ROTARY LEADER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 102, 2 May 1935, Page 8

ROTARY LEADER.

MR. HARRIS WELCOMED

COMMUNITY SERVICE IDEAL

CIVIC RECEPTION TO-DAY.

"The gospel of Rotary has spread out from Chicago in radiating circles until it has entered every continent and almost every nation," said the Mayor, Mr. 6. W. Hutchison, at the civic reception in the Town Hall Council Chamber this morning to Mr. Paul P. Harris, president emeritus' of Rotary, and Airs. Harris. The attendance included city councillors, members of the Auckland Rotary Club and other prominent citizens. The chamber was decorated with orchids from the Domain gardens.

Air. Hutchison said that four men in Chicago had banded themselves together into a little club, and Air. Harris was one of them. That was the beginning of Rotary. He extended a hearty welcome to Auckland on behalf of the citizens to Air. and Airs. Harris.

Air. C. Lawrence Taylor, president of the Auckland Rotary Club, and Air. C. J. Tanks, also welcomed the visitors.

Air. Harris spoke of the kindliness of the people of Australia and New Zealand, and of the dignity of the receptions he had attended. Some reference had been made to kidnapping. Although he had been a resident of Chicago for 40 years, he had not been kidnapped, shot, or shot at. (Laughter.) Hobart could not understand that, and so had staged a '"hold-up." Alasked men with guns had stuck him up and taken his Rotary pin—and afterwards presented him with another one. Had he been a millionaire he might have been kidnapped in his own city, but gangsters took no notice of an impecunious

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Mr. Harris paid a tribute to the high standard of civilisation in the nonunion. He had even hail a letter from an organisation under the name of the Noise Abatement Society. "1 am entirely in sympathy with the movement," he said. "In Chicago we have had smoke abatement societies, and it is high time there was a noise abatement society as well." He hoped there would he increased communication between New Zealand and the United States. New Zealand had many attractions to offer visitors from overseas, and should reap a rich reward in respect to tourist traffic.

In closing the reception, the Mayor said there would he an automatic abatement of noise in Auckland after next Wednesday.