South Australian Register Wednesday 14 July 1897
FAREWELL TO A BANK MANAGER.
MR. ALOYSIUS MacDONALD HONOURED.
Mr. Aloysius MacDonald, who has been transferred from the control of the local branch of
the Bank of New South Wales to take a responsible position in the head office in Sydney, was
entertained at a dinner at Beach's rooms on Tuesday evening. There was a representative
company of sixty or seventy gentlemen, who are either customers of the Bank, or members of
the Caledonian Society, in which the guest has been prominent or are connected with the
leading commercial firms and financial institutions of Adelaide Sir R. C. Baker, President of
the Legislative Council, occupied the chair, and was supported on his right by Mr.
MacDonald, the Rev. J. T. Robertson, the Rev. Archpriest Novin, representing the
Archbishop of Adelaide, and Mr. P. McMGlynn, M.P., while on his left sat the Hons. J. H.
Howe, J. H. Gordon, A. W. Sandford, M.L.C.S, and Mr. J. Darling, jun., M.P. The tables
were prettily decorated with jonquils and drapery to match, and the catering was in the
capable hands of Messrs. F.D. Beach & Sons. The menu-card bore at the head Mr.
MacDonald'a crest which represents an iron band grasping a Celtic cross. During the dinner
Rago's string band discoursed tuneful airs. The Chairman read apologies for non atten dance
from the Archbishop, the. Hon. E. Ward, M.L.C., Professor Mitchell, Messrs. R. Barr Smith,
J Gordon, S.M., C. E. Owen Smyth, G. Riddoch, and A. McFarlane, and many others, and
Mr. Glynn apologized for the absence of the Speaker, Sir Jenkin Coles. Three loyal toasts
were honoured the National Anthem being sung in connection with that of 'The Queen,' while
cheers were given for 'The Prince of Wales and the Royal Family, the band, which was called
for, having evidently gone for its viands. The toast of ' The Governor' was accompanied by
the singing of ' The Song of Australia.' The Chairman proposed the health of ' Our Guest,' a
toast which was received with much enthusiasm. He said that Mr. McDonald had been
amongst them for the past eleven years, and had filled a position of great importance. He had
been a Bank Manager, and they all knew or could imagine the difficulty that confronted one
in having to steer a right course between the shareholders and the customers of such an
institution. He had noticed at the head of the menu-card an enigmatical sign. The picture was
one of an iron hand grasping a cross, which he took to be the hand of a banker held out as a
symbol of mercy, of consideration, and of hope to those who were unfortunate enough to
have Bank overdrafts. (Laughter) The gathering that night, he ventured to think, would
convey to their guest the signification that he had so conducted the business of the Bank
which he was connected with as to give due effect at the same time to the iron hand and to the
symbol which that hand embraced. No doubt their friend who had not only been a Highland
chieftain, but was a descendant of Highland chieftains of olden times, 'had inherited some of
the attributes which would bring success to an institution such as that he had so ably managed
for years past. He had been Chief of the Caledonian Society for three years, and in that
capacity had won the respect and esteem of all those who could lay the flattering tale to their
minds that they were Scotchmen. Scotchmen had been able to make their way to the front in
all parts of the world where they had penetrated, and Mr. MacDonald was a worthy example
of that energy, ability, and industry characteristic of the Scotch nation. Some people who
were inclined to be ribald had described the Caledonian Society as— (A voice —'Be
careful')— a Society in which the chief characteristics were the absence of nether (garments
and the presence of whisky. [Laughter) He thought that that was a libel, because it was only
part of the truth. It appeared to him that one of the main features of the Society was its
capacity to regard all those who attended its meetings as Scotch men. It did not matter where
they were born or what their parents were— whether they were Spanish or Portuguese, or
whether the man himself was born in Ireland or in South Australia. He thought that that was a
great gift and it was not one of the least of Mr. MacDonald's merits that he had been able to
control for three years such a remarkable Society. The present occasion was one of which
their guest could be proud. Here were gathered Irishmen to the right of him with one
exception, Scotchmen to the left of him without exception, South Australia beside him
unanimously, and Great Britain in front of him. (Applause) In all the capacities in which he
had acted Mr. McDonald had won the respect and esteem of his fellow-men, not only in
business but in private life. They could say of him that he was a jolly good fellow, and they
were all sorry at his removal, while they all hoped that he would prove to be in his new
