BANQUET TO MR. CHARLES TODD, C.M.G.

On Tuesday evening, April 21, the officers of the Post and Telegraph Department attended to the Postmaster-General (Mr. Charles Todd, C.M.G.. F.R.A.S.) a banquet prior to his departure for Europe. The assemblage in the Town Hall was a brilliant one, no less than 234 persons sitting down to dinner, including officers from all parts of the colony. The chair was occupied by Mr. R. Squire (Deputy Superintendent of Telegraphs, who was supported on his right by the guest, Dr. Davis, and Mr. J. Colley (late Inspector of Postal and Telegraph Services), and on his left by the Attorney-General (Hon. C. C. Kingston), Dr. Todd, and Mr. Waddy(Corresponding Department). Mr. R. R. Knuckey (Inspector of Postal and Telegraph Services) acted as Vice-Chairman.

The following country officers forwarded communications to the Hon. Secretary (Mr.Machray) regretting that they were unable to be present, but wishing the movement every success : — Pounsett, Willunga ; Clark, Moonta ; Jones, MacDonnell Bay ; Fowles, Cape Jervis; Pounsett, Beachport ; Marshall, Quorn ; Bee, Beltana ; Dyke, Streaky Bay, Anderson, Elliston ; Croft, Mount Gambier Michall, Gawler ; Lane, Kooringa ; Mana, Meniagie ; Bell, Wallaroo ; Sexton, Callington ; Darwin, Goolwa ; Jewell, Blanchetown ; Lemke, Sandleton; Tucker. Laura; Sands, Kadina ; Hillman, Port Wakefield; Laker, Saddleworth ; Rintoul, Wirrabara ; Higgins, Port Augusta; Smith, Melro3e; Alien, Crystal Brook; Martin, Aldgate; O'Brien, Orroroo.

After full justice had been done to an excellent spread, provided by Mr. F. D. Beach, the usual loyal toasts were honoured. The Chairman, on rising to propose Mr. Todd's health, was received with loud applause. He said that when the banquet was first arranged, the committee hoped that the Minister of Education would have been able to attend it and occupy the position of Chairman, but owing to his being compelled to visit the South-East, it was impossible for him to do so. In the absence of Mr. Baker, the committee thought that the Attorney General, who had discharged the duties of the office during the Minister's absence from the colony, might consent to fill it; but Mr. Kingston, feeling that it was a departmental dinner and a departmental presentation to Mr. Todd, at least an officer of the department should preside on such an occasion. (Applause.) At the same time Mr. Kingston was glad to do them honour by consenting to be present, and they should feel very grateful to him for coming among them.

For thirty years Mr. Todd had presided over the Department. They might almost describe it as being a child which he had nursed from its infancy and had brought up until it had attained its robust manhood. It was not necessary for him to enter into the history of the Telegraph Department, but merely to state that every telegraph line throughout the colony had been projected by Mr. Todd and carried out under his direct supervision. (Cheers.) All the arrangements for the management of the department, the fixing of the regulations, and all other details, were devised or perfected by Mr. Todd. (Applause.)

In the year 1870, the Government of the day decided that it was practicable to amalgamate the Postal and Telegraphic Departments, placing them under the charge of Mr. Todd, and scarcely was this done before the golden opportunity occurred which Mr. Todd immediately seized to advise the Government to obtain for South Australia the great honour of securing telegraphic communication with the old country, and placing the Australian Colonies in connection with the whole of the civilized world. (Cheers.)

They might have thought that having charge of a large department like the Post-Office, Mr. Todd's hands were full, but this did not deter him from taking the responsibility of recommending the Government to construct the Overland Telegraph. If they considered for a moment, they would know what that meant. (Hear, hear.) At that time, few explorers had penetrated the interior. Some had been murdered by the blacks and others had lost their lives in that inhospitable region, but only two or three parties had been successful in penetrating the northern coast.

Notwithstanding this, Mr. Todd was quite prepared to carry through a line from north to south. This entailed upon him the duty of arranging for the carriage of immense quantities of materials, providing parties for surveying and constructing, the fixing of sites and stations along the line, placing the operators there, and last, but not least, securing a supply of provisions for all those men in the unknown interior. (Applause.) When they remembered what would have been the consequences if those supplies had failed, and the men had died, they would see the great responsibility which rested upon Mr. Todd.

In spite of these difficulties, had it not been for the failure of the contractors at the Port Darwin end of the line, the whole work would have been completed successfully in the time specified by Mr. Todd. This was in a great measure due to the energy with which their guest had undertaken the work. At the same time, he had officers under him prepared to support him in any action he took, men who worked day and night, and who would have risked their lives. (Applause.) To them was due also the credit of completing this work. But Mr. Todd was the directing mind, and he had all the responsibility upon his shoulders.

