CIVIC DINNER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3764, 4 May 1926, Page 30

CIVIC DINNER.

DIRECTORS AND COMMISSIONERS ENTERTAINED. Some 60 persons were present at a complimentary dinner at the Grand Hotel given by the Mayor and members of the Dunedin City Council to the overseas and provincial commissioners, the directors of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition, and the officers of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Band. The Mayor (Mr H. L. Tapley, M.P.) presided. . , e The Mayor, in proposing the toast oi the “Overseas and Provincial Commissioners,” said that he and his fellow councillors had considered they could not allow the Exhibition to close without expressing in some way, on behalf of tho city, the appreciation they felt at the enorU of the commissioners in the interests of the Exhibition They had thought the best way would be to ask them to meet the council at a dinner, lie was delighted to bo able to include in the ordinary list of those invited others who had just arrived in Dun. edin. He referred to Colonel Scalter from Canada, and Mr Price from Auckland. They were also privileged to have with them ex-Mayors in Sir John Roberts, the oldest ex-mayor in the city, and Messrs U. L. Denniston, T. Scott, G. Lawrence, J. H Walker, J. M'Donald. and J. Loudon.— (Applause.) The time had now come when thev had to say farewell to the visitors. It seemed only a short time since the Exhibition had been started and the visiting commissioners had begun to ar rive. ' Captain Graham was one of tne first commissioners to arrive, and he had with him Captain Moore. . They were grateful to them for having brought out the splendid British Court exhibit.— (Applause.) They were likewise grateful to * Messrs Ross, Turcott, and Croft (Canada). Captain Smallhorn (Australia), Mr Mobeby (Queensland), and the Hon 11. Boyd (Fiji). The sneaker also referred to the services given by Mr J. W. Co! lins, Commissioner of the A ew Zealand Government, Mr Bramsby, of the Australian Court, Captain M'Donald, of the Wellington Court, Mr Paton, of the Marlborough Court, Mr Williams, of the Canterbury Court, and Mr Wins oe. of the Southland Court. These gentlemen had played an important part in the success of the Exhibition. The Exhibition had been in every way ft great success, and he thought they could justly say they in New Zealand were proud of it.— (Applause.) The lessons to be learnt from the Exhibition, he hoped, would sink into the hearts of the people. The commissioners from overseas were a fine body of ambassadors, and he did not think they could have been better selected to bring the various parts of the Empire closer together. The speaker referred to the value of the various exhibits in promoting trade within the Empire, and said the exhibits made them realise the great magnitude of the Empire.— (Applause.) They were all imbued, he was sure, with the ideal of trade within the Empire. They must encourage this ideal. Great Britain

