HAMILTON IN 1897.

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18778, 28 October 1932, Page 8

HAMILTON IN 1897.

SOME REMINISCENCES. DAYS OF THE “FAMILY PARTY.” PROGRESS OF THREE DECADES. Life In Hamilton 35 years ago forms'! the subject for an Interesting and amusing address given by Mr A. E. Manning at the Anal gathering for the season of the Hamilton Luncheon Club at . the Wattle Tearooms ’yesterday. His reminiscences covered some of the leading business, municipal and social activities of the time and were followed with keen interest. Drawing a picture of Victoria Street in 1897, Mr Manning said on the corner of Knox Street there was a store occupied by the late Mr John Knox, one of the earliest settlers. At the corner of Hood Street there was Parr’s shop, with the present Bank of New Zealand building on the opposite corner. Then followed, going north, a row of shops to the Commercial Hotel, and Scott’s tailoring establishment, and there the business area ended, there being nothing but residences beyond the railway line. There were practically no buildings on the other side of the road . until “Almadale” was reached. Tennis oourts occupied the area now covered by the old Courthouse and the Union Bank of Australia. Nqxt came Mrs Cussen’s house, and the Church of England vicarage, on the present site of the Waikato Times office. There was then a building occupied by Mr J. A. Young, the Hamilton Hotel being next in order. “A Very Dead Town.” “It was a very dead town, with only 1500 inhabitants, about the same size as Cambridge, with which ’ there was great rivalry," continued the speaker. As an instance of values in those days Mr Manning remarked that he had been offered the acre property at the corner of Garden Place for a weekly rental of 10s, with a compulsory purchasing clause for £450. “Galloway’s Acre,” an area near the Theatre Royal, had also been offered him for a few hundred pounds, with a deposit of £SO. Business then was not of a highly competitive nature, for there was little to oompete for. Local government was, he went on, the most active phase of the town's life. There were tvyo clearly defined camps, one of which, known as the "family party," held sway for some years, and was represented In praotically every organisation. Turmoil reached a climax at the Hamilton West School'Committee election, when the Liberal, or progressive, faction organised intensely and deposed the old committee, representing the family party. It was thought by many' that Hamilton would “go to the dogs,” but the progressive movement prospered. It received a setback when Mr Young (now Minister of Health) was defeated at the council election by a representative of the family party, but revived when Mr Young was returned at the head of the poll in a licensing committee election. Mr Young,--Mr R. W. Dyer and Mr Robert Parr were. the first progressives to go on'the council some time later.

No Loan Polls. Thirty years ago there was little opportunity to advance the ■ town, Mr Manning continued. There was little money available and had anyone suggested raising a loan he would probably have been shot at sight. (Laughter.) However, when the late Mr J. S. Bond was elected Mayor,'in 1905, the town received a fresh lease of life with the construction of the new trafllo bridge, the installation of sewerage and the extension of water supply. He regarded Mr Bond as one of the most progressive, enterprising, and public-spirited men the town had ever possessed. “Euohre parties were ' the chief feature of Hamilton’s social activities," added the speaker, “but when the gambling element was introduced they were soon stopped.” It had been difficult to “get Into society," as a selfelected committee of ladies usually decided whether or not they would call on new arrivals. Developing this theme Mr Manning caused amusement by his description of the dances of that time, attended usually by 25 or 30 men, some drawn from districts as far away as Tirau. There was a general rule that no man engaged in trade could attend the dances! After relating several anecdotes the speaker stated that the old bridge toll-gate served as a library until a new library vvas erected at a cost of £2OO, mainly owing to the work of the Comedy' Club. ’ There was then a scheme to build a town hall and'library on the present library site. Though the foundation stone was laid, the scheme had to be abandoned when a loan poll on the proposal was rejected. Hamilton East had held the voting power in the poll and had opposed the site. Subsequently a town h,all was opened by the late Mr R. J. Seddon on the site recently vacated'by the council. Domain Board’s Work. It was in 1913 that the new Domain Board was formed. Mr Manning paid a tribute to the valuable services of the late president (Mr A. Swarbrlck). He did excellent work by placing the domain leases in order, and the revenue now accruing to the board was largely the result of his efforts. It was during Mr Manning’s term as Mayor that the board was constituted a separate authority, having previusly been incorporated in the Borough Council. At that time the Beautifying Society was formed, much of its greatest work having been done at its inception, and in 1913 the golf links at Te Rapa were laid down and taken over by the Domain Board. “Those beople here 35 years ago were virile and energetic, but. they had little upon which to devote their energies,” concluded Mr Manning. “However, they were all imbued with the same motive which exists to-day —to make Hamilton the best town in the Dominion if possible." (Applause.) The appreciation of club members of the speaker’s address was voiced by the Mayor (Dr. F. D. Pinfold).