PRESENTATION TO MR. FRED HALL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15318, 14 September 1920, Page 5

PRESENTATION TO MR. FRED HALL.

j A function of a semi-historic chara<_r ter was conducted irt'i the > Masonic ho^el 'this morning, when, fa represehtativefattendance ''of'- sonic 25 > local :. business ' men . assembled,- and .presented* Mr.^F.«Hal| j with a palm stand '.niade '.from a section • of the column; whichv was -the' jnaihstay. of the roof of the old-Masonic?builctirigs-now m course of deriloliiion, and whirilt stood, at the back df ' the -staircase, .carrying th© niaih beam, for the principal roof i The stand was unadorned m any way> and Was just as it was taken from the building, and had a Bilver plate attached, bearing the inscription : "Presented to Mn Fred Hall as a memento of the old Masortie hotel, erected 1877, and demolished by fl; Wyles m 1920." Sit James Carroll made the presenta'-' tioil oil behalf of those present,' and m an appropriate speech said he thought it very fitting and appropriate to make the presentation to Mr k Hall, oil. account of his connection and association with the Masonic premises, particularly with the old portion now under : course-' of demolition. In the it wias thought fit to -preserve the pillar of the 6ld staircase, which was the mainstay of the building, erected m '77. If it and' the several timbers of that construction had been provided with a tongue, or could speak, a vei*y interesting . history would be revealed to the present generation. The pillar itself was m a way typical of the character of Mr.. Hall. It was well known that, he Bad been- a vigorous and practical supporter, of many of the public movements m this community and district. In times gone by and at various periods many of those living m our midst to-day "benefited by tHe advice and support afforded them by that gentleman. Tho pillar as it was remained untarnished by any modern application/ and still maintained the old paint and the ornamenting as originally set. It was a nice souvenir and memento, and ortethat Mr. Hall could hand down to after generations that represeht- the name. He wished' him a pleasant holiday to Australia, ' and hoped he would return refreshed' and m good form: '."',' Mr. W. O. Skeet referred to the many occasions on. which the buildings on the corner were altered and extended by him. He narrated interesting reminiscences of those "early times when the ■ hotel played an important part m the j town's landmarks and business matters. Mr. E. P. Mountf ort (manager of the \ Bank of New South Wales) said that as ; the article presented was a portion of i the mainstay of the old building, so Mr. ' Hall himself was a portion of the main- ' stay of Gisborne. Many people m times ' jone by had profited by his advice' and j assistance. ..■"■'.' ■ } Messrs. L. Clare, I. Mirfield, Wyles, < Gl. E. Ashton, and F. H. Forster, ' also I idded their meed of praise to the* char- i icter • of ; the recipient. • ■ .„ '< Mr. Hall, m reply, expressed his * thanks, and said the memento was one ' ivhich had impressed him very much. ' He thanked his many friends for their ' ihoughtfulness m making the present a- ' tion of a section of one of the pillars '<■ )f the old building. He stated that the \ ild^ corner had a history m its way \ vhich would* bear narration if such ,* vere possible. On. that corner he had c nade thousands and lost thousands m • le^otiations, and doubtless there were a >thers who had "experienced similar cir- f mmstancos m." a more or less degree. He 1 hen gave an interesting sketch of the \ nstory of tlie building, how it changed * lands, how it lived through its vicissi- \ udes, and how it came -into Mr*. Hard- -.: ng's and his own possession. He Had \ nund it a very suitable corner round : vhich to transact most of his business, -? md that had been so down tb the pre; ! ent time. .He: had determined to carry , <n the policy which tho late Mr*. Hardrig and himself had drawn up, and that c ?as to build *a suitable edifice on the ? orner worthy of the town. The trans- r er of the property from tlio former 5 wner to Mr. Harding and himself ': vas accompanied by. several little amus- * tig incidents, the' financing (the pro.- I ision for payment m gold) and other v onditioris inseparable from transactions t f that order m those days. He trusted 0 ie would return: from his holiday sqfe c .nd sound. Tlie.'work of reconstructing: .-„ he hotel would, .be pushed on "with the j ;reatest : p~6ssible^*ap_ed; J *"and the atiho- t phere round the old, corner would soon rj ie the same 'as "before, pregnant with/ msiness activities m which he alwajyV toped" to take "a "part. It was aguipsl ' lis naturo to retire or live out of busiless activities, and. it would always \be •/ lis ambition to "carry on," and do his >est for his friends- and the* eomniurtitv, r A toast to Mr. Hall's health was hon- c •red and three cheers given, m his honor ? oncluded an interesting function. ? Mr. and .Mrs. Hall leave oh Saturday a icxt on atjro months! visit to S/ydne^y, i< -■- , ■. :-.,. .-...•'' ; o