THE CHEVIOT SHOW.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11901, 26 May 1899, Page 6

THE CHEVIOT SHOW.

: The annual dinner of the Cheviot Settlers’ Association in connection with the Midwinter Show was held on Wednesday evening. There was a large and representative attendance, and. an excellent dinner wasprovided by Mrs Morrison. The chair was occupied by Mr G. Forbes, president of the Association, who was supported by the Hon W. C. Walker and the Hon W. Rolleston. Mr W. T. Robinson was in the vice-chair, supported by Mr C. Lends, M.H.R., and Mr J. Rennie, chairman of the Board of Education. Representatives of 1-bo Marlborough Railway League, the Kaikoura Settlers’, Association, and several leading business people from Christchurch were amongst those present. The toast of “The Queen” having been duly honoured, the Chairman proposed the toast of “ The Visitors.'’ He said they were always .pleased to see visitors,- and; especially so An that, occasion, as so, many , had come With a view of helping the settlers. He i.wa-s sorry.’that’they! could, not - see the place as it looked in fine weather,, for the settlers were proud, of Cheviot, and' he felt the visitors would also be proud of it. He coupled the toast with the names of the Hon W. C. Walker and the JEIor. W. Rolleston. ■ The Hon W. C. Walker said he was quite sure he was speaking the mind of the visitors when ho said they were deeply indebted to their hosts, as ever since the start from Christchurch everything had been done to promote their enjoyment. The Hon *W. Rolleston said he derived great satisfaction from tile- fact that he had done something to help in the colonisation of the country to which he had come to make his home, and that wherever he now went he found friends who were pleased to see him. He might not be there again, but that gathering would long remain in his mind, and he wished the Cheviot settlers and their children every success. . Mr G. T. Booth proposed “The Cheviot Settlers’ Association,” and quoted from figures supplied. by Mr J. Briggs showing that the threshing tallies this season, including 7000 bushels of. wheat yet to he put through, amounted, to 132,000 bushels, the average for wheat as far as he could make it' out being about 45 bushels an acre, and-the highest yield for wheat 81 bushels an‘acre, on Mr S. Haughey’s farm. He learned that another man; was feeding 1400 sheep on 200 acres, and'he had also threshed 5000 bushels of grain, while Mr M’Rae had threshed 1012 bushels of barley from 12 acres. As New Zealand was first colonised by some of the best people from the United Kingdom, so Cheviot bad been settled by some. of the best of the population of the colony. • Messrs J. Vaughan and J. • Sinclair responded-, the former mentioning some of the work the Association had been able to accomplish, including the erection of drafting yards at the Waipara. Other toasts honoured were: —“ The Judges,” proposed by Mr W .T- Robinson and responded to by Messrs J. Rennie, J. Lord and J. G. Mitchinson; “ The Wai-nara-Cheviot Railway,” proposed by Mr FWaymouth and supported by Mr G. Anderson and responded to by the Chairman; “ The.. Press,” “The Ladies” and “The Chairman,” the la,tier being highly complimented upon his efforts on behalf of the Association. After dinner, the party returned to the show, where addresses were given by the Hon W. Rolleston, Messrs C. Lewis, M.H.R., J. Rennie, G. T. Booth, and others. The Hon W. C. Walker, in declaring the show closed, congratulated the settlers upon the enterprise and energy they had displayed in making such a splendid show of exhibits, which bore evidence iff, the fruitfulness of the settlement. He assured l them that nothing would be wanting on his part to further their interests, as a place which could produce such an abundance of agricultural commodities certainly should be supplied with better communication with the larger markets. Cheers were given for the Hon J. M’Kenzie and the Hon W. C. Walker, and the proceedings ended with the singing of the National Anthem. The festivities concluded with a ball, which was well attended, in spite of the inclement weather. At the invitation of Mr F- A. Cook the visitors were shown over the dairy factory on Tuesday. On Wednesday an exhibition of the method of testing milk by means of the Babcock tester was given. Mr Cook has just obtained a new machine, known as the Facile, which can test twenty-four samples of milk simultaneously, and is driven by a small steam turbine. This is the latest improvement of the Babcock Christchurch visitors, with the Hon W. C. Walker, left M’Kenzie yesterday morning, in three special coaches provided by Mr J. Francis, and, after a wet drive over heavy roads, arrived at the Waipara in time to catch the evening train for town, on which a special carriage had been reserved for them. Although it rained nearly all the time they were on Cheviot, the trip was a most enjoyable one, and the visitors speak in high praise of the hospitality they met with while ’on the place, and of the arrangements made for their transport. They one and all express themselves as surprised with the advance made by the settlement.