THE WALKURE LUNCHEON

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 44, 13 June 1914, Page 2

THE WALKURE LUNCHEON

GREAT GATHERING AT THEXPORT All Taranaki was represented in the fine gathering of nearly three hundred leading men of the district who assembled in the Theatre lloyal, New Plymouth, yesterday, at the invitation of the Harbor Board to celebrate the arrival of the steamship Walkure direct from Hull. In the morning,

which was beautifully hue, largo crowds of visitors had visited the ; steamer and seen it for themselves, l and also the good work being done in unloading her. They .wore therefore in a position to appreciate to a great extent what the ship’s arrival really means to the Province. The Chairman of the Harbor Board (Mr J. B. Gonnett) presided. After luncheon some excellent speeches were made. The Hon. Mr Carncross, M.L.C., in responding to the toast of the “Parliament of New Zealand,” spoke in happy strain of the possible extinction of the Upper House, and said he had known and liked New Plymouth for a quarter of a centruy. When he first knew the town the harbor was in the future, but it was now an accomplished fart. This was, in a very great measure., due to Mr Newton King, to whose enterprise the pi oviuce was indebted, for the notability of a dav which was but the fore-runner

of many to come. There would be more ships and bigger ships. He had always bad unfailing faith in the New Plymouth Harbor, and now the criticism which had beset the path of the pioneers of the movement could bo silenced with the assertion that there was a harbor, and a direct steamer alongside the wharf. (Applause). Mr Oliver Samuel, who was called upon, said that strictly speaking, as ho was no longer a member of the

Legislative Council, it ought not to fall to his lot to reply. Speaking of the purity of Parliament, he emphasised its freedom from persnnl corruption, and then dwelt with the earlier days of New Plymouth an I said how the faces around him brought a Hood of memories. Speaking of the late Mr Thomas King he referred to a lifetime devoted to the work of making the harbor at New Plymouth, and said he bplieved that the man io whom he referred had handed down his influence and energy to l one who to-day was in the forefront of, the harbor mvement. Mr Sainuel also most interestedly referred to the work of the earlier pioneers with whom he was associated, and especially Messrs Berry, Newman Henry Weston, Arthur Standish and others, and concluded by saying that

nothing could givp these men greater j>i?asuro than to see to-day the fruitiqn of their diopes, and an evidence , that they have not toiled in vain, and that those who sacrificed so much have at length achieved success. “This will be followed in the near future,” he said, “by the establishment of a harbor which will* adequately serve the prosperous district which was at one time looked on as lagging and hardly worth maintaining. This day will always be the object of pleasant recollections and deep gratification to me. Mr Newton!King and I were young men together. We. pf Taranaki owe a deep 'debt pf gratitude to him, and when you settlers, think of this matter in your own homes, whatever you I,nay think of the personal gain io him, never forget that it is due to Ids' enterprise and self-sacrifice that wo are assembled here to-day in mutual congratulation.” ’ (Applause.) Mr H.'bkov, M.Pjand Mr 0. A. Wilkinson, M.P., also suitably replied to the toast.

Mr J. B. Connett, in repiy to tlie toast of the New Plymouth, Harbor Hoard, gave an outline of the Board s history and concluded by stating that though they had to combat many earlier difficulties and even differences amongst the members of the Board themselves, they had .now a loyal and united Board working in harmony for one object. Mi B. Max well, who also replied to the toast, spoke on similar lines. At this stage the Chairman said that he desired to propose a toast that had not been set down on the list, but it had been pointed out to him that on this great day it should have a special place. It was the health of Mr Newton King, to whose enterprise they, owed so much. The toast was received with musical honors. Mr King, in reply, saul the wind was rather taken out of his sails by the honor they had done him, because ho did not expect to have to speak until later in the day as one'of those to reply to the toast of Commerce. However, he could only thank them most heartily for what they had said. In giving him credit Tor the bringing of this ship to New Plymouth, ho had to remind them that he could not have done so without the fine support accorded by the farmers of the district. Hb had long looked forward to what-they had now accomplished, and to seeing a large

ocean-going steamer lying berthed in their harbor, hut ideas advanced, and what, seemed to them a big thing five or ten years ago, to-day seemed very small. The Walkure was certainly the largest boat which had yet visited New Plymouth Harbor, but were they satisfied? Certainly he was not, nor was the Harbor Board. Ihej recognised that the vessel now in their port was but the forerunner of future activity in their direct shipping. As most of thorn knew, ho was at the present time agent for one of the most up-to-date' and best managed freight and pa'Shonger lines in the world. Ho referred to the ShawSavill and Albion Company’s steamers. Ho had been “called over the coals” to, some extent for the action

lie had taken in direct importing, and though lie could not say a great deal on the question ho would go so far as to tell them that ho had plainly intimated that New Plymouth must have direct shipping. If the line ho represented could not see its way to give it to them they would have to get it elsewhere, because direct boats from England to their port were essential to the welfare of Taranaki. Ho had gut something from the shipping people, but. not all he had wished. He /had wanted others to be able to join in, and import general cargo by the Walkure, but found this was not possible. He desired to again thank the farmers of Taranaki for their support, without which he could not have brought'a ship load of cargo out himself. No one could aiford to import twenty thousand pounds worth of merchandise, as ho had done, without first selling some of it. He wished also to express his thanks to the \ Railway Department, and especially to Mr Armstrong, the traffic manager at Wanganui, for the dispatch accorded, and for the way in which trucks had been supplied for the removal of the basic slag. Mr King went on to say that it was a lesson and an eye-opener to them to see the way the basic slag was being handled and how the loss in weight, which had had to be met on shipments landed at Wellington and transhipped to New Plymouth, or brought to them in small direct sailors was being avoided. In one instance, he had lost as much as twenty tons in weight from a previous shipment, owing to various causes. Touching for a moment upon the resources of the district, Mr King said that few people realised the future before the district, and what They would actually require in the way of imports, and what they would have to send away. Let. anyone visit the Ohura country and spend a week there, and he would come 'away .with some idea of the ■ great district the New Plymouth harbor will serve. It .was an absolute certainty that New Plymouth would become an important deep-sea port, and he looked forward to the day, before long, when they would see, not one direct steamer, but many lying safely berthed at their wharves. (Applause.) The health of Captain Westphal of the Walkure was proposed by Mr W. Webster, who referred to early shipping experiences of New Plymouth, and how in 1854 the old barque Rock City walked out to sea with her two anchors down, in a gale while being lightered off New Plymouth. Captain Westphal thanked everyone for the hearty welcome he had received, coming, as he did, as a total stranger. But he supposed he has expected to say something about the harbor. (Laughter). Well, ho cohid at least tell them that he was agre'e’ably surprised with its excellence. It had plenty of water and splendid land marks in Mt. Egmont and the Sugar Loaves. Indeed, he had sighted the former when twelve hour's’ steam away.- The harbor was suitable for present requirements, but if they wished to he prepared for all shipping, necessary improvements should be made. He' suggested that the Sugar Loaves should : he connected, and the present breakwater extended. . This would give them room to build, as many wharves as would be required to berth all shipping to whatever dimensions their trade might grow in the future. He wished to pay a tribute to the splendid work of their harbormaster, Captain Waller. A man who was able to berth a single-screw steamer, with partly disabled boilers like the v Walkure, when she came in would l)e able 'to handle modern twin-screw steamers with the greatest ease.

Several speeches in reply to* the toast of “The Farming Industry,” replied to by representative men from all corne.rs of Taranaki were made, and an interesting function concluded in time to allow southern-bound visitors to catch the 4.20 p.m. train.