A BANQUET

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 203, 3 September 1901, Page 2

A BANQUET

CHEERFUL SPEECHES. By Tolegraph—Press Association. Wellington, last night. A banquet, tendered by “The Eighty Club,” in honor of tho Hon. Mr Walker, was hold to-night. The company, which numbered upwards of one hundred, included tho lions, Soddon, Ward, Milis, McGowan, and Carroll.

Mr Soddon, responding to the toast of Parliament, said it had boon asserted that it had cost the colony a million to send away the contingents to South Africa, but as a matter of fact the cost was only ■SI3S,OOO. Ho announced that the Customs revenue last month established a record, the amount being £227,000, as against ,£222,000 for the corresponding month of last year. The Customs revenue for the five months of the financial year was £893,000, as against £904,000 for the corresponding five months of last year, despite the fact that last session Parliament had given away £150,000 in Customs remissions. In the face of these figures there was no justification for croaking. Mr Ward said that it would be found as time wont on, instead of there being any weakness in the financial structure, it rested on a very substantial basis. Mr Walker was presented with a handsomely illuminated address, and a number of silver souvenirs. He said that the payment of good salaries to teachers was at the root of a sound education, and for the sake of all concerned it was necessary to put teachers on a proper and satisfactoryfooting in this matter.