ENTERTAINMENT OF MAYORS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 3957, 24 January 1900, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENT OF MAYORS.

EUXCTTON AT ROSS’S GARDENS. COM PLIMEXTARY SPEECHES. 1 iivitill Kris for a picnic '-t Ro.is s Ijr.u-1-f I:nt t. yesterday tii'i'r i.-amd li.y tin 1 Mayor of Wei!i ir-i ki- 1o civic visitors and On’ ■i,:!)i.rs of Hie Citizen.-,* Kxecutive Corn in -I icr which arranged for tsend- ,){'• jrjvi-n to H:c second New Zcnhntl c .iio'-iit for South Africa. Alnnr thirty "Yulies and Gentlemen assembled at tin- Thermion railway station in Response le tie- invitation, and left for lln- l.ower Mutt by the I.ld p.m. train. Most i>l the visiting Mayor;- had unfortunately been compelled to return to their In,roughs, and some very hardworking members of the committee were also unavoidably absent. From the Lower Mutt railway station two omnibuses convoyed the party to the scene of the picnic. Tin- gardens were looking g-.y and fresh after the rain of the morning, which by this time had given place 'n balmy sunshine. An excellent luncheon was served, two (rides Tiring set in the dining-room, a large double apartment, ple-'S-.iti ly opening no to a vinery, in which the clusters. of grapes were seen to he taking on the colour of maturity.

The Mayor (Mr J. G. VV. Aitkenl presided, and opened the toast list with " ,r he Queen,” which wa.s heartily Honoured ader the singing of the Xatiofmi Anthem.

Councillor .John Smith, in proposing ‘*T!.e '’anting Mayors.” said that citizens if Wellington had been only too pleased to extend to their visitors a u ;‘.ri!i v/( Iconic on mi occu-ioii such ;is the departure of the second contingent. The time was one in which everyone was warranted in doing what he could for the Empire, and the loyalty of Xew Zealanders had been clearly demonstrat<d. lie thought the necessity for turther assistance would have passed by the time New Zealand had another contingent on the wav to South Africa. News that would gladden their hearts should shortly he expected from the seat of war.

Mr j{. I’. Alanlilrc. Mayor of Sydenham, in responding. Hit id that Saturday 'would lie n red-letter day in his life. As a New Zealander born and bred, be was proud to be present at the send-off to the second contingent. He thought the people of Wellington curried out the demonstration most heartily, loyally and successfully. If a third contingent wore sent, he thought, seeing that Canterbury initiated it, that it wmdd he only right that the people of Canterbury should have the honour of the farewell demonstration taking place at Christchurch. (Applause.) Mr R. C. Kirk, Mayor of Petone, complimented the Staging Sub-commit-tee on its arrangements for the demonstration. As one who had personal knowledge of the hard work which devolved upon the Volunteers at the sendoff of the first contingent, he could testify to the completeness of the plans for the second demonstration. Councillor Walter Johnson (Sydenham) expressed the wish that if the third contingent sailed from Christchurch, there wmdd he a larger number of visitors from Wellington on the occasion. In his opinion Saturday’s demonstration was carried out with an exactness which it would be hard to beat anywhere.

