HON. G. FOWLDS. HONOURED BY HIS COLLEAGUES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 21, 26 January 1911, Page 3

HON. G. FOWLDS. HONOURED BY HIS COLLEAGUES.

CONGRATULATORY SPEECHES. Sir Joseph Ward and his Ministerial colleagues entertained the Hon. G. Fowlds at dinner last night in celebration of his return from South Africa, where he had represented New Zealand at the opening of the Union Parliament. Sir Joseph Ward occupied the chair, and the gathering consisted almost solely of heads of departments, together with a few others prominent in the public life of the city. After the toast of "The King," Sir Joseph Ward proposed " Our Guest," which was received with loud applause. Speaking ' to the toast, Sir Joseph said it waa only some four months ago that Mr. Fowlds left New Zealand to represent it at a great historical event, carrying with him the kindly sentiments of the people of New Zealand, who noted with pleasure the cordial spirit in which the expression of those sentiments was received. It was 'a source of great gratification that Mr. Fowlds had worthily sustained the name of New Zealand in every possible way, and _ that he had carried out his duties in a manner thoroughly worthy of the occasion and creditable to himself. There were none more delighted to have Mr. Fowlds back than his colleagues in the Ministry, who had noted with pleasure the manner m which their colleague had carried out his responsible and important duties. He was pleased to see such a large and influential gathering assembled to wish Mi. Fowids "welcome home." They were also all glad to again see Mr. W. Crow, private secretary to Mr. Fowlds, who had accompanied the Minister on the trip. (Cheers.) Tbe toast was drunk with musical honours. The Hon. G. Fowlds, m replying, said it was a great pleasure to a public man to find that the way in wnich he had conducted his mission had met with \ the- general approval of his fellow citi- ! zens. He felt that he had great reason i to be satisfied with reports of his sayings and doings which had reached New Zealand, so that he had hesitancy in speaking to any extent regarding his visit. He nrassb, however, express appreciation of the great kindness shown to himself and his "party in South Africa. It was all that could be desired, 'and everywhere the most friendly feeling was evinced towards New Zealand by the of South Africa. Nowhere was there any resentment shown towards New Zealand for haring sent contingents during the Boer war. The Dutch appeared 'to have entered fully into the spirit of British citizenship, and regarded themselves as another branch of the same great family. The qualities the Dutch . had exhibited in the past worfld, it might be relied on, maanfest themselves in loyalty and adherence to the British Empire. (Applause.) Mr. Fowlds went on to give several instances he had noticed while in South Africa of the loyalty of the -Boera to the British Empire, even to the extent of offering service whenever , difficulty arose, and he declared that he had no doubt whatever of the genuineness of tbe- sentiments so expressed. All fully and fraaikly acknowledged feat the British connection was beneficial and essential, and in that respect they, as earnest South Africans, were loyal to that connection. He looked forward to that phase of South Africa without any misgivings whatever. (Applause.) As to the "black" problem, he said he did not think there was any danger of a united native rising, at any rate for a great ,many years to come, that would endanger the white civilisation, but they still had to solve the problem of how to deal with the blacks, because he and others felt that- unless the whites used their civilisation to uplift the blacks, the right of the white people to be there at. all was open to question. (Applause.) He had thoroughly enjoyed his visit, and it had been one of the privileges of his life to meet so many of the men who had helped to make the history and were now controlling the destinies of South Africa. He was very much struck with the spirit- that was growing among the people of South Africa, particularly of Rhodesia. They were, he felt sure, the kind of people capable of giving realisation to the ideals- that Rhodes and they possessed. In spite, however, of the attraction of South Africa, he was glad to get back, and felt that "New Zealand is good enough for me." His Honour Mr. Justice Edwards proppsed the toast of "Parliament," and in doing so congratulated Mr. Fowlds on the way in which he had acquitted himself in "representing, not the Government, not Parliament, but the people of New' Zealand, on an occasion which was the most wonderful that had happened during the past hundred years. (Applause.) As for the toast, he said he believed that the Parliament of New Zealand, for sincerity of purpose, for incorruptibility and honesty, would rank with any Parliament in the world. (Renewed' applause.) The Hon. T. K. Macdonald, M.L.C., the Hon. J. Rigg, M.L.C., Mr. W. Fraser, M.P., and Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., responded to the toast. Mr. Macdonald congratulated Mr. Fowlds on the way in which he had represented the Dominion in Soutfh Africa. Speaking more directly to the toast, the Hon. J. Rigg said he had never known a member nominated to the Council who had been asked to pledge himself to the Government in any shape or form, while the Council heldsa sufficient majority to reject any proposal which was against the interests of the democracy. (Applause.) Mr. Rigg also paid a high tribute to the tactful manner in which the Council was led by the Hon. Dr. Findlay, but the fact that there was an absence of disagreement in the Council was no proof of the lack of independence of its members. Mr. W. Fraser said it was an old saying that every country was as well represented in Parliament as it deserved to be. That was the proper answer to those who spoke sneeringly about Parliament. (Applause.) Mr. Field also congratulated the Hon. G. Fowlds "on the excellent manner in which he had represented the Dominion in South Africa. As to Parliament, he said . that as a member of the Lower House he felt nattered at the words that had fallen from his Honour Mr. Justice Edwards (Applause.) The health of the chairman was proposed by the Hon. G. Fowlds, who expressed his appreciation of the action of Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues in tendering him that welcome. He had always found Sir Joseph Ward loyal to his friends in the Cabinet, the members ot which regarded him with pride and affection. Sir Joseph Ward briefly responded. Mr. J. Hislop, private secretary to the Prime Minister, proposed the toast of Mr. W. Crow, private secretary to the Hon. G. Fowlds, and who accompanied him to South Africa. The toast was heartily drunk, and Mr. Crow responded in felicitous terms, "Auld Lang Syne" brought the proceedings to a close.