FEUDING BOROUGH COUNCIL HONOURS HON. J. G. COBBE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6849, 2 March 1929, Page 3

FEUDING BOROUGH COUNCIL HONOURS HON. J. G. COBBE

Heavy Bardens of Office Last evening the Feiltling Borough council accorded to the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, M.P., for Oroua, a complimentary dinner at Hastie’s hotel. The Mayor, Mr. E. Fair, presided over an assembly of gentlemen which included past mayors of Fcilding, chairmen of neighbouring local bodies, Fcilding borough representatives on public institutions, the Hon. H. Atmore (Minister of Education), Messrs Collins and Swanger (Wanganui Education board), Mr J. Gordon Eliott and others.

After honouring the loyal toast, the Mayor proposed the toast of the Hon. Mr. Cobbe, and in doing so extended to the Minister the congratulations of the town and district on the honour that had been done him by his promotion to Cabinet rank. It was also a distinguished honour to the town which was deeply appreciated. In reply, the Minister said it was gratifying to him to be present at such an assembly, which included those opposed to him in politics. In dealing with his portfolio, Mr Cobbe recalled that he had absorbed the duties, previously carried out by the Board of Trade, in his capacity as Minister of Industries—a task, which he knew Mr Eliott would admit, was too great for one man. Touching on his duties as Minister of Customs and Marine, the Minister amused his audience in relating certain matters which eamo under his control. By comparison, the Minister of Education had an extremely easy time. The government, he said, was out to do the best it could for all —in fact he could say that of all members of Parliament, but he hoped that the people would not expect too much from the government right away. In conclusion, he said he was extremely thankful for the honour the town had accorded him.

Mr J. S. Tingey proposed the toast of the Minister of Education. The Hon. Mr Atmore in Teply, said that while the great war had left a legacy in the way of a terrific debt, it had also showed the way for an altogether new appreciation of the treatment of education. From the war had come the age of reason-i-tho age of reason in the matter of education for the betterment of the race as a whole. His ideas in connection with the reorganisation of education included the giving of a standard of training to our children which would lit them when grown up, to compete with those from other countries.

The Minister went on to stress the mistake made in concentrating on academical instruction and the neglected appreciation of the needs of the country. Whilst our population had been increasing rapidly, there had not been a corresponding increase in our national wealth on a per capitia basis. The only means by which the deficit could be made up was by increasing production and it was here that an agricultural bias in our educational system could play an important part, (hear hear). It was necessary to disabuse the young idea that it was "tony” to take up office life and once that obstacle was overcome, half the battle would be won. It was also necessary to have national sentiment to obtain the desired improvement in our educational system, The Minister, in paying a tribute to the Feilding Agricultural High school, said that those agricultural pupils who had left the school were really the ambassadors of tho new outlook on education, which demanded the brightest brains in the country. Mr Gordon Eliott proposed the toast of Parliament, the Ministers making brief replies.

The toast of the “Local Bodies” was proposed by Cr. G. E. Taylor and responded to by Councillors L. T. McLean (Kiwitea County council) and O. McElroy (Oroua County council), The presence of the two Ministers prompted the Mayor to make known the fact that Feilding had not any endowments and was therefore at a disvantage in comparison with other towns. Should the Ministers, by chance, come across any spare-land in their travels, he would let them know that Feilding would not object to an endowment.

Mr. L. J. Wild proposed the toast of the Feilding Borough council, the Mayor suitably replying.