FAREWELL TO MR P. B. WITT

Southland Times, Issue 25547, 15 December 1944, Page 6

FAREWELL TO MR P. B. WITT

members of chamber OF COMMERCE Many tributes to the work done by Mr P. B. Witt for the benefit of Invercargill and the province were paid by members of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce at a social function held in the Tudor Lounge yesterday to bid him farewell before his departure for Christchurch. Mr H. L. Mair, president of the chamber, said that apart from the chamber, Mr Witt had taken an interest in all movements for the good of the city and province. He regretted that Mr Witt was leaving Invercargill, but he knew that he would not forget the city. Mr Mair stated that Mr Witt had earned his promotion and he congratulated him on being appointed to the Christchurch branch of Sargood, Son and Ewen, Ltd. Mr J. N. Armour said the firm of Sargood, Son and Ewen had had excellent men as managers of the Invercargill branch and all had taken active parts in outside activities. Mr Witt had taken a keen interest in sport and he had been connected actively with the Y.M.C.A. To be a good citizen it was necessary to take part in outside affairs. Mr A. W. Jones, the president of the Southland League, said that Mr Witt had not had a parochial outlook. His views had been wider. He knew that Mr Witt would, uphold Southland in the north. Other speakers were Messrs D. J. Wesney, W. A. Ott and A. L. Adamson. SOUTHLAND’S RESOURCES Mr Witt, in his reply, said he would not forget Invercargill. The province had two great drawbacks, he continued. The first was the name Southland. This had the tendency to cause a cold shiver up the back, and yet the climate was very mild. The hours of sunshine compared well with those in other places. In the Mataura Valley the coal deposits were better than those in the Ruhr Valley. A seam of coal stretched for 60 miles, the depth varying from 18 inches to 30 feet. This coal could be worked more cheaply than any other in the world. In the second place, Southlanders did not advertise that Invercargill was as near the equator as Paris and had a better climate than London, the biggest city in the world. If people knew of the mild climate they would come south.

From the sporting viewpoint, he continued, Southland had many attractions. It had 22 fishing rivers and the lakes, also were within easy motoring distance. Deer stalking also was excellent and in all Southland was a sportsman’s paradise. Mr Witt stated that he would place all these advantages before the people in the north. “Even the fact that the primest Canterbury lamb comes from Southland.” A welcome to Southland was extended to Mr R. McClean, Mr Witt’s successor, by Mr Mair.