MR GEORGE HARPER

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21147, 24 April 1934, Page 16

MR GEORGE HARPER

WORK ON NINETY-FIRST JJIRTHDAY

Tail, slightly stooping, and moving slowly, but with a lively eye. Mr George Harper, who celebrates hi* nincrty-first birthday to-day, is one of the most distinguished citizens of Christchurch— distinguished both in achievement and appearance. As the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) said yesterday, probably no other man of so great an age was taking so active a part in public affairs m the Donun10At his age most men would be satisfied with a seat in the sun or by the fire but Mr Harper is untiring in his work to assist those in distress 111 the city. Jn all activities to help the unemployed he takes a leading pait, and almost every day he attends meetings of one or other of the 01ganisations working for this purpose.

A Day of Service At 9.30 o'clock last evening he ended a day in which he had given many hours to unemployment problems and to the scheme of winter relief being planned by the Metropolitan Relict Association (of which ho is chairman), and the Progress League. At 11 a.m. he attended a meeting of the Unemployment Committee. From the middle of the afternoon he was at a meeting of a sub-committee of the association, and then at 5 p.m. he presided at a meeting of the full committee —a meeting that lasted until 6.30 p.m. But even then his day of service was not ended. From 7.30 to 9.30 he was present at the special meeting of the Progress League, again to consider winter relief. Going home at 9.30, Mr Harper did not wish to talk about himself. "They say I am getting tired in the legs—that is true, but it is only in the legs that I feel old." he said. But in spite of that tiredness he walks everywhere, when most men at his age would be driven. To-day, his birthday, Mr Harper would have some justification for taking a holiday from his public activities, but he admitted last night that his birthday programme included attendance at two meetiug concerned with relief. Service of that kind is in keeping with the occasion, and with the man, who is a reminder of the outlook and the achievement of an earlier generation in Canterbury.

Mr Harper was congratulated on attaining his ninety-first birthday at t:.ci meetings of the Metropolitan Relief Association, the Christchurch Unemployment Committee, and the Canterbury Progress League yesterday, and in addition the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) expressed his good wishes on behalf of the citizens of Christchurch. Mr Sullivan said that it was wonderful that a man so advanced in years as Mr Harper should n >t only retain his vitality to so striking a degree, but that he should be using it in the public service in (he hour of the nation's need. The chairman of the Unemployment Committee (Mr E. H. Andrews) said that Christchurch was fortunate in having a man like Mr Harper prepared to give his time to the work relating to the relief of distress caused bv unemployment. Mr Harper, in reply, both here and at the meeting of the Metropolitan Relief Association, where similar sentiments were expressed, said that the work had not been a labour to him: he had liked it. and if he had not had it to occupy him he would not have lived so long.