MAYORAL DINNER

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8354, 6 September 1890, Page 5

MAYORAL DINNER

Yesterda* evening a dinner was given at the Auckland Club by His Worship the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. U-'-on) to the City Council and representative -Ac bodies of Auckland. The following were those invited f The City Council: Messrs. Davies, Farrell, Goldie, Atkin, Swales, Lavers, Warren, Lennox, Crowther, Smith, Cooper, Hewson, Trenwith, Grey, Holland, Dignan, Wright, and Paterson. The Advisory Committee: Mr. Justice Conolly, Professor Brown, Rev. J. Bates, Messrs. W. Berry, A. E. Devore, T. W. Leys, T. Herbert, and E. M. C. Harrison. The Hanging Committee : Messrs. E. Bartley, J. L. Holland, and J. Symons. the city banker, Mr. James Coates ; the city solicitor, Mr. Thomas Cotter ; the Town Clerk, Mr. P. A. Philips ; the city engineer, Mr. W. Anderson; the city treasurer, Mr. W. Payne. The Harbour Board : The chairman, Mr. M. Niccol; the secretary, Mr. J. M. Brigham. The Chamber of Commerce: The president, Captain Colbeck. _ The University Council : The chairman, Sir Maurice O'Rorlte; the deputy chairman, Bishop Cowie ; the Registrar, Rev. Dr. Kidd. The Grammar School Board : The deputy chairman, The Hon. Colonel Haultain. The Board of Education : The chairman, Mr. R. Udy ; the secretary, Mr. V. E. Rice. The City Schools Committee: The chairman, Mr. J. Blades. The Savings Bank: The vicepresident : Mr. W. S. Laurie; the manager, Mr. R. Cameron. ( Charitable Aid Board : The chairman, Mr. C. Atkin : the secretary, Mr. H. H. Garland. The Auckland Institute : The president, Mr. James Stewart. The Volunteers: Lieut. - Col. Shepherd. The Police : Mr. Superintendent Broham. The Press : The editors of the Herald, Star, and Observer, reporters Herald and Star. Mr. W. Gorrie, Mr. H. T. Gorrie.

After a dinner laid in complete style, and comprising main' choice and excellent dishes, the toasts of " The Queen " and " His Excellency the Governor were proposed by the Mayor, and drunk with loyal enthusiasm. _ Mr. Devore gave the toast " The City Council," a body which, he said, was unique in the number of its councillors, because of the large number of wards represented. He thought it worthy of consideration that the number of wards should be reduced to four, each represented by three councillors. The work would be done just as speedily as at present, but with less expense. Mr. Devore spoke of the public building and institutions or Auckland, and the admiration which they created in the minds of visitors to this city. Mr. W. Crowther responded. The Mayor proposed, ' The Commerce of Auckland," coupled with the name of Captain Colbeck. Mr. Upton remarked that Auckland, if anything at all, was a commercial place. There was here no landed aristocracy, deriving their rents from lands which had belonged to a long line of ancestors, and here each one was practically the architect of his own fortunes. He regretted very much to say that at the present time he was not able to propose this toast without referring to an extremely painful circumstance—that the commerce of Auckland was at a standstill owing to a difference between certain persons. How this difference had arisen he did not know. He hud endeavoured to find out what was really the cause, but he had to confess that he was not able to satisfy his own mind as to what had brought about the present difficulty. He would, however, say this : that he believed neither the Union Steamship Company and the shipowners of Australia, on the one hand, nor the working men of these colonies on the other, had the slightest idea when they commenced the dispute that it would have extended to its present proportions. He did not believe cither «arty expected that there would have been such a unanimous response on the part of the workmen; the occurrence was phenomenal and unprecedented, and such a thing had never been seen before in so complete a shape. When considering the cause of tlm great movement, he felt satisfied of one other thing, and that was, that if that which seemed to be the cause, was really so, then that cause was an insufficient one, and altogether out of proportion to the result. In other words, if this quarrel had arisen from the affiliation of the officers with the seamen, that was not an adequate cause why thousands of men all over the colony should leave their employment, and cast their families into a state of destitution. (Applause.) He could not help remarking upon one or two features of this great strike, and one was the wonderful rapidity with which it had spread. At the time he had sent the invitations to them, asking them to do him the honour to attend that evening, there was no sign of the strike in this colony. No 6ne imagined that in so short a time the whole community would have been moved as it had since been moved. He thought it was too late in the day to say— he had heard it said —that Unions must be crushed. Two years ago the Government of England appointed a labour delegate, Mr. Burnett, whose duty it was to make himself thoroughly acquainted with all departments of labour in the United Kingdom, and report to the Government. Mr. Burnett, in his report, had remarked that the condition of tlio working man in England was better and more favourable than that of the working man in any other country of the world. Hut he (Mr. Upton) maintained that the condition of the working man here was better than m England ; ana therefore there was 110 great cause underlying this strike, and to justify what had taken place. (Applause.) There was no real misery and distress of the working classes underlying this strike ; this land had been, and was still, notwithstanding the late depression, a land flowing with milk and honey. There was at the present time at the head of the Chamber of Commerce a gentleman whose acquaintance with commerce was not confined to the colony, but who had had a large English experience ; and with the name of tln,t gentleman, Captain Colbeck, he coupled this toast. \ Captain Colbeck, in replying, said that when he told them that ho had lived in a war of industry, and that the whole of his life at present was passed in the endeavour to reconcile the contending elements of labour and commerce, they would see that he had a difficulty in speaking 011 this subject. Captain Colbeck made an interesting speech showing the progress of the agricultural, mining, and other industries of Auckland. He pointed out that during last year New Zealand had sent home nineteen millions of pounds more wool than in the previous year, whilst the River Plate, with all the facilities of this colony, except climate, had sent seventy-eight million pounds less. He maintained that it was their duty, as Christian gentlemen, to do all in their power to settle this disagreement between labour and capital. (Applause). The Mayor proposed " The Harbour Board," and speaking of the Auckland harbour, said he thought it more beautiful than that of Sydney. He hoped the time would come welin the port charges at Auckland would be abolished. This toast was coupled with the name of Mr. Niccol, chairman of the Board.

