The Daily News. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1900. MR. JAMES BELLRINGER'S RETURN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 220, 12 November 1900, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1900. MR. JAMES BELLRINGER'S RETURN.

The safe return of Mr. James Bellringer from his trip to the Old Country is deserving of more than a passing notice. Mr, Bellringer has for go long held a leading position in Taranaki, that his visit Home and his return cannot help but be attended with beneficial results to the people of Taranaki. It is very gratifying therefore to see the Chamber of Commerce and the Friendly Society, in which he holds an important official position, tender him a public welcome. It is not necessary here to recount all that Mr. Bal'ringer has done for New Plymouth in particular, and Taranaki in general, in the past; but for the benefit of those who are comparatively recent arrivals, we may say that his services as a member of the New Plymouth Borough Council will not be easily forgotten. During the several years that he held office as Mayor, the progress of the town was very marked, and its affairs placed upon a sound and progressive fuoting. As a member of the Harbour Board his services were particularly valuable. Everything connected with the harbour in-those days was at a very low' qbb, and the position of a memtiot: was no. sinicure v . It is chiefly owing to the pluck and dogged determination of Mr. Bellringer and those with him on the Board, that the affairs of t he harbour were kepi; going and the harbour kept open till the growing trade and prosperity of the district has placed the harbour in its present satisfactory condition. As a member and officer of the Manchester "Unity of 0 ldl'elloivF, Mr. Bellringer has also reudered good service, and there are many have to thank him for the help afforded in this way. Mr. Bellriugsr is one of the oldest members of this valuab'e order, upon which most other Ftiendly Societies are based and indeed nearly all accident and insurance societies are founded. It is upon the principles of co-operation embodied in the rules which govern this order that all true social reforms are based. It is, however, as Chairman of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, probably, that Mr. Bellringer is best known outside New Plymouth. In this capacity his name is known and honored where ever sickness or distress called for the intervention of that body. Under his chairmanship, the hospital grew from a comparatively humble institution to the two large and thoroughly up-to-date institutions which are now to be found at New Plymouth and Hawera, and the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board from a snull body to the most numerous, in point of membership of any local body in Taranaki, having jurisdiction over the whole area of the provincial district. Here he proved himself an administrator of marked ability and earned the entire confidence and esteem of every one of the large number of members who sat at the Board's table during the muiy years he presided over their delifcra- : ions. In fact, throughout his public career he held the entire confidence of tho public and the members of the various local bodies and institutions with whom he came in contact. In many other capacities than these mentioned, Mr. Beliviuiier has done go.d i-ervice. He is essentially a leader and naturally came to the front in vtiy thing lie | undertook. In the whole course of his public and private life his voice and influence was ever on the side of reform. He aided in every pfi'o.t fur the moral and social welfare of the |,o .|,!e, and sternly set his face against vice and everything calculated. t,> lower the moiul. tone of the corn- ■ run. i :,y. Id ktib jwMu and private b«i i i To.' his uprightness •iml oouiftiuutiou-fless. Die ii'W 11 t>i ■ucl; a citizen su'Oi-t 'x-,. !> t p. -\.- ■UMuJioial o the Unui iUiu .i... i; -ro i)Cr . v Lis'> io <»11u . : liis objects in vi i<«># v!u> Oitl Uou&wy j 'V.\a tu tiio , . (L ,i :OC,a jjOVei-.-.'.'-j (J!. Olu voautry ami »»«•' ;-.o<aacfoi U'/ci.worc ;niij:jrci»rr;u; • ... few tvairurks UiaS!..< v ;.\l!ra fim >tr. Beiiriugor sa.ut> a. ictum show h< 'u'.t not idle rf.M'l toW isj w douU liuti iiwli he has.

accumulated a fund of information that will proTO of immense value. We have always oppased tho importation of experts to the colony, believing that if our own colonists were sent Home, a careful study of things as they are there, with a full knowledge of colonial [ conditions, would prove extremely I beneficial, whereas the ignorance of the lof the Home expert of colonial conditions, renders his expert knowledge of little avail. In Mr. Bellringer'g case his expert knowledge of colonial conditions is such that it could not help but prove helpful in his study of the condition of affairs at Home. His statement regarding the laek of any real practical work in the way of advertising New Zealand and its products is very depressing, and leads to the fear that the Agent-General is giving too much attention to the more ornemental duties ef his position and leaving the dry business details, so necessary to suecess, to look after themselves. The local Chamber of Commerce should lose no time in holding a special meeting to confer with Mt. Bellringer as to the best way to remedy this unsatisfactory state of affairs and in bringing any suggestion he may make under the notice of the Government., If the Government neg'ect this important duty, the Chambers of Commerce throughout the colony should unite in seeing that the colony aud its products are properly brought under the "notice of the people at Home, In extending to Mr. Bellringer a hearty welcome bock to Taranaki, we feel sure we are only voicing the feelings of our numerona readers throughout the provincial distriot.