VALEDICTORY

Southland Times, Issue 17936, 30 January 1917, Page 5

VALEDICTORY

POPULAR CITIZEN FAREWELLBDi,

There was a large gathering of members of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce and the Southland League in the Federal at noon yesterday when th« two bodies joined in a farewell luncheon to Mr C. J. Ronaldson, who has been promoted to the position of manager of the Christchurch branch of the National Bank of New Zealand after occupying a similar position with regard to the local branch for a period of eight and a half years. Mr J. H. Reed (president of the Chamber) occupied the chair and, after "The King” had been duly honoured, rose to propose the health of the guest. Mr Reed said that no doubt many of the company knew Mr Ronaldson better than he did, still, since he (Mr Reed) had been connected with the Chamber of Commerce in Invercargill he could not fail to notice the active, real and live interest which Mr Ronaldson took In that body. That he had been elected to the presidential chair a term or two ago showed that his activities had won the approval of his fellow-members. Mr Ronldson's sphere of activity in Invercargill had been a very broad one, but he was, essentially, primarily a banker. Bankers, like their fellows, had their ups and downs in public estimation, only Mr Ronaldson’s seemed all to have been up. His host of friends bade him good-bye with regret which was tempered only by the consideration that their guest's removal brought him substantial pnomotion. That being so, they hoped that the transfer might prove to be only another step towards the General Manager’s chair in Wellington (Applause). Mr Ronaldson’s Southland circle of friends looked forward to the day when he should be appointed to that position, when they would be able to say that they helped to educate him up to it (Laughter). Prom the numerous committees and societies with which their guest had been actively connected could be mentioned the St. John Ambulance Association, the King’s Red Cross Appeal Committee, of which he was chairman, the Southland Patriotic Committee, the Southland War Funds’ Association, and the gentlemen’s committee of the Red Cross Society. That selection showed that Mr Ronaldson had been always ready to lend his aid in matters of public interest, and it was characteristic of him that whenever he did take up any work he threw his whole energy into it. In losing him his colleagues on the various councils and committees lost an enthusiastic and conscientious worker. Dn behalf of the Chamber, Mr Reed wished the guest and his family every good luck in the sphere to which he had been called. Might he and his be long spared to enjoy health and prosperity in their new home, and might their legion of Invercargill friends have opportunities in the future of renewing the old acquaintance (Loud applause). Mr Eustace Russell (chairman of the Invercargill branch of the Southland League) voiced the feelings of that body. When the League, with its aim of “Southland for Southlanders," was formed it was recognised by all that it was merely a local concern. Under those circumstances it was a matter of some surprise to him to find Mr Ronaldson so enthusiastic in his support of the League. Amongst the first tasks of the League had been that of the patriotic work and in that connection their guest had been most active. There had been other works too, though, and Mr Ronaldson had always been where the work was thickest in dealing with those also. The members of the League were sorry to lose him, but Invercargill’s loss was Christchurch’s gain. Mr Ronaldson was leaving Invercargill without one enemy but he was going from a host of warm-hearted friends. During the seven or eight years of his sojourn .in the town, their guest had been a model citizen. Besides the many of his connections previously mentioned, he had been a moving spirit in the Invercargill Golf Club and a worthy churchman. In fact he was, as the Americans were in the habit of putting it, in every respect “just the goods.” Mr Russell conveyed to Mr Ronaldson the League’s congratulations on his advancement and regret at his departure, and concluded by remarking on the certainty of one thing: there would be no need for the Southland League to have an advertising agent in Christchurch so long as Mr Ronaldson was stationed there. (Laughter and applause). Mr-A. W. Rodger, Junr., said that he wished only to add his contribution to Mr Russell’s remarks as to the high esteem in which Mr Ronaldson was held by the Council of the League. He had been of immense value to the executive, especially since the war had begun, and it was also largely due to his efforts that the League was the live body that it was in Invercargill. Although they were sorry to lose Mr Ronaldson, yet they congratulated him on his ad\ an cement and hoped that he would have frequent opportunities of revisiting Southland and looking up his old friends again. (Applause). On rising to respond, Mr Ronaldson was greeted with applause. He thanked the speakers for the flattering remarks which the}’ had made about himself and his work, and for their good wishes, as well as the company for the enthusiastic manner in which they had drunk his health. They said that he had been enthusiastic in Southland’s service. Well he might, for Southland was a great province. The first thing that had struck him when he entered the League’s territory was its great potentialities. Starting with the flourmill at Gore and coming down past the freezing works and paper-mill at Mataura , and the sugar-of-niilk factory at Edendale, with dairy factories all along the line, the visitor could not help realising that Southland was a land of great promise. Then there were other freezing works, there were the fisheries of the Straits—and he congratulated Southland on its oysters —and the shale and coal fields of the Western District. He felt sure that the shale would yet be worked to advantage and ventured the opinion that Southland was not developing her coal resources as she should. Perhaps that might be a convenient channel for the activities of the Chamber and the League. If Southlanders would only do their duty there was a great future before the district. The only trouble was that Southlanders were rather inclined to let outsiders come in and do the developing. He and his family were loth to leave Invercargill, where they had many friends, and' so highly did he value their friendship that he could say that, even if he had done so much for the town as the speakers had stated, he w*as amply repaid by the true friends ■which he and his family had gained.