FAREWELL SOCIAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 28 May 1915, Page 6

FAREWELL SOCIAL.

TO RAILWAY ENGINEERS.

The combined staff of the Hawera Railway Station tendered nine of their fellow workers (members of the^ Railway Engineers), a farewell social on Thursday evening, previous to their leaving for the Trentham camp to-day. The guests of the evening were: Messrs J. Roach, A. W. Masters, F. P. Welsh, J. P. Townsend (traffic), and Messrs Pearson, Foreman, McDonald, Dale and Gibson (locomotive branch). Mr J. AY Rodie (stationraaster), presided, and associated with him were the local Defence officers.

The toast of the Navy and Army was proposed by Mr Fergusson. Captain Bishop, in responding,-said the Navy and Army were the bulwarks upon which their Empire was built. Duty- had ever been their watchword. Both services had put up a very fine stand against the enemy. This was due to discipline, both ashore and afloat. No body of men could act in unison without discipline. The young fellows who were going to the front were going to service under very strict discipline. Good discipline was not to be feared by the good soldier or sailor.

, The chairman proposed "Our Boys." There were nine of the railway staff, five from the locomotive branch, and four from the traffic .branch, who were- leaving with the contingent on Friday next .(to-day). - Previously three meiiwera''of the"staff had left. They -had met that evening to say farewell, to''these.'nine members who were going to oo their "lit'ble bit" on the battlefield. They all sincerely hoped these soldiers would <do their duty in a manner that would ■be a credit to Hawera and to the Dominion they belonged to. Some of the^ boys who had gone from the staff-previously went to Samoa with the first force, and had come back and had gone to the front -for the seoond time. Evidently their heart was in the work. Corporal Foreman and Private Roache (Railway Engineers) replied. The toast of' "Our Fallen Heroes" was honored in silence.

Major McNaught responded. \ This] was a toast which, honored in silence, ( should be replied to in. silence. "Fallen Heroes" was the sad part of war. Had it not been for the glorious work of the fallen heroes the British Nation would not have been what it was to-day. Here and there in every land there were graves of the fallen - heroes uneard for, but of course there were relatives of these brave men who gave akindly thoughf? to the fallen who had given their lives for the country they loved so well. It was sad to think that they could not go through without the fallen heroes. No country in the history of the world had- given so many fallen heroes in so short a time as Britain had done during the oresent war. As the war progressed they must expect to sco more of this. New Zealand "could not appreciate what this meant. He paid a warm'tribute to the mothers and" sisters of the men who had gone to the front. Every workins; man's wife throughout the world whose husband had aone to the front, and every mother, whose son had gone, and so with sisters, were worthy- of the Victoria Cross. (Applause.) He had no doubt that when the war was over the "roll of honor" would be even more respected than those who returned. (Applause.) Tlie toast of the "National Reserve" was nropesed by Mr J. Cahill. and responded to by Captain Kimbell. Other toasts honored included: "Other Government Departments," responded to by Mr Salmon; and "The Chairman." . A pleasant gathering concluded with "Auld Lang Syne" and cheers for the "boys."