Mr Harold Beauchamp proposed “Success to our Second Contingent.” He said that when the Empire called it was most pleasing to see the way in which their New Zealand boys responded. Their “boys in khaki" in going to the aid of the Motherland had shown :i magnificent spirit. The sending of contingents from the colonies to South Africa would do more to solidify the Empire than anything else of which he could think. New Zealanders had been extremely gratified at the way 'o which their (list contingent had i tliaved in the field. He was quite confident that the second contingent w add do equally well. If, tin fort un.i ; i !y, the war should lie protracted, he believed they would within a few weeks in nr 1 bat the second contingent were acquitting themselves with success. Ho Joined with the representatives from Christchurch in the hope that the send-off of the third contingent would take place from that city or troni Lyttelton, (Applause.! Mr lurk, ns Ih'Uteimut-cohiiiuuuler ef the Petone N avals, responded in a praetieal speech. He said it was u great pleasure to him ns a Volunteer officer —one vTio had been engaged in active Volunteer work for ten years—to se ■ that the people of New Zealand had recognised the unselfishness and s-‘T-sacrifiee which the Volunteers of i:b-> colony had shown. (Councillor Smite i It is lime they did.) For years past the Volunteers hud laboured.under mu disadvantages, but now that the war spirit wa'. abroad, and people were giving a.more general recognition to iho value of Volunteers, it was to be hpp.ai that those disadvantages would be «• moved. The only regret of himself and others among the Volunteers .was that they wore nob members of ' ne cont' r gent. The I’otnne Nava Is had hud the pleasure of sending two men to South Africa under special circumstances. Others would have gone, but their offers to serve had boon declined on the ground that the corps was charged with duties at the Wellington fortifications. IT: might perhaps be pardoned - for saving that at t'.d: time One naturally felt a nrido when any ■■ ccur.se .which one bad argued for in the face of opposition bad been Justified by subsequent events. For years past he had been embroiled in arguments with Imperial officers-in regard to. the encouragement of rifly-shooting. He had argued with Commandants, both past and • present, th,.t it was of the utmost' importance to the' defence of the colony that rifle club shots should be encouraged, apart Irom the Volunteer system ; and almost persistently he had been snubbed for his pains. He had said rliat in actual warfare, observant, steady men,' trained to snoot well, would, after a few days’ drill, probably be of more u—> than toe average \ olunteer. who, ho was sorry to say, was often an indifferent r-iiot. Now, New Zealand was proposing to send a third contingent to South Africa, a contingent not exactly made up of Volunteers at all, or of any men who had any claim on the defence authorities, hut ol good rough-riders and good riffe shots, ti act as scouts. He thought that the occasion which had arisen had amply Justified the arguments which had been put forward by himself and others in the past, that if tile Government encouraged riffe clubs and other bodies of men formed for thy practice of rifleshooting, it would be a verv good thing for the colony. After eulogistic references to the first New Zealand contingent, Mr Kirk said that the enthusiasm of tlie people on .Saturday last was to a large extent duo to Hie fact thatUhe men’ oi the second, contingent knew, whatever the men of the first did, that they were going to fa go the difficulties and dangers of a campaign and possibly deatli on the field of action. If necessiry twenty limes the number of men could be sent, but he thought that d a third contingent were sent, that.'would probably complete all that it was necessary for New Zealand to do. The contingents were sent, not because England particularly needed the help of

the colonies, but to show the solidarity of the Empire. He hoped that the despatch of the contingents would he the beginning of a new era for vrdn.nleering in New Zealand. Councillor Luke, in proposing "The Citizens' Executive Committee.” congratulated the Mayor and the other members of the committee on the completeness of their arrangements and the snece-s of the demonstration. Hu also spoke of the magnificent liberality of the Union Steam Ship Company, which bad prevented the committee from being harassed by financial considerations. Mr John Holmes, in reply, said the committee had endeavoured to .justify the trust which had been reposed in it of making the send-off worthy and representative of the colony as a whole. Councillor Izard proposed "The Musical Suh-cOmmittee.” and Messrs Mattghan Barnett and W. Gill responded. ••Success to the Union Company and other steamship owners who placed their vessels at the disposal of the Committee.’ was proposed by Councillor Barber. The proposer referred to the interest taken in the raishig of the Patriotic Fund bv Mr James Mills, general manager ol the Union Company, and Mr W. A. Kennedy, its Wellington manager.

Mr Kennedy said that the placing of so many of the company’s steamers at the disposal of the committee for the demonstrations at tlie departure ol the first and second contingents had meant to a great extent the temporary dislocation of the company's services, and had entailed considerable extra expense. But the company had recognised that the occasion was a great one, and gladly gave the use of its steamers. On a rough calculation. he should say that the Union Company’s contribution to the Patriotic Fund must, in the gross, have already amounted to JL 1(300. He should have much pleasure in conveying the sentiments expressed by Councillor Barber and other speakers to the directors of the company and Mr Mills.

Councillor Izard proposed "The Ladies,” on whose behalf Councillor lolhnrst returned thanks. ■■ The Press ' wa.s proposed by Councillor Townsend, and responded to by representatives of the "New Zealand Times” and ‘'Evening Post.” Air A. Veitch proposed the health of “The Mayor.” who made a suitable reply. The concluding toast was one m recognition of the services of the Town Clerk (Mr J. E. Page) and the City Lngineer (Mr li. Tl. who were deservedly eulogised for their labours in connection with the demonstration. Both gentlemen responded in appropriate terms. In addition to the speakers the company included Councillors Murdoch and Winder and Mr Horace Baker. After a stroll hi the gardens a return was made to Wellington by the train leaving the Lower Hu ft at 5.15 p.m., the outing having been one of the pleasantest description.