After the failure of the contractors Mr. Todd went to the Northern Territory and personally arranged all matters for the completion of the line. He finally travelled to Adelaide overland, and upon his arrival he not only received the thanks of the colonists generally, but the Queen was graciously pleased to confer on him the Order which he wore that night— (applause)— and which he had very well earned. (Hear, hear. Since the return of Mr. Todd to Adelaide, he had had a great deal of hard work and worry, but he was fortunately one of those gentlemen who, by virtue of his happy disposition, was able to throw off the cares of office at a very short notice. (Applause).

He had given them a short record of Mr. Todd's services, but it was not because of this only that they were there to do honour to him. It was because, in spite of the call upon his time and the attention to his duties, he never forgot his officers who all regarded him as a kind friend. He asked them to drink the toast in bumpers. (Loud applause.)

The Attorney-General said it would have afforded the Minister of Justice and Education the greatest pleasure to have been with them that night. He (the Speaker) was very glad indeed to be present for the purpose of doing honour to their esteemed guest, Mr. Todd. (Applause.) They were well met to wish Mr. Todd godspeed on the eve of his voyage to Europe, which they were sure he deserved, and which they trusted he would enjoy. It was notorious that for many years Mr. Todd had discharged the most important duties - not only with credit to himself but with advantage to the country. (Applause.) Indeed, he might say in such a manner as not only to secure the respect and esteem of his subordinates but the confidence of successive Governments, and to secure also for himself that special mark of recognition of valuable service to which allusion had been made. (Applause.) It was impossible to over-estimate the importance of the very varied duties that were discharged by Mr. Todd. When they remembered the offices he filled — Postmaster-General, Superintendent of Telegraphs and Government Astronomer — they must see that his time was fully occupied by the earth in the day and by the heavens in the night. (Laughter and applause.) Seeing the strain that must naturally have devolved upon Mr. Todd, it was a little surprising that he had not made application for rest from his labours at an earlier date. But, no doubt, he had felt that the interests of the country were of such a nature that they had the first claim upon his services and he had therefore deferred, to the latest moment, the relaxation to which he was entitled. They hoped that, although the holiday had been deferred, it would be none the less enjoyable. Mr. Todd would not be altogether idle, for the Government, with his sanction, had bestowed upon him the honourable position of Commissioner representing South Australia at the International Telegraphic Conference which would shortly be held in Berlin. (Applause.) He most cordially supported the toast, and he was sure he expressed the opinions of those present when he said that they wished Mr. Todd a prosperous voyage, a pleasant trip, and he would not say a speedy but a safe return in due course. (Applause.) The toast was drunk with musical honours.

Mr. Todd, who was received with prolonged cheers, said he thought that evening was one of the happiest evenings of his life. He would indeed possess a stony heart, for which he was sure they would not give him credit, if he could look upon a scene like that before him unmoved. He was surrounded by a body of intelligent faithful officers who with him had done their very best in their several capacities to promote the efficiency of the important departments over which he presided. (Applause.) That was the first occasion on which the united services — postal, telegraphic and Observatory — had met in cordial feelings of fraternity to do honour to their chief.

Turning to the oldest service of the three, they had its representative in its earliest infancy in Mr. Colby, whose presence there that night afforded him unfeigned pleasure. Mr. Colby could remember what he could not; remembering the day of small things in the Post Office. He could remember the day of small things in the Telegraph Department, but Mr. Colby could remember when we had a Postmaster-General indeed assisted by four persons. There were in those days five offices and he had now an army of gentlemen and ladies — he was glad they had the ladies ready to do the State good service, which numbered between thirteen and fourteen hundred persons. He believed that every heart of that army of officers palpitated with good feeing towards him on the evening of his departure to the old country. (Applause.)

Then they had another old servant in Mr. Summers, and he so greatly esteemed him that he was going from one summer to another summer, and when he was tired of that he would come back to enjoy the fag end of another summer. (Laughter.) Then he was pleased to see amongst them Mr. Beatton, who really was the senior officer in the telegraph branch of the service. He had to teach Mr, Beatton the ABC of telegraphy, but now he had a large army of operators before whose skill he (the speaker) must bow his head.

He remembered how he troubled his friends when he travelled overland. He was camped in the middle of Australia when they connected Adelaide with Port Darwin. They had ridden that day about forty miles, and after supper they walked about three miles more. There they squatted on the ground, and he received the congratulations of the Governor of South Australia and innumerable friends from all parts of South Australia.

Then as to the Observatory in West-terrace, he thought he might say that it was one of the most respectable places in this democratic community, because it was the only place where they could observ-a-Tory. (Laughter.)

