CONFERENCE BANQUET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22520, 14 March 1935, Page 16

CONFERENCE BANQUET

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE NEW PRESIDENT CONGRATULATED. The visiting delegates and local justices of the peace were the guests of the Otago Association at a banquet held in the Somerset Lounge of the Savoy last evening. The president of the association (Mr T. D. B. Paterson) occupied the chair, and among the guests was the senior magistrate (Mr, J. R. Bartholomew. S.M.). . , . Following the honouring of the loyal toast, Mr Paterson proposed the toast of “The Federation.” The present conference, he said, was the first he had been able to attend, and throughout the sessions he had been struck by the intelligent and impartial manner with which the various remits had been treated. The conference had a great deal of work to handle, but so far the discussions had been carried on without the slightest tinge of acrimony, and it was to bo hoped that the friendly spirit which had been so apparent at the ninth annual conference would continue through all future conferences. The holding of such gatherings did a great deal of good, and what had so far been done at the present conference should be productive of nothing but the best results. During the many years he had been associated with the federation, it had struck him that only a very small percentage of the remits sent forward to the Minister of Justice were successful. The main thing, however, was to keep going, and sooner or later something would be achieved. With regard to the social side of the conference, it gave the members of (the Otago Association the keenest pleasure to foregather with their brother justices from all over the Dominion, and to tender to them true Dunedin hospitality —a hospitality that he knew would bo reciprocated when Otago delegates visited other centres. — (Applause.) Responding to the toast, Mr J. W. Dove, president of the federation, said that he recognised his election to the president’s chair not so much as an honour to himself as to the association that did him the honour to send him as its delegate to the past three annual conferences. The questions that were brought before the delegates to the conference were many and various, and, while some of them, as had been remarked by Mr Bartholomew at the civic reception two nights previously, might prove to be mares’ nests, there were many out of which much good might come. As time went on, some of the remits passed at the federation’s annual conference were brought into effect in social legislation amendment. Therefore, the work of the federation was of value to the social structure, and so long ns it carried on as it was doing there was no doubt that it filled an extremely useful place in the community at large. For his forthcoming term of office, he was fortunate in having behind him an executive in the members of which he had every, confidence, and on whom he know he could rely to do their utmost for the welfai'e of the federation. Ho was following in the shoes of a man who was known from North Cape to Bluff, for zeal, ability and tact had made the name of Arthur Rosser familiar throughout tho Dominion. If he sxxcceeded in some small measure in carrying out the duties of his office as ably as Mr Rosser had done, he would feel that he had done well indeed. In the registrar (Mr A. J. Stratford) tho federation had an officer whose zeal in its interests was positively unbounded, and whose fame had spread not only tlxroxigh the Dominion, but all over the world. To him was largely due the fact that the federation was the very live and successful organisation it was to-day. Mr Dove then read the following reply to the loyal resolution passed by° the conference the previous day and forwarded to his Excellency the Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe) : ‘I thank the conference warmly for its loyal and kindly expressed resolution, which I appreciate very much.—Bledisloe.”

Mr H. Seaton (Wellington), vicepresident of the federation, endorsed Mr Dove’s remarks, and said that he would do everything in his power to help the president to add lustre to the organisation to which they had the honour of belonging. The toast “ Visiting Delegates ” was proposed by Mr J. J. Marlow, who, in opening, extended his warm congratulations to Mr Dove on his election to the presidential chair, and said he was satisfied that at the end of the year the members of the federation would find that their new president had carried out his duties wisely and well. It was a pleasure to welcome to Dunedin delegates representative of every province in the Dominion. Their deliberations could result in nothing but good for their associations, the parent body, and the community generally, and it was to be hoped that the friendships they had formed whilst in Dunedin would be more firmly cemented as the years went on. Mr M. Guthrie (Auckland) replying to the toast, expressed warm appreciation of kindness the visitors had experienced at the hands of the people of Dunedip, and said he hoped that one day Auck--1 land might have the opportunity of returning "the compliment. Mr A. H. Hobbs (Canterbury) also spoke to the toast, and wished Mr Dove every success during his term of office. Proposing the toast of “ The Otago Association,” Mr W. A. Ott (Southland) joined with the previous speakers in congratulating Mr Dove. He knew Mr Dove’s worth and ability and was convinced that he would fill the office with credit to himself and to the Otago Association. On behalf of the Southland Association he thanked the folk of Dunedin sincerely for their hospitality, and the Otago Association for the arrangements it had made for the entertainment of the visitors during their stay. Mr Paterson replied to the toast, and assured the delegates that his association had felt privileged to welcome them. The toast of “ The Ladies,” proposed by Mr G. IV. Watts and replied to by | Misses J. Runciman and N. Dick was ' also honoured. Mr Bartholomew congratulated Mr Dove on the honour that had been conferred on him, and said that Mr Dove was well known for the excellent service he had rendered as a member of many local bodies. In honouring him as it had done,' the federation was honouring itself. Mr •Bartholomew then went on to narrate several amusing incidents experienced by him during the course of his duties omthc Bench: his anecdotes being listened to with keen appreciation. During the evening an attractive programme of vocal and elocutionary items, arranged by Mr John Leech, was presented, the following contributing: Messrs A. M‘Donald, J. Leech and’ J. E. Benton (songs), Miss Molly O’Sullivan, Miss N. Newey (recitations). Miss Dorothy Johnston and Mrs A. M'Donald acted as accompanists. OBSERVATION foUR During the afternoon the visiting delegates were taken on a motor tour around Dunedin, and were entertained at afternoon tea at the Bungalow Tea-rooms, St. Kilda. The conference will be concluded today.