THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13271, 23 November 1911, Page 2

THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT.

A CIVIC BANQUET,

A banquet under the auspices of the City Couocil was held at tlie Commercial Hotel last night in honour of His Excellency tlio Governor. Tho iiayor (Mr T. A. H. Kield) presided, and had on his right the-guest ot the evening and the Wight Key Bishop Mules, and ou his left the Hon It. McKenzie, Minister of Public Works. Over fifty gentlemen wero present, among them being Councillors Hnrle,y, "Snodgrass. Mercer, Fell and Kofshaw; Mr U. A. Edmonds, Town Clerk; Captain Macdougall, A. D. C.; Messrs Wyvern Wilsan, S.M.; Wilson Heaps, Sheriff; C. Y. Fell, Crown Prosecutor; George Macmahori, Chairman of the Harbour Board; Henry. Baigent, exMayor; Philip Best, Chairman of tho Waimea County Council, W. T. Ward, Chief Postmaster; P. B; AdamS) G. W. C. Moon (Tourist Department), and Dr Gibbs.

A-sumptuous repast was provided by Host Saunders, to which full justice was done. In proposing the usual loyal toast, the Mayor said it was hardly neoassary for him to emphasise their loyalty to the Throne and Constitution. They honoured the traditions and loyalty of their forefathers, and prided themselves on their loyalty to the King and Empire. They trusted that the King's journey and stay in his Empire of India would be wholly auspicious and bo followed Tiy a safe and happy return to hts subjects in the Motherland. (Applause.) The toast was honoured with enthusiasm.

The Mayor, in proposing the toast of the , evening, said they welcomed His Excellency not only, for tho distinction of liis name and career, not only for his position as Governor of the Dominion, but also because he was the representative of His- Gracious Majesty the King. They prided■ themselves perhaps on being the most democratic people in the world, and anomalous as it would have appeared at one time, on also being tho most-loyal, to the Throne and the Constitution. They regarded the great Empire to which they belonged with. especial pride, and their attachment to the Motherland was a sentiment that grew because its roots were deep in the sacred soil of liberty. Although many of them might see His Excellency for the first time that day, yet they could not say they were unacquainted with him. They had had tho pleasure of reading and appreciating the excellent speeches he had made from time to time, and which had been copied into the local papers. Ho wished to avoid saying anything fulsome, but ho felt tempted to repeat a remark he heard an acquaintance make after reading ono 'of His Excellency's speeches at an agricultural function. He said, "It reads s more like the practical speech wo might expect from the Minister in charge of the Agricultural Department." Occasionally they thought that in this new land they knew a great deal and could be taiight little, but sometimes a candid friend came back from a tour and pricked the bladder of their self conceit by telling them they did not know very much after ail. They were always willing to learn, and there were hopes for everyone who was willing to learn, and it would be a pleasure for them to hear what a keen observer and a practical man like His Excellency, who could compare tlieir somewhat crude methods with those of the Motherland, and who had travelled and se^n the cream of everything, might toll them about their failings. A wise 'nan, it is said, always liked to be told of his weaknesses, not of his strong points. He was not a wise man, b:it he saw many much wiser than him«>lf around the tables, and thought collectively their wisdom would be at leai.t equal to the average. He asked tb^m to do full honour to the toast of IJi.s I Excellency the Governor.

His Excellency, on rising to rnspond, was received with prolonged applause. He first of all expressed to the Mayor his gratitude for the vrry kindly and eloquent manner and iy the kindly and cordial manner in which which he had submitted the toast. He realised that their hearty response was, as it should be, partly on account of the fact that ho*- wr.s there as the representative of the King. He felt gratified because there was added to their cordiality a personal touch of friendship betweoi them and himself, a friendship he hoped would deepen tho longer he had the honour to occupy his present position. He acknowledged the f warmth of his welcome to Nelson.^All seemed to have conspired together".-.to- make his all too brief stap ono of.pleasure and instruction to him. Even the previous day's shortcomings, somewhat unusual, ho believed, in Nelson, bourhood. Ho had had an opportunfind later he was able to see what was termed Nelson's incomparable sun. He appreciated to the full the great native charm of the city and neigliseemed to repent as the day wore on, ity of inspecting some or the- material movements in the city. On the previous day he had inspected some of its leading institutions, and he had seen very clearly how well they were administered, and how well they were fulfilling their functions. In the hospitals and the home for the aged ho realised the humane sympathy for the ailing and poor which was felt in Nelson. Nothing had impressed him more in his travels through New Zealand | than tjie1 admirable manner in which education in all its branches was carried on. He had seen the Colleges, and he only regretted that time had , not permitted him to inspect the primary schools. As far as the Colleges were concerned, he thought they would compare favourably with any similar institutions in tho Dominion. He was particularly struck with the Boys' College Cadets, and in connection with the new scheme of defence he would venture to say that the cadet branch would play a very important part. Apart from tho military aspects of the scheme the training would strengthen the character of the boys who underment it, and give them a sense of discipline which would reflect very greatly to their benefit in the future. He had an opportunity of seeing a)) the districts in the Dominion, and coming in contact with all of the people, and though, he possessed in a very ordinary degree the faculty of observation, he was peculiarly able to draw conclusions and deductions from what he saw. He did not, however, propose to be led by the Mayor's kindly hint on to the dangerous ground he had opened. (Laughter.) Ho might take the course of praising superlatively everything he had seen, or he. might speak from a hypercritical standpoint. He would do neither, but he would say that amongst the observations he had made everywhere in New Zealand, one was a very warm regard on. the part of the peopk foi the locality in which they lived. (Laughter.) That was a great patriotic stimulus, and had a very valuable effect. Speaking of tho Cadets he had seen, he said they were equal to anjle had saen in the Dominion. He did not wish to see any company of cadets very uiisrb superior to any other. They wanted to have a generally high standard of efficiency. (Applause.) Ho made no apology for speaking somewhat prominently on the subject of defence, or expressing "his unbounded admiration for the" scheme that had been adopted. He declined to regard it as a controversial matter. He preferred to. believe that the people regarded it as a national matter, and as

