EARLY SETTLERS ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13862, 27 March 1907, Page 3

EARLY SETTLERS ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL RISUXIOX. Tho fift)-ninth ammcrsary of tho soltlemont of tho mo-unco of Otago was celebrated in 11k Majesty's Theatre la<-t de-r----ing. Thcie Mas a \crv large attendance of early seltlcis an<l then- descendants and fi lends hpoech, leminiH-once, and fong wero tho order of Ilio e\eiung. Mr D. Roul, president of the Early Settler?' Society, piesidc-J, and there were also pre sent on the platform Messrs Herbert Webb, K. Fonest, J. Dutlne, C. Duke, and L. Linglands (sccieiary), tho fast named being roonons'ble for the arrangements of tho gathcung. The early part of tho evening was dc\oted to an opportunity thus being afforded of renewing old acquaintances and talking o\cr earlyhistory. ■

Mr D. Roicl =aid ho was pleased-'to see so many people, present, Ho was gratified to notico among the audience so many old but hearty people—men and women who had lived for 50 and 60 yeais in tho colony. The object of the gathering and of their association was to do honour to the memory of tho pioneer—our foiefathers who had laid tho foundations of our free and liberal institutions. It was not easy for us today to imagine tho feelings which must have been in the breasts of those people who landed hcie some 50 yeais aqo, when tho country was a. wilderness and when not only v.as tboio an uncertainty about getting anything to eat, hut when there was tho possibility of having to do battle with tho -VJaoris Women who had led the lues of ladies in tho Homo Country wero among Ibo first arrivals, and among thoso who wont thiongh all tho trials of oarly life. Wo v.ore apt to forget to-day the tioublos ami experiences which our forefathers had in lajmg the foundations of our citv. Ho had alwajs referred at these gatherings to threo of tho pioneers of tho colony—Captain Cargill, Thomas Burns, and John M'Ulashan. Thoso names deserved to be engraved in the memory of every lrJiabibui' of Otago Without them the foundation* of this provinco would not have been laid in tho way they had been. Ho had no doubt but that the piovinee would not Jme been settled when, it was if it had not b"c i for tho zeal and disinterestedness of thcuo men. In tho first place, they wore men of high character, great determination, and sterling quality and if ,\u.s a good thing for tho colonv that that was so. Captain Cargill and Dr Burns wero moro to tho front in tho '•etthng of the colony, while John M'Glashan was their ally in the Old Coiuitiy. Mi M'Glushan's aim was to keep up tho stream of immigrants to tho colony, and so fill tho conditions undei which they had undertaken to scttlo a, certain number of acres in a ghon time. As it tuined out, tho New Zealand Company came to grief and was unable to fulfil theso conditions. John il'Hlashan ne-vertbeless did hugo woik at Home. He showed his own bon? fides in the business by afterwards coming out to tho colony with his family and taking up land amongst these, who had previously landed and settled in the colony. Thoso were the pioneers of'tho colony to perpehulo whose memory their society had been foimed. Not that thcro wero no others. All tic early arrnaJs were men who vent through giejt hardships in found ing our settlement. They worked with a great real, and made tho countvj what it was. Ho hoped their names would lo honoured and remembered. Our ycunq people wero apt to forget these men, and it. was only by reiteration that they could keep iJiem from foigettmc them altogether, and from becoming thoughtless of the pastf He would like to ask what wero they doing to intciest the rising goneiatioii in those matters of early historj* The great balk of our people ignored the past and wero so absorbed in the pio=cnt and. he would say, m tho a'l-engrossing subject of making money, as to neglect the early history of the colony. Little timo and littlo money was devoted to peipcluating and becoming acquainted with tho history of tho pioneers of the colony. Thcns was a land tho early Instcry of which v.as rich in incident. They wcie now taking steps to secure for tho young people a placo which they could visit and bo lemmded of tho jieoplo that had gone before. Ho referred to the crcct.ou of the Eaily Settleis' Hall. With a hall such as that they could show tho pictures of the leading men of Church and Stale, all worthy men, which would be of gieat benefit to the rising generation. There had been a \ery generous lesponso in nearly o\erj case to tho appeal foi funds for the new hall. Tbov had'not met with more than two ab ; olute denials. That was highly gratifying. The erection of this hall was an important work, and they honed to ha\o if erected heroic tho next annncisiiy galheiing. They did not want a hall that was burdened with debt or mortgage.— (Applause.)

