A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2756, 9 January 1907, Page 18

A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.

QUEENSLAND'S PREMIER ENTEK. r TAINED. !, The Hon. William Kidston, Premier ot Queensland, and Mrs Kidston were enters 1 tamed oh tbo 31st ult. at the Carlton Cafe by & number of Falkirk people. Mr Kidston y like his entertainers, is a Falkirk "bairn," and as somebody discovered in the course .. of the evening that our own Prime Minis* ter (Sir Joseph Ward) is, or ought to be, '< a Falkirk bairn also, everybody was placed on a genial footing- Among the guest. were the Hon. Sir' J. G. Ward (Primej Minister), Messrs R. Rao (in the chair); W. Kidston (a New Zealand namesake ofi the guest of the evening), J. Mills, ABurt, D. M'Pherson, J. Gillies, D. Waters], J. Jago, W. Begg, T. Beßg; J. liqrimer, and Cumming. There were also a number of ladies. The Chairman, on behalf of all t_« ' bairns, expressed the honour they felt a& the presence .of their distinguished townsman the Premier of Queensland. — (Al» plause.) The Rev. Dr Nisbet, in a glowing speec&v referred to the great historic interest and peerless natural beauties of Falkirk. From' the Scottish town he turned to Queens*land and. Brisbane. When he first knenf Australia Victoria waa playing first fiddle* in the Australian concert. H» prophesied then — and the prophecy had long since beer* fulfilled-^that New South Wales would! soon be playing first fiddle. Before manw years had gone by Queensland 1 would bet pJaying first fiddle, New South Wales* would play second, and Victoria would be> playing the big drum.— (Laughter and ap1 ' plause.) When Mr Kidston was Colonial j Treasurer he waa everywhere alluded to ' I in Queensland as the best man of th« ! time for the position. The good opinion! then held of him had been enhanced since I he became Premier. — (Applause.) I The Hon. William Kidston \sai_ one o£ ! his chief reasons in visiting Dunedin on his present visit to New Zealand was to see the Scotch folk. It was proverbial on ' the other side that the Scotch dominated Otago. It was; said that even John. Chinaman called himself Sandy M'Pherson for fear he "might not get the" contract* if he did not do so. — {Applause.) He was satisfied that Dunedin was a typically ( Scotch town. Scotland had not been tha kindest mother to some of them or thejf would not be there. — (Laughter.) On tho> other hand, they all would like to visitj 'Scotland. As a place of permanent residence he preferred Queensland, and other? Falkirk bairns probably preferred Ne\w Zealand ; but Scotland was a- grand place) for a three months' holiday. — (Laughter and applause.) The Scotch people abroad undoubtedly did have a great love for their native land, even though they had found better countries. Indeed, the love ol ~ country appeared to be in inverse ratio to the love of country for its people. The*, two races of Europe that were pre-emi-nently distinguished for love ,of country* were the Scotch and the Irish. He looked! upon Dunedin, the Edinburgh of the South* as the better Edinburgh of the two— which was, of oourse, rank heresy. — (Laugh* ter and applause.) He had been much charmed with the variety and beauty he had noticed in travelling through New Zealand.- Both he and ' Mrs Kidston were deeply touched by the welcome extended to them by the Dunedin oeople. — (Applause.) Sir Joseph Ward gave as hearty a welcome* *o Mr and Mns Kidston as though he were the foremost Falkirk bairn in the entire assembly. He made it clear that New Zealand was the ideal land either for an en-* terprising Scotsman or an Englishman toJ emigrate to, but admitted, in deference tot the strong convictions of Air Kidston, th_6 Queensland was not a bad place either. IS Mr Kidston, upon his return home, feitt that when all was eaid and done there was •but one country upon carth — New Zealand — s where be could feel truly comfortable, welF^ he might apply for and obtain *. positiorl in flic Ward Administration.— (Laughter; and applause.) , *• Mr James Mills gave a brief speech, int which he made felicitous references to th& guest* of the evening. There was no other speech-making, ButJ there was a good deal -of Scottish meJodjf and recitation. Prominent among: fchet reciters were Mi?s Bur* and Mr Gillies, and among- the vocal iste Messrs • Jago, Ramsay,; Begg. and Davidson. Miss Bunt and Mieaf Mathieson provided the accompaniments! ' Light refceshments, served up by Mrss Todd in a manner worthy of the occasion^ were provided as required, and _je proceedinaps wound up with the singing; oj " Auld Lang Syne."

WOLFE'S SCHNAPPS Acknowledged by the medical faculty