There he had a gentleman who had been a credit to our University, who was amongst its first B.A.'s, and was one of the first who carried off the South Australian scholarship. Might he not feel proud of his officers? He did feel proud of them; he loved every one of them, and it was his desire to promote their interests, to look after their welfare, to share their joys, and to sympathize with them in their sorrows. (Applause.) That was the only way in which to manage a large and important department. He believed in heart-service, not eye-service, and he felt that he could safely leave the department and take a holiday.

He would not say he felt the want of a holiday, because he was then in very good health, although he was not a few months ago; but he was anxious to see how things were going on abroad and to keep the department abreast of the advances of modern times. (Applause.) He left them with the very greatest confidence. He knew that Mr. Squire would fill his chair as well, if not better, than he had done, and that every one of them would do more and feel far more interest in the efficiency and successful working of the department than they would if he had been with them. He tendered to them all his heartfelt thanks for the kind motives in which that banquet originated, and he felt that he owed a debt of gratitude to the Government for the compliment they had paid him in the presence of the Attorney-General.

Much had been said about himself, but he would rather praise his officers, and say that whatever credit attached to the department for its efficiency was due to the admirable manner in which all his efforts were seconded by the officers subordinate to him. He wished them good-by. He was going to see the old country, and while he was there he would inspect the postal and telegraph systems. He would also visit France and Germany; and in Berlin he would fill the honourable position of Commissioner representing this colony at the International Conference. While his body was far away, his mind, his thoughts and his affections would be still with them; and very near them (Cheers.)

The Hon. Secretary {Mr. Machray) then presented Mr. Todd with a handsomely illuminated address upon vellum, signed by the head of every department. It was as follows: — "We the undersigned officers of the various branches of the department under your control, on behalf of the entire staff comprising the postal, telegraph and Observatory services, desire to express their heartfelt congratulations that, after thirty years of unceasing devotion to the onerous duties of your high and exceedingly responsible position, you have at length thought proper to allow yourself (in the form of a visit to Europe) a cessation from those labours which have so greatly contributed to the progress of the department, and through it to the welfare and importance of the colony at large. In wishing you a prosperous voyage home, and that rest from official cares which change of scene is so well calculated to induce, we shall with the greatest pleasure look forward to the time when, in the providence of God, you will return to our midst and resume the interchange of those relations with the department which have gained for you the loyal esteem of all whom you leave for a season behind you".

Mr. R. R. Knuckey also handed to Mr. Todd a silver salver and a pair of goblets which he said had been subscribed by officers of the Overland Telegraph Department, who, though far away, did not forget their chief.

Telegrams were here read from Messrs. W. H. Barber, Eucla ; J, E. Little, Port Darwin; and E. S. Flint, Alice Springs, in which they expressed on behalf of their various staffs regret at being unable to be present, and intimating that Mr. Todd left them amidst expressions of esteem and regard.

Mr. Todd said he felt overwhelmed when he was first speaking, but now he felt still more overwhelmed at receiving such a valuable testimony of the esteem in which he was held by those officers who, through distance, were not able to participate in the pleasures of that evening. He also very much valued the address which represented the feelings of every officer in every branch of his department. He would hand that address down to his family with great pride and pleasure. He was getting an old man, still he thought there was some go in him yet. (Applause.) He looked forward to many happy years during which he should preside again over the department, and should meet them from time to tune on evenings when they might give their minds to convivialities. Unions of that kind did very much to promote good will amongst all branches of the service, and they rubbed off some of the friction that necessarily arose in so large a department. He thanked them very much for their kindness and he would ask Mr. Knuckey to convey to the gentlemen in the interior his appreciation of the very handsome testimonial they had presented to him, which he would treasure as long as he lived. (Cheers.)

Mr. Todd proposed the health of the Chairman, for whom he had a hearty and sincere regard. For a quarter of a century Mr. Squire had been a most able and affectionate colleague. He had succeeded admirably in fulfilling the duties of the Telegraph Department which had previously devolved upon Mr. Cunningham, and he had carried out the details of his branch of the Post-Office Department in a manner which reflected the highest credit upon him. In leaving, he asked them to support Mr. Squire during his absence.

Mr. Squire suitably responded.

The Vice-Chairman was given by Mr. Waddy in laudatory terms, and the compliment was acknowledged by Mr. Knuckey.

Mr. WATSON gave "The Country Post and Telegraph Stations" and referred to the good feeling and harmony which prevailed in the department. Mr. Beatton, stationed at Port Augusta, responded.

The toast of "The Press" was proposed by Mr. Machray and replied to.

During the evening several capital songs and recitations were given and the proceedings terminated shortly before midnight.