The Rev Dr We is severe on thp democracy and the restlessness of labour, and yet much of what be says is very true. The labour revolt will tend to divert industry to the East. At present, however, the industry and the wealth of the East are coming this way. and the choioest of. such products is the tea sold in New Zealand bearing the Empire Company's brands. These are the fUwst teas on tha m«rk«t«.

• one of unquestioned urgency. When tlsey Haw the preparations being mado by various countries they realised that it was a matter for them to seriously consider with every member of the Empll'B, iUid when they thought of the isolation of New Zealand they must take a deep interest in defence, thoy had the incalculable advantage, df protection from outsldo and of their trade routes by the great Imperial Navy, aided, he was glad to say, by financial assistance . from tho D6mmi(<tij but it had become a recognised thing that naval supremacy alone was insufficient, and_ that became more important in view of tho distance of New Zealand from the other centres of population. Hatred of war was common to them all, aiid every step should be taken by those responsible to prevent It. Only preparedness for War could avert it. (Applause.) Speaking after many years' experiencein tho Yeomanry in England, ho could assure, the Territorials that to far from finding the training irksomu ihe,y Would find it a sburce of interest and plejjsure. He was sure a comniohsense view would, be exercised by the authorities in fixing the dates ( and hours for tr.ninjng, and inconvenience to any would be minimised as much as possible. (Applause.). Dealing with agriculture in New Zealand, he satct tlie industry in New Zealand presented the most important of .all the industries in tho country. Through it, he hpped, thej' wottld see the healthy development of the other industries, but without it there would be ver.» little hope for any of them. His main object in coining to Nelson was to witness the A- and P. Show; and he congratulated, the Association upon the results of tho Snow and tho standard of the exhibits. He was very pleasurably impressed by the large concourse of people who were assembled at the Show, and tlieir apparently happy circumstances. That was a valuable indication of the prosperity of the district. "Ho had .that moi'nhig had an oppdrtiuiity of inspecting some of the orchards in the district, and ho hoped that the industry would prove profitable to those engaged in it, and of growing importance to the Dominion". It was a matter of regret to him that ho had been unable to visit Motu-o-ka, where he understood some of the oider orchards were to.be seen. Thoie was no doubt that in the future thero would be a great market for Now Zealand fruit in New Zealand itself, and he had every expectation of a large export trade being built up. because they were favourably situated to supply the markets, of the Old World. He. commended to the attention of fruit-growers the benefits of co-operation. Ho had experienced himself the value of the co-operative system in dealing with agricultural produce. They knew how advantageous it had been to the dairy produce industry, and he ventured to say it would be equally beneficial to fruitgrowers. Especially would it be of value in dealing with the destruction of orchard pests, and in grading and packing fruit for the overseas market, which was becoming daily more frslidious. Some time before coming io Now Zealand he had been a lnembrr of a Royal Commission on the fruit trade between the West Indies and Canada, and in Canada they were told that on account of faulty packing the importers refused to take fruit iru... the West Indies. When they went to the West Indies they strongly urged tho growers to go in for co-operation, and he was glad to say many disti ieis had done bo with the best results. l:i conclusion His Excellency said it v/p his desire r.s Governor of tl:? Dominion to identify h:.;> solf in tho ivokt sympathetic way witli tho national activities which contributed to its greatness arid prospeiity, and that also of tho Empire to wliit'i they wero proud to belong. (Applause.) Councillor ilarley proposed "Tlio Empire and Overseas Dominions.1' He said the British Islands were the wonder of the world, and an object lesson to tho world. Tho Mother Country had nurtured the Dominions, and has governed them wisely. It hnd reason to bo proud of its cliildren.-for liis experience -of New Zealand mid what he had read of the other Dominions assured him that in them tho Mother-country had subjects (lui't whom she could find none more loyal within her own shores. (Applause.) Canada, South Africa and Australia had a great destiny, and so had New Zealand, which, as they were pleated to believe, was the gem of them all. If a great crisis arose ths Dominions--, he felt sure, would spend their last man and their last shilling in the dofence of the Empire. All the Dominions wero loyal in the truest sense. He trusted that when His Excellency returned to the Old Laid he would carry with him that conviction, ard that the tie that bound them was :;s unbreakable as a chain, the links of which were made of steel. (Applause.) The Hon R. McKenzie, who acknowledged the toast briefly; was warmly received. He was delighted to hoar • His Excellency's inferences to the defence scheme, which was certainly not a party question. He believed that 95 per cent of the people appreciated what had beeii done to promote-inter-nal defence. (Applause.) The; scheme was adopted only after the ni6st careful consideration, and on the advice of the greatest military authority in the world, Lord Kitchener. If misguided people, as he might call them, objected to military training ho was sure if a referendum of their children could be taken they would bo praotically unanimous in favour of the system. He had been very gratified by the appearance of the College Cadets. ! It was well to bear in mind that training did not bring trouble any nearer, but should necessity for defence arise, it would be an asset of incalculable value to the Dominion He need not say how serious it would bo if their commerce were held up even for a short time. He need not assure His Excellency of the loyalty of tho people of Nelson. New Zealand had always been very fortunate in the gentlemen who had been selected as its Governors. He regretted that His Excellency had not been able to see the best part of the district—(Laughter) —for although Nelson was tho best part of the Dominion, Motueka was the best part of Nelson. (Laughter and applause.) Mr C. Y. Fell proposed "The Army and Navy," to which Captain Mendings responded. He' "said the men had come in most willingly to join the Territorials, except in a few isolated cases. The training would not cause as much inconvenience as some people tried to make them'1 believe. He acknowledged the assistance of sports bodies in arranging their fixtures so as not to interfere with trainiing. Some employers might find that their men had been posted to the •same unit. If that happened it was •unintentional, and they had only to '■bring it to the notice of the authorities to have it altered, so that business would be as little, disorganised »» Ipofsible by camuo. btc.