Mr Hcibcrt Webb was the next, sweater. He had come to the colony on the tido of tlio now iniquity, and otj ono of those who had enjoyed tlio benefits of thotnork dono by tlio pioneers of the colony, anil ho did thoso p'onccrs homage foi their entei prise, mda-tiy, foresight, .and public spirit. It nas a pleasure to know that so many early <=cttiois were skill umonc them and that so many were now enjoying in their old ato the fruits of their early industry. Settlors in Otago had not tlio crcni diflioulties to Imo that tlio North Island settlers had in their conflicts with the llnoih 'Otago c ottlers had lived on the bet of terms with the Otago Maori;. Mr Webb ea\e an irrtcrestmg, perhaps lenpfliy. account cf the settlement of tho province in the early 60's. ard the •piominenfc characters of tlnse timos, and related a hundred and cne incidents and reminiscences, some highly airrasmg and all of a most int-orcst'eg iintmo.

The Chairman, at this r tago intimated that three members of the Caledonian Society—Messrs Foircst, Chisbolm, and iSligo—were present to make a Rift to their society of a pliotoguph of the original dncctors o[ tho Otago Caledonian Society.— (Applause.) Sir R. Foirest said ho was delegated by the Caledonian Society to present tho Ihrly (settler? with a flamed photograph of tho first directors of the Caledonian Society, Somo little time ago they had had taken from tho original a second photograph of the first direclois, and they hod thought fit to present one of tlio two to the Early Settlers' Society. Tho other photograph might l-o consigned to tho Art Gallery should the trustees wish to rrccno it. The photograph was taken in IEM. The Caledonian Society, jie slid was & bodv that was associated with '.the very early history of the pi ounce. They were the first to mstirute technical closses in Dtincdm. When their present giounds at Kensington were deai of all debt ,it was their intention to devote money domed from it to educational purposes.—(Applauso.) Mr Keid leturned thanks on behalf of tho Early Settlors' A-sociation for the handsome gift of the Caledonian Society.

During tho e-\enmg enjoyable contributionl! wore rcndoiod by tho, following:— (Vrturo, .Mis- Chisbolm (Outram); Mr J. Bathgate, sons: Messrs Lemon. Scarlo, Filcfc, ami Wiiehl. quartet; Mr U. Parker uolm. and Miss Neivmon. piano duet; Hiss Siimdoiland, was;. All the contributors wore very warmly apnlaudcd. At tho clcso lieht refreshments were d'sponced. and a highly successful gathering terminated with tho singing of " Add lam; ivne."

THE IMPORTATION OF GKAJPES «&, . The following correspondence 3ias been handed to us tor publication.— Telegram to Acting Prime Minister • "Seeing you are permitting further live tons grapes for Chrisichurch from Adelaide, Duiisdw public asking restrictions similar conditions to be removed Please wire if can cable lnr similar quantity from Adelaide Guarantee publie to puiehaso grapes Cd per lb—A. IIoitITZSOV."

Itc-ply from Acting Prime J'jnista• "In reply your telegram, grapes rekTicl to aio for the Exhibition only. Question of admission to other districts will bo considered later —Wm. Hu,l-Jo:ies "

Dunedm, March 23, 1907. Til? Acting Prime Minister, "Welhngton Dear Sir,—We thauk you for your reply re grapes, from which wo take it that the admission of this fruit to this coldly will have your early consideration. As this matter has been threshed out at somo length vith joti bv the interested parties, we lmvo .nothing further to add. We only wish, to point out, however, that we do not think tl\tt the introduction of Australasian giapcs into Now Zealand Hill, firstly, bo tho means of introducing the phylloxera, mto tlim country, as it is a well known fact that lbs fruit does rot carry the disease, also, South Amelia has got a clean bill, and so have large portions of Victoria as well as Now South Wales, and we believe Government certificates accompanying any shipments, showing that thev came- from a clean district in Australia, should be .i> sufficient safegiiitrd. Secondlj, wo do not throk that tho mtroditction of these grapes from Australia would at all interfere with (ho growing of local gripes The Australian article will not conia mto competition with tho holhouso grown, as they aro very superior grapes, a»T>d can only be purchased by tho well-to-uo people. )vbo will continue to use them, Tho out-door grown grapes m New Zealand aro at tho present iinio eellirg as cheap as would the Australian grapes, which will be retailed at Cd. . , . Tho writer has been connected •with horticulture and pomology in this colony for many years, and was the creator of tho Potnological Conference held at time of tho

Duke and Duchess's usit, and alter niaturo consideration ho has come to the conclusion Jhnt it will not Ml our local lndiistij, but will enable the masses or our jiople to purchase a wholesome nrtic'.o of'fruit—Yours Irulj. ' A. lloritmox.