BANQUET TO THE PREMIER.

Feilding Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 1407, 11 April 1902, Page 2

BANQUET TO THE PREMIER.

Telegraph, tr^s £ swoeiation. <;oDyngbt Wellington, April 10. The Premier was entertained at a banquet at the Empire Hotel this evening, when there was a large and representative gathering of citizens. The Mayor, Mr J. G. Aitken, presided. . The toasts honoured were "The Governor," and " The Guests of the evening," The latter was proposed by Sir James Prendergast, who paid a tribute to the humanity and bravery of the troops in South Africa. He also eulogised the services of the Premier to the Empire in regard to the war, and hoped advantage would be taken of tha Coronation to show the world the solidarity of the Empire. The colony, he said, could not be better represented on that occasion than by Mr Seddon (cheers). He manifestly possessed the capacity of guaging public opinion, and announcing what was likely to be acceptable to the people. Dr Grace, M.L.C., supported the toast, and said that although he had differed from Mr Seddon politically, he admired the sagacity of the Premier, and what he had done for the colony. The Premier replied in a speech freely punctuated with applause, and announced that he had just received the following communication from Allardyce, Administrator of Fiji :— " Desire to offer you and the people of New Zealand congratulations on the occasion of this colony being connected with New Nealand by cable. (Loud and continued applause) That communication was only the forerunner of a much closer communication with Fiji. (Hear, hear). When Lord Roberts left South Africa he naturally thought his work was over, but the Boers had been misjudged. When Lord Kitchener took charge it was naturally expected that the kid gloves would be removed and war would be war, but pressure from outside nations or the timidity of the Imperial Government intervened, and the encouragement which had been given to the Boers by the speeches of some of the statesmen at Home had prolonged the war. He said, m the representative of this colony, if the necessity and the occasion arose, he would speak out his mind in this matter with no uncertain sound. In respect to the conferences which were to be held in the Mother Country, it was only yesterday that he had received a communication from the Secretary of State, expressing the hope that the Premier of New Zealand would made arrangements to stay at Home until the conferences were conpleted. (Applause.) He said that in large suggestions of great moment it was well that we in the colonies should be taken into the confidence of those entrusted with the administration of affairs at Home. There were many questions upon which the colonial representatives could bring opinions untrammelled by an environment such as trammelled the statesman of the Mother Country. He was loudly cheered on resuming his seat, those present again rising and singing " For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." A Word to Travellers. The excitemeut incident to travelling and change of food and water often brings on diarrhoea, and for this reason do one should leave borne witboot a bottle of Chamberlain's Colic, Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy. For sale by United Farmer*' Co-op Association. I Ladies can see the bent assortment of slippers to be had anywhere, at the New Zealand Clothing Faotory ; all new goods, no old stock. We are agents for the Rochester shoes and boots, also ladies' boots and shoes by tbe famous American maker, G. P. Ford. Try the I " Cobra " polish— nothing better ever made,— Advt.