BUILDERS’ BANQUET.

Evening Star, Issue 10399, 21 August 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

BUILDERS’ BANQUET.

A banquet in honor of the annual meeting of the Dunedin Builders’ Association was held in the the European Hotel last evening. The president (Mr 6. Clark) occupied the chair, being supported on the right by Mr R- Crawford (vice-president) and on the left by MrG. Simpson (secretary), -About seventy-five gentlemen sat down to the tallies, and after justice had been done to the sumptuous repast tho toast list was taken up. The Chairman intimated that apologies for non-attendance had been received from Mnrnsoa, M.H.R., Mr J. Hislop, and Mr E. M. Roach. r

The toast of “ The Queen” was proposed, by the Chairman, and responded to by Mr R. Crawford, who urged on all the young men present the advantages ■to be gained from joining the volunteer force of the colony,

Mr J. Lunn, in a few complimentary remarks, proposed' ‘ TheParliament,’’coupled with the name of Mr J. A. Millar, M.H.R. Mr Millar, in reply, thanked the company for the cordial manner in'which they had received the toast. It was quite refreshing to hear the Parliament spoken of in such complimentary terms. It was a thing .one was not usually accustomed to—(laughter)—and it was only on convivial occasions such as this that they were called “jolly good fellows.” —(Laughter.) He was sorry that his colleague (Mr Scobie Mackenzie) was not present, because if there was one person who could touch upon a subject in a light manner it was Mr Mackenzie.—(Hear, hear.) Unfortunately the speaker had not the gift of treating the question in the same pleasing and taking' manner. Some people said that when Mr Mackenzie and the speaker were conv pared they represented the gay and the g^ave. —(Laughter.) So fkr as the present Parliament was concerned he said there had ' been little time to judge it, but he believed ih&t tho members would as conscientiously endeavor to do their duty as any who had been in the House.before them.—(Applause.) Oneoftenheard persons eomparingthepresent Parliament with Parliaments of the past, and, truthfully, they pointed out that former members of Parliament had great ability. They heard the Foxes, the Pitzherberts, and thoStaffords, and-other men talked of, but he Would say that in making any comparison between the men of to-day and the men of the past it was only fair to also compare the questions dealt with to-day with the questions dealt with twenty years ago.—(Hear hear.) The conditions of life had com-' pletely altered, and wore daily altering all the world over, and as they altered it was necessary to legislate so.as to cope with the altered conditions. And it was to be remembered that they were to some extent treading in unknown paths, with no finger posts to guide them—they had not the advantage of previous experience to help them - so that it was likely that mistakes would be made, but they were nob wilful, because the endeavor of Parliament was to do the beat for the colony as a whole.—(Applause.) Mr F. W. Petre, in proposing “The Builders’ Association,” said that tho Association was formed at a time when building was at a low ebb. There now seemed to be an upward tendency in every way, and he thought increase of prices was a great sign of prosperity. Everybody must be associated nowadays, the tendency of all governments being for association. He hoped that the example set by tho builders would be followed by his fellow-chips. They had srea a great deal of benefit derived by the Builders’ Association, and the architects knew perfectly well they would have a great deal to be thankful fox if they followed the footsteps of tho builders, but somehow they had not joined together. la his opinion the architects and engineers of New Zealand should form one association, and they would thereby be able to arrange mtny difficulties, which were sore points in everyday business. At present they were the u itnesaes of the starting of an era of a much more permanent style of building in the City than they had had in tho past. Already they saw many instances of that, in Dunedin especially, and people would soon awake to the fact that to build in a temporary fashion was like throwing money into the sea. New Zealand was no longer an unknown spot. They were now known, and the proof of that was that money was cheaper here than in any of the great capitals of Europe.— (Hear, hear.) All things of a temporary nature would disappear, and it behoved everybody id this country to turn their attention to that fact. They were, he was sure, on the starting point of a much more permanent style of buildings. In the past the Builders’ Association had done a certain amount of work, but in the future they had a greater amount cf work before them. Speaking of the volunteers, Mr Petre said that the volunteers in this colony received about as much encouragement as a mud lark in a mud bank.—(Hear bear.) He was at a loss to understand how volunteer corps existed here at all. They should have greater privileges. Ho joined with; Mr Crawford ia hoping that ail young builders and young architect would become volunteers, for there was this to be said i if-they dm nob they would have to become militiamen, and the life of the militia was not so happy as that of the volunteers.

The Chairman', in reply, said the past year had been rather uneventful. He might mention one matter, however. A notice had been served on about a dozen of the builders calling on them to register under the Factories Act, while about fifty or sixty who had no shops were allowed to go scot free. The inspector of factories had been interviewed on the matter, and jt was pointed out to him that it was-unfair to call on those who had shops to register while those who had no shops could do what they pleased. The inspector seemed to favor that view, and, in fact, appeared to think that it was more necessary to get those fifty or sixty registered than the dozsn, and had therefore ceased to enforce the Act until Parliament met, when some modification might be made in the Act to make all register. The year had been one of great activity in tho building trade, but, unfortunately, the prices had not gone up m proportion. The fact of the matter was there had been a slight decrease. A great deal of what was called illegal trading was going on—that was, some firms bolstered up shady men against bona fide builders, which was a very unjust thing to men who paid 20 1 in the £. The result of it might be that all would be brought to the same level. They claimed to be a progressive community, but, so far as the building trade was concerned, it was far, behind what it was in the Old Country. In Eagland builders met the architects and discussed matters affecting the trade. Leading architects said there was no reason why everything should not be shown on the plans and specifications, and if any architect didnot comply with that he shguld provide a contingent money clause for things he did not show, ’

. Mr C. E. Geobge proposed “The Architects.” He was sure that in their inmost hearts they felt very proud of their architects. (Applause.) They always endeavored to treat their little frailties and eccentricities of drawing with the best possible good humor.—(Applause and laughter.) Mr R. Forrest and Mr F. W. Petre responded.

“ Allied Trades ” was proposed by Mr Annand, and responded to bv Mr A. Gillies.

Mr G. Simpson proposed “The Local Manufacturers.” He said that if they hoped to be a successful nation nothing was moreimportant than that they should support the local industries, and he-was proud to see so many chimney-stacks springing up in our towns—they were a sure index of prosperity/ —(Applause.) He coupled with the toast the name of Mr F. Oakden.

Mr Garden, in reply, said that if a person visited Wellington the people there would tell “This is the place.” Wellington,he admitted, through its geographical position, would be the distributing port of the colony. They could have that. Dunedin was the manufacturing centre, and -it must succeed as such.

“The Hostess,” the last toast on the programme, was drunk with enthusiasm. . During the evening a musical and elocutionary programme of a most enjoyable character was carried out, those who took part in it being Messrs J. Carter, R. C. Torrance, R. Anderson, A. M'Gill, Springer, J. Thomson, Ross, Burgess, and others. . gathering dispersed at midnight after singing ‘ Auld lang syne.’