was staggering under a great burden of debt as a result of the wat, and her industries were at present seriously -f-------fected. They must, therefore, encourage in every way trade within the Empire.— (Applause.) They must take British-made goods and help the old Motherland. He intended, as soon as things were a bit more settled, to call a meeting of commercial men to endeavour to arrange a “buy British goods week.”—(Applause.) The Exhibition, he hoped, would have the effect of promoting such trade. They were pleased to have with them f’ i night Captain Anderson and Bandmaster Ricketts.— (Applause.) They owed a debt of gratitude to the Argyll and Sutherland Band, and he was sure that the memory of its playing would long remain with the citizens of Dunedin.— (Applause.) He would like 'antain Anderson to carry back the message that the bandsmen had conducted themselves in an admirable manner and had done much to uphold the prestige of the British army.— (Applause.) He also hoped that the commissioners had learnt to appreciate the people of Dunedin as much as they had learnt to appreciate them. — (Anplause.) Captain Graham (Great Britain), in reply said they had fallen into a veritable “mare’s nest.” There were mayors to the right of them and mayors to thj left of them, who volleyed and thundered. He thought they all regretted the leave-taking that was about to take place. He and his colleagues came here as a duty, but it had proved to be more than a duty—it had been a pleasure. He had never in his wildest moment anticipated that the Exhibition was going to be the success it had been. His own part in the Exhibition had been a very small one. Captain Moore and himself were going to make a special report on the Exhibition when they returned Home. — (Applause.) He did not wish to dilatq at too great length on the British Court. Great interest had been taken in the British Court. He had witnessed one or two little incidents which had assured him that the British Court had been well worth while. As far as that court was concerned, it had been decided to keep the court open the full time on Saturday night.— (Applause.) The Dunedin people had risen to the occasion. On behalf of the British people. Captain Moore and he wished to thank the Dunedin people for their many kindnesses, more particularly the Mayor, who had been kindness personified, and who had always evinced an equable tempeiv They would in future look upon Dunedin as their home town in the Southern Hemisphere, and he took the opportunity of saying an official au revoir. The Hon. D. H. Ross (Canada) said it had given the Government of Canada great pleasure to take part in the New Zealand Exhibition.—(Applause.) The speaker paid a tribute to the work of his colleague, Mr Turcott, who had been associated with exhibitions for the past 27 years. He would like the manufacturers of Dunedin to take a real interest in their forthcoming Toronto Exhibition. They hoped to have an attendance of 2.000,000 in the 14 days the exhibition would be opened. The speaker referred to the attractions of the Toronto Exhibition, and said they would be added to if the New Zealand manufacturers decided to exhibit. They would go away with a lasting impression of New Zealand, and especially with a lasting impression of the hospitality of the people f Dunedin—(applause)—and the profusion of eloquence experienced here. (Loud laughter.) He referred in humorous vein to the apologies which had been made to him regarding the vagaries of the Dunedin climate, and dealt at some length with the attractions of the land which he had represented at the Exhibition. In conclusion, he said he was sure the friendships he and his colleagues had made at the Exhibition would be everlasting. W. L. Smallhorn (Australia) said he desired .to thank the proposer of the toast for the kind references lie had made to Australia and to Australians. Wo referred to the many kindnesses shown by” New Zealanders to the Australian troops when in Egypt. Ha had looked forward to coming to New Zealand some day to meet some of those men. and it was with feelings of great pleasure that he received the information that he was to be sent to New Zealand to represent the Commonwealth at the Dunedin Exhibition. He hoped to meet many Dunedin friends when they visited Austra la. The Hon. R. Boyd (Fiji) endorsed what had been said by his brother commissioners from overseas as to the sympathetic reception they had had in their attempts to carry out the duties placed ou them by their respective Governments. (Applause.) His Government had decided to make an exhibit with the object of bi ingmg about closer relations with New Zealand, and he hoped and believed that this object would be achieved.— (Applause.) Whatever the weather may have been, the hospitality of Dunedin was tropical—(ap plause)—and if any of them ever came to Fiji he knew they would endeavour to return that hospitality.—(Applause.) Captain Anderson (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders’ Band) said that the band was sorry that the functions and festivities which were taking place this week were to mark their departure. During their stay in Dunedin the band had made many friendships of a lasting nature. It seemed only a few weeks ago since they landed in Dunedin and were given a civic reception. The most eloquent tribute the band had received was from the public by the increasing attendances. He was delighted with the hospitality of the Dunedin people. During the last few days several members of the band had been inundated with applications from bandsmen to return to Dunedin and take up employment which had been offered to them. He could assure them that he and the members of the band would return .to the Homeland with pleasant recollections of their visit to Dunedin.

Cr Taverner proposed the toast ot “The directors of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition.'' He said they would shortly be bidding good-bye to the directors in their official capacity, and to their wonderful Exhibition. They were, in honour ing the directors, honouring that large body of citizens who had worked so earnestly with them in the early stages. The speaker then referred to the excellent work done by the various committees in assisting in the spade work. The success of the Exhibition must afford the greatest satisfaction to their citizens. The Exhibition had done a great work in bringing together the people of New Zealand and in promoting trade within the Empire.—(Applause.) The directors had laboured without fee or without reward, but they had earned their reward in the thanks of the citizens of Dunedin.—(Applause.) They would have another opportunity of returning the thanks of the city to the great work the directors had done. The council had been pleased to assist in any way it could in promoting the success of the Exhibition.—(Loud applause.) Mr J. Sutherland Ross, in replying to the toast, said that on behalf of the directors of the Exhibition, he tendered his most sincere thanks for the manner in which the toast had been honoured. They had passed their three million mark, and were now on the eve of the closing. The initial work in connection with the Exhibition was done during Cr Douglas’s mayoralty. , were many of the corporation officials who had helped the Exhibition along, but it was to Cr Douglas that they were indebted for much of the assistance given. Cr Taverner, too, had been a tower of strength to the Exhibition directors. The present Mayor (Mr Tapley) had also rendered them invaluable service The same could be said of Mr Lewin (the town clerk). The engineer, too, had been a tower of strength to them. The corporation fleet of buses bad assisted to put Dun edin on the map. He referred to the extreme hospitality of the Dunedin people in catering for the visitors He congratulated the city on the excellent returns from their citv trading concerns, which were largely due to the Exhibition. He thought Dunedin’s slogan should he “Dunedin Shall Flourish.” He appealed to the business people of the city to see if employment could not he found for many of those people who had come to their city in connection with the Exhibition. The proceedings terminated with cheers, with the singing of a verse of Auld Lang Syne and the National Anthem.