sphere as useful and as popular a citizen as he had been here. (Applause) Cheers were given
for Mr. McDonald, one for Mrs. Ma Donald, and one for the little MacDonalds, and 'For he's
a jolly good fellow' was sung. Mr. MacDonald, received with enthusiastic cheering, said that
he did not know how to sufficiently thank them and the kind way in which the toast of his
health had been received. Those who knew Sir Richard— and who did not? — were aware
that he was not given to bandying or playing with words, and there was a sincerity about his,
remarks which was all too lacking in those of many other people. He therefore all the more
appreciated the kind things which had been said about him. He thought that Sir Richard's
interpretation of his crest was a happy one he had tried to act upon it in the past, and would
do so in the future. There were two sorts of bankers- bankers who set up their customers as so
many ninepins to be knocked down at pleasure, and others, who, while conserving the
intercuts of the shareholders, strove to protect those of the customers. He had tried to follow
the latter course, for he recognised that many small accounts turned into large and profitable
ones in the end. He had nothing to reproach himself with in this respect in looking back on
his managerial career. It had always given him great pleasure to do what he could in his
humble way to promote the welfare of his fellow-men. It was gratifying to receive the good
wishes of those whom he had come in contact with during his residence here, and he trusted
that as each year went round he would be able to visit Adelaide and that when his official
career in Sydney was ended he would he able to take up his permanent abode here. (Cheer. )
The Hon. J. H. Howe said he had been associated with their guest in the Caledonian Society,
which, he would inform Sir Richard, was not a mystery. The Society, which, by way, did not
promote the gathering that night, was a band of brothers bound together by common ties with
an obligation at all timces to lend a helping hand to their struggling kin. Mr. MacDonald bore
an honourable connection with the Society, and South Australia was losing one of its best
citizens. On behalf of the Society be expressed regret at the departure of Mr. MacDonald and
wished him success in his new sphere. He ventured to say, but not officially, that the local
business of the Bank which he had managed had quadrupled since his connection with it Mr.
P. McM. Glynn submitted 'The Commercial Interests of South Australia,' and contended that
it was to South Australia's interests to cultivate relations with the other colonies, and to
increase instead of lower the barriers to freedom of commerce. Freedom of interchange
combined with local enemy was required for the progress of the colony. The Hon. A. W
SANDFORD in responding endorsed all that had been said by the Chairman concerning
their guest. The commerce of South Australia would benefit as much as, if not more than, that
of any of the other colonies by federation. They had not taken full advantage of their
geographical position. True, they had got the Broken Hill trade, but the Murray river
commerce was lost to them, although they had it once, and they should also have that of the
Cooper country and wore of the trade with Western Australia. The pastoral industry should
also receive greater consideration. Mr. J. Darling also replied, and remarked that if federation
came about the commercial men or middlemen of South Australia would not be afraid to
meet United Australasia and take their share of the business that was to be captured. The
waterways should be free and the trade of the rivers should be carried to its legitimate issue.
There had been no encouragement to push on development of our trade resources, but the
tendency had been to prevent free interchange of products. They should guard against overlegislation, and if more were left to private enterprise a better and more prosperous state of
affairs would come about the Northern Territory, for instance, was not being developed as
rapidly as it should be in the hands of private enterprise, and federation might alter this
condition of things. The commercial interests of the colony had not suffered to any extent by
the disasters of 1893, which spoke well of the soundness of the colony, and if the commercial
men were left to themselves they would always carry their own weight and South Australia
could take a fair position in the markets of the world. 'The Chairman was honoured at the
instance of the Hon. J. H. Gordon, and in returning thanks Sir Richard referred to the action
of Mr. Mac Donald in assisting the South Australian Jockey Club in early days of financial
distress, when all other banking people looked at them askance. The sporting community, he
added, owed a debt of gratitude to Mr. MacDonald in this connection. During the evening
songs were given by Messrs. D. Eunson and J. O'Sullivan, Mr. T. H. Jones, Mus. Bac,
accompanying on the piano.