applause.) Tho health of tlio members of tho New Zealand team was proposed, by. J)r.-.P. FM'Evedy, vice-captain of-tho'Britishers. New Zealanders had, he remarked, already left their mark on tho""scr6ll of fame in the football,world. In his opinion, the tour of the "All Blacks'' 'had done more good to football tlian most enthusiasts of the present feneration calculated. ((Applause.)- The football which they had, ..met;., with..in.. Now Zealand was of the highest possible "grade'. They could not help admiring tho keenness of the New Zealanders " and "tlie' brilliance of their play. - • .«•

Air. J. Hunter (captain of the New.. Zea.and team), in the course of a brief response declared that the Britishers. ,a .finelot of sportsmen. He felt sure that they would get the best time New Zealand could give them. The best'that'could "be-said of the game that day lavas' J;hnt-.ii was. a beast of'a. game. Tliq; :\ye_qthe.r .r.vrns, Jjie; understood, a fair sample ;q£ I ,pWjeJ[)m|son j weather. (Laughter.) Ho'Vas'cerfaiirthair the visitors would be delighted'ii-ben I 'they'' got a little further North. •

, REMARKS BY TEE PREMiER. Tho Rt. Hoii. Sir Joseph- Ward,- in proposing tho toast of Rugby Unions, pointed'out-'howi-much^Ncw l Zealand was-indebted those .'Unions-for having sent out : the'-British team.' 'As'-ono'-of' the public men of the country, ho de-sired-to say that tho people: h'bped 'the. visitors would carry away witlr ' them ''-happy'• memories of their brief—stay in tho Dominion. That tho Scottish;;aivd;.lrish Unions did not send representatives was not. the fault of tho English and Welsh authorities. Ho had not been awartffffiat there had been rumours to tlio the Britishers <roro not doing- 'sufficient'';''training, but ho could tell Captain Harding that; if he occupied the position which,'-ho-'"(Sir -'Joseph) did, rumours would be Mmmtbrial-tfr'.him/ His own- belief was. that;-thq^ was i;V good fettle when it landed, "aiid "that when it left it would not be'"in anx' ; worse' fettle/ Anybody- who had seen them'^play'that-,ddy. would not say that they!" were-in 1 - indifferent fettle, i .It could notbe gain said"'that; the; team, had tho worst Personally ' lie had' 1 '; rievbr /■''seeh'-i-'a better contested' or' , Mhore'--' , 'intef(S"stihg ; ' game in _ his life. ""'(Applause.) Ho felt certain, that.'.Capta'inTrHUiVterAwould agree that tho New Zea,la9cli?rs,.had to play their hardest in order not toj.lose .th.e, gaipe. It was pleasing to. noto. tlvat ■ who had been a mem6e^: , s>f".'th<t. , 'cxc6iiy%Jbf the English Union for a, .'.6onM,deraßle:''jj"eriod,'. had done as much as. anVbod^,';.tp:;.prpser f vo tho . amateur. sido of football.. ' Sir^also referred- to' the go(S.:wbrk ? 'do.no. m'.tnis regard by the veteran land Hill,, and by -Mr. belonged to New Zealand;^r 4 "']fiirebnetusidii,' expressed a'hope that another'amaieUr team would be sent Home itithih;'.'th.e;.aicxt'''twb or three years. ' (Applause;);..,