A NEW ZEALAND GATHERING AT CAPETOWN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11856, 7 January 1902, Page 5

A NEW ZEALAND GATHERING AT CAPETOWN.

.ft - v-,-v _ , ' V PRESENTATION OF DECORATIONS. v: ■ Tire following, appears in the Cape Times of December, 6 -—Yesterday afternoon an impromptu gathering of New Zealariders took place at the offices of the New Zealand Government. Agency, the chairman being Major Pilcher (agent for the New Zealand Government), whilst amongst those present were Mr. Graham Gow, the Trade ' Commissioner of the New Zealand Government, who has just completed a. most . successful tour of South Africa, and Mr. John;, Bayne, an eminent New Zealand •' agricul- - tural expert, who is on a visit to this country. Te raison d'etre !of the gathering • was the - presentation• to. Lieutenant Mc- f Donald (Sixth New Zealand Regiment) and Sergeant j Early (Fifth New Zealand Regi- '• " ment) of the decorations they had gained. during the present campaign. Major Pilcher, in making the presentations/ • said he . ' was acting on the instructions of the New Zealand Government, and had great ' plea- ■ . sure in carrying out those instructions, the two recipients of the medals thoroughly de- 1 serving them. Lieutenant McDonald and Sergeant . Early ■ briefly returned thanks, after which their healths were .drunk in / bumpers of champagne.^"f' The : toasts of "The Premier of > New" Zealand/' ." The Minister for "Trade and. Commerce," " The New Zealand Trade Commissioner,". " The New Zealand Government Agent in Cape- . ; town," and " The, New Zealand Forces" were cordially honoured. The Chairman,' Mr. Gow, and Mr. Bayne referred in lau- :

latoiy terms to their Premier and their Commerce Minister, of both of whom New Zealand was justly proud. Other speakers ■ , •eferred, in terms ot the highest praise to the work don? by Major Pilcher in this country on behalf of the New . Zealand troops, while Mr. Gow was congratulated on the able manner in which he had conducted his commercial mission on behalf 1 of the colony in , this country, Mr. Gow, it may be mentioned, sails in i day or two for England, whence he will proceed to China and . Japan, those * coin tries being included in his official tour, ' 'he proceed- ' ■•"-.'l ings terminated amidst the expression of warm wishes for the colony's continued progress, commercially, politically, and otherwise.