Mr. Niccol replied, and reminded the Mayor that the port of charges at Auckland \\ ere as low, if not lower, than at any other port of the colony. Auckland was the great London or Liverpool of the Pacific, in her island trade ; and he warned his hearers that there wero other parts of the colony anxious to have a share of that trade. He believed that in Auckland we outdid Sydney in some respects; and, so far as a naval port was concerned, Auckland, from its climate, was much more suitable than Sydney e.« a recruiting place. Auckland had a friend .it Court in Admiral Fairfax, one of the Lords of the Admiralty. (Applause). The Mayor proposed the toast " Education," and pointed out that this colony had shown the way to England in many respectsin regard to education. He was sorry to notice in this community a jealousy against secondary education. He believed that was a grievous blunder. The primary school was not enough if they wished to train the mind, and a contempt for secondary education was a grave mistake. (Applause.) _ The toast was coupled with the names of Bishop Cowie and Mr. Udy. Bishop Cowie, responding, spoke of the importance of a university training. He said we were very proud in Auckland of having presented here the first diploma given to a woman in any part of the British Empire. (Applause.) Mr. Udy spoke of the work in the primary schools, and remarked that nearly all those who had taken University degrees in Auckland had passed through from the first stages in the primary schools. He considered that the Education Act should be so altered that we should havo a modified fifth standard, and stop at that, whilst giving scholarships liberally to those who had passed the sixth standard. Mr. Niccol proposed the health of tho Mayor, and spoke of the zealous way in which Mr. Upton discharged his public duties.

The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm, cheers being given for Mr. and Mrs. Upton and family. Mr. Upton, in replying, said he had taken the office of Mayor with trepidation, because he regarded it as one of great responsibility. The only great elements a Mayor nad to fear was public opinion—(hear, hear)—and the public auditor. (Laughter). The great work before the Mayor of this city was to see that the debt was not increased, but reduced, and if possible wiped out, and that would be his aim. (Applause). The toast of "The Hospital and Charitable Aid Board" was proposed by Mr. Devore. He. pointed out that the expenditure upon charitable aid had decreased during the last few years.

Mr. At kin' replied, and said the work of charitable aid would try the patience of any ordinary member of the Anglo-Saxon race. He said it was disheartening to at in so young a country thete should be so many applicants for relief. He thought it should be the highest ambit on of every citizen to find out those ia need of help, because " it was more blessed, to give than to receive." The Mayor proposed the toast, " The Volunteers," Lieutenant-Colonel Shepherd responded. He would like to see greater interest taken in the volunteer movement, especially amongst ladies. He spoke hopefully of the future of volunteering here. The next toast, proposed by the Mayor, was "The Permanent Officials," coupled With the names of the Town Clerk, the Secretary of the Board of Education, and the Secretary of the Harbour Board. Mr. P. A. Philips, Mr. Rick, and Mr. Brio hah responded. " The Press," proposed by the Mayor, was responded to by the representatives present. , ~ The National Anthem was Bung, and the proceedings terminated.