PARLIAMENTARY PARTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16456, 5 February 1917, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY PARTY.

1 VISIT TO DEVONPORT. COMPLIMENTARY LUNCHEON. r'> : v' > ' v ' • 1 ■- . „ S M l ' .MUNICIPAL ..HOSPITALITY. ". , , v, . i •• : •. 1 Tin: remaining members of the ParliamenJ tary. party who participated in the recent Northern , tour were j the guests of the , Devonport Borough ; Council on Saturday. ' Owing to the inclemency of the weather, ■ the proposed excursion , to Rangitoto was J abandoned, but the other portions :of the day's programme were carried out. : ,These included a "wit to the Devonport Soldiers' Convalescent Home and the Narrow Neck camp, and a luncheon. x The visits to the Convalescent Bjorne and the camp ■ were made in company with the Mayor, Mr. J. Henderson,' and a number of the borough councillors. , - • if- ; ; : At the luncheon, which was held at Mr. Lane's rooms, the Mayor presided over a large attendance. ' An ; apology for absence was received/ from Colonel Q. W. • S. : Patterson, officer commanding the Auckland district. ' ; The toast of . " The Navy and Army" was proposed by Mr. W. J. Napier, ; and acknowledged . by . Captain*. Peacock, commandant '/ of ■ the Narrow -Neck camp. ':' Mr. ;W. > Handley, - ex-Mayor, proposed " Our Boys at the ; Front," ana the 1 toast was acknowledged by • Mr. J. ,Kew /Hairty,' the father of three t soldiers ;on active service, one of

whom has been decorated for meritorious conduct.- < He' stated ? that there i were now at l the front from 1 800 to 1000 men who had been brought up at Devonport, or who had ' lived •' there s for a portion *of their lives. . The number included about 400 Devonport school "old boys." .. , , Mr. E. W. Alison, in proposing " Our Visitors," referred {-to.;; the recent Parliamentary tour, and particularly to the large area of unoccupied native tends. The locking up of these lands, the said, was delaying the progress of the North, and it no longer should ; be permitted. These lands paid no rates, and therefore contributed nothing to ' the malting ;or . maintenance of roads, and ; they also were assisting to spread noxious weeds. Mr. W. A. Yeitch, M.P. for ? Wanganui, and Mr. T. A. H. Field, 4 , M.P. for Nelson, responded. Mr. Field complimented the organisers of thp tour on their excellent management..;, He said that he believed the tour had opened the eyes of members to the needs, not only of North Auckland but of the back-block districts. He specially • mentioned Waipu and Herekino ,as ' two districts that were suffering from the lack of adequate means oi communication. • ;' The Mayor proposed "Our Sister Dominions," and coupled with the toast the name of Mr. W. A. Beddoe, Canadian Trade Commissioner for New Zealand. Both speakers emphasised the strong feel-, ing of the Dominions that the colonies that had been captured from Germany must not be returned, but must become' part of the British Empire. • ;"V'° v v Other. 4 toasts were: 1 "The Mayor and Members of the Devonport Borough Council," given by Mr. A. E. Glover, M.P., and replied to by the Mayor., and " The Member for'Waitemata," proposed by Mr. W. Wallace and acknowledged by Mr. At Harris, M.P. Mr. A. R. D. Watson acknowledged several complimentary references to his generosity in connection with the Devonport Canva'lescent Home. The admirable manner in which the Mayor presided was recognised by a. hearty vote of thanks. The Mayor, in returning thank?, stated that the cost of the function was defrayed by private subscriptions, and that there would be no need to make any call on the council's funds. Mr. Burke sang " Tipperarv" with good effect. The gathering concluded shortly I after four" o'clock with the singing of the National Anthem and "Auld Lang Syne." FURTHER FUNCTIONS ARRANGED. WAIKATO CANAL ROUTE. The visitors will be the guests of Messrs. Sanford, Ltd., on a visit ,to the trawling grounds to-day. To-morrow the party will take part in the visit to view the site of the proposed canal route between the Manukau Harbour 1 and Waikato River at Waiuku. The party will proceed by the steamer Waiuku from Onehunga Wharf, where they will assemble at 8.45 a.m., and will be welcomed on behalf of the town. Visitors from Auckland will leave by the eight o'clock tram, or the five minutes past eight train, for Onehunga. Those invited from the Waikato district will be met at Pukekohe on the arrival of the quarter to one o'clock train from Waikato The party will be the guests of the Onehunga and Waiuku Chambers of Commerce who have organised the trip, with ft view to the resumption of the canal and inland warterways commission.