VALEDICTORY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7340, 21 July 1892, Page 3

VALEDICTORY.

♦ BANQUET TO MfJ ET7GO FRIEDLANDER AT ASHBURTON. Tbe banquet given at Ash burton on Tuesday night, in honour of Mr Hugo Friedlander, on the occasion of his leaving for a >isit to Europe, was the largest and most representative ever seen in the County. The chair was taken by Mr Donald Williamson, and the banquet-room was full to overflowing with representatives from every part of the County and from ell classes of society. The Chairman, in proposing the toast of the evening, said that Mr Friedlandor was one of the first to settle down in the town of Ashburton. He came there many years ago, building premises on tbe site that he now occupied, and had remained amongst them almost continuously ever since. He, for one, could honestly say that Mr Frie-i---lander was a man of whom the more was seen the better he was liked. During the whole of the time he had been in Ashburton Mr Friedlander had managed a very large and successful private business, and yet he had always given a great deal of his time to the public service, and it was for these public services that they were met together to thank him upon that occasion. Mr Friedlander did not now belong to the Eoad Board, but as a member of the County Council ho had done an immense amount of work. From the constitution of the Borough Council he had taken an important part in its affairß. His first contest for the Mayoralty was one of the hardest fights that they had ever had for the position. This fight he won, and took the position at once, although he had bad little previous experience, with great credit to himself. His work then was much more difficult than at the present time. Some of the most important works accomplished by the Borough Council had been undertaken during Mr Fried lander's term of office, notably, the outfall drain and the present capital water supply. People who did not know Ashburton before these works were carried out could hardly realise the importance of them and the great benefit that they had conferred upon the place. These costly works had been mainly the cause of the overdraft. Mr Friedlander had made the overdraft to some extent, but he had also during the last year almost wiped it off again. The amount of work that he had managed to get through during the time that he had been Mayor— nearly four years in all— was simply marvellous. He (the Chairman) had sometimes seen ten or a dozen farmers waiting to see the Mayor on private business, and yet he always managed to make time for his public duties, which were discharged with the greatest exactness and punctuality. It was mainly through Mr Friedlander's instrumentality that the Borough Council had been able to make the best use of the £5000 granted it by the County Council for a water supply. Hiß business capacity was apparently unlimited, and his patience and perseverance seemed to overcome all difficulties. He (the Chairman) was glad to see so many farmers there to do honour to the man who had done so much for them, and who was one of tbo best friends that they had ever had. It was Mr Friedlander's pluck and energy that had always found them an outlet for their produce, and the manner in which be had stood by them during the last season, and bought their damaged grain had meant a great deal for them, and it was pleasant to see that the farmers appreciated what had been done for them. Mr Friedlander had done more than any man in the county to make Ashburton the best wheat market in New Zealand. His boundless business capacity sometimes found Ashburton too small for him, and he would send two or three ships to Timaru and buy up the wheat there and load them, and no doubt he would some day go to Christchurch too and give them a turn. He could only add that they would all be exceedingly glad to see Mr Friedlander back again, and would all join in giving him a very hearty reception when he returned. He (the Chairman) lookad upon the present as the first banquet ever given to a public man in Ashburton. Banquets bad been given to managers of financial institutions, but Mr Friedlander was the first public man whom they had ever honoured in the same way. The toast was drunk amidst long and continued cheers. Mr Friedlander, who on rising was received most enthusiastically, said he found it more difficult to respond to tbe kind way in which they had received the- toast of " his health than he ever did to occupy the position of Mayor of Ashburton. If he had been able to serve them in the past, he should now have greater pleasure than ever in serving them in the future. With' their permission he would give them a short account of his history since he came to New Zealand. One curious coincidence he would mention was that, some time after he landed in the Colony, he spent hi 3 last shilling in Ashburton, and ■ also had the pleasure of meeting their worlhv Chairman about tbe same time. He first came out to Victoria, with the idea, like many other young men, that he only had to go to the diggings to find his fortune, but instead of finding it he managed to lose nearly all he had in the world. He then came on to New Zealand, landing in Lyttelton on the Queen's Birthday. He bad just enough cash to pay his train fare as far as the Selwyn, the then terminus of the railway. He had not enough money left to get a coach ticket, but managed to get as far as Ashburton before he was asked for it. Here he spent his last shilling for lunch, and threw himself upon the mercy of the coachman to take him on to his journey's end, where his brother lived. Arrived there, he soon got work with the late ilr Julius jtfendeleon, and, after a few more>ups and downe, was selected by that gentleman to manage bib Ashburton buainess. He had liked the look of the place from the very start, and determined that be would make it hia home. ! He thought it only right that a man 'should do his duty to the place that

happy home. He had had a few di agreements, as could only be expected, but. on the whole, ho had worked pleasantly with all with whom he bad come in contact. He did not wish to take all the credit for tbe work that bad been done by tbe Council. He bad felt it hia duty to do all that he could for the place that he had made his home, :iud b<> was very glad that: his work had been appreciated. A large number <f other toasts wore drunk during the evening, and the gathering did not break up until the small hours of tbe morning.