! Mr A. T. Maginnity proposed ''The iParliament of New Zealand." He said it would be invidious to compare the (Parliament of the early days with that of the present, but there wero in those days, and not a few of them came from Nelson. All of them :had now gone to their rest, leaving behind them the love and respect of .their follow colonists. It behoved them to send to Parliament men iinbtied with patriotism and high principles. If they did that their .country would take the important place Providence designed, for it and an important place in that great Empire under the rttle of their gracious King, (Applause.)

Mr John Graham, M.P., in n> sponding, alluded to his retirement from Parliament, with which ho hnd been associated for "many years. Re was a native of the district he had represented and in his younger days ho had known well several of the gemtle- , men mentioned by Mr Maginnity. The late Mr E. W. Stafford had been twifce Prime Minister. There wore in

the late Parliament only 24 members who w'64'6 there when ha entered it in 1893, and of them only twelve had sat contiuuously> In retiring from public life he had no intention of laying aside Ills iutei'est lii tile ati'atrS of the Dominion. That interest he would always feel. He had done his duty as it seomed to him, and he was "glad to think that his services had been appreciated by the people he had represented. It was a eoineidenc© that on the night Parliament expired by effluxion of time they should be gathered together to do honour to the representative of His Majesty the King. He ti'usted that they would frequently have His Excellency among them in the future. (Ap*piallse.) Ml1. George Macmahon proposed "The Farming and Commercial Interests of Nelson and District." He remarked that both interests should work hand in hand for the perfection of the harbour and the extension of the railway, objects in which he was sure- they had the sympathy of the Hbn Mr MeKeiizie, who he hoped would long occupy his present position. (Applause.) Councillor W. W. Snddgrass, VicePresidont of tho Chamber or Commerce, responded. Ho said they had only to live- up to their traditions to continue to prosper. They had every advantage Nature could supply to give them success, and only their own efforts were needed. Ho acknowledged the assistance the Government had always offered the district, especially in regard to the improvement of the harbour, which was inseparable from'the success of tho freezing and fruit industries. (Applause.) Lord Islington again expressed his gratitude to the people of Nelson for their hospitality, and the hope that the friendships ho had formed during his brief visit would be renewed and deepened on future occasions. (Applause.) The proceedings terminated about i 1.30 p;m. with cheers for His Excellency, and the singing cf the National Anthem. During tho evening an admirable musical programme was contributed to by Messrs A. G. Thompson-, H. Kidson, R. F. Foster (encored), and Thorpe (songs), and W. T. Ward and Thompson (instrumental duet). Mr Norman Williams acted as accompanist.

Yesterday morning His Excellency Lord Islington visited the orchards of Messrs E. B. Izard, G. Bushby, A. Allport and A. Best.at Stoke, and was much interested in what he saw there. At Mr. Izard's His Excellency was entertained at morning tea. This morning Lord Islington will continue his tour, leaving for the West Coast by motor car.