MR. KEIR HARDIE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 77, 24 December 1907, Page 8

MR. KEIR HARDIE.

'. PROLOSALS TO VyELCpME HIM.; ;■,. RECEPTION—"EUPIJIiS , ' OR ,;••"■••.'',■•■; , !.oPEici4L;'/,a;, i ... ,;; ; , 7' A' meeting, convened •by I , His'/AVorship" the Mayor,", to' 'consider' the question , : of (according a ■■' suitable recep.tiojV to "J'fr. 'Keir. Hardifr, M.P:',' on Jiis. arrival' in •.Wellington,' was held in the Maydr , s;' I r66in' , 'aiJ the'.Towii Hall' last night.. ■ Among those"prcserit ; \vere"'tho Hb'ris. J', lligg and'.W. 'W.: M'-Cpfdlij';; M.L.C'.s;- arid Councillors' Hindmarsh'arid"il'Xiareiij's'the total ; "atteridarice- being- rietfrly. : The' Mayor- was'-absent,' havirig'" ; leffr'- fdr,' >: Dunediii by'; the'■ last night's':.boat•' "The ; Hbri. J. Rigg was voted : to v the "chair.' '.'■'■ ■■'•''" '■'■ y ;"/., '; . ';Mr.;, A;' ; Murir'oj : secretary' (p tlio' ; cqmmiitee , that had been ■ already appointed';- 'oiplairicd the, stop's"that -had "already >bcon>'t'ak'en, i '' seating 'that.' tlie rii'oyemciit;'' lidd"" 'aferted^ " ; 'iii Labour circles, but had been widened *tfl-in-cludo' 'all .classes,."of 'tho'community.. At- a meeting , heldviii- >'Octiberi : -the'''^Mayor.'had stated that- he. h;ad ;; decided to'.welcomo ;M.f. Keir;Harclio,;and'entertain .hiln.atiiis'house. That meeting'resolved' , to hdld'-'if social : in.-'thq Concert;.Cham'bor at the.Town Hall. Since that'timo • much; had : beeir'.'said : .' : of.;' Mr'. HardioV'utteraricos. in Indi'a, 'but he was glad.'to say.ithat there had been-'oiily. one withdrawalfroni the committee'; arid that"- was under , pressure arid against' 'the: wish : ' of '.. the membe'r.; Certain local , bodies liad'"advertised' themselves ;by passing; resolutions'hostile; to Mr;;'liar,die,'. but they had been snubbed. Indian newspapers "had come i to hand showing that Mr. Hardie's •utterances' in' India had been quite discreet, and :: ttat'. ; tho : cables lia'l misrepi-esented him. ■''; Mri- Hislop had written '.to-, say "that ho regretted 1 "ho could not attend"the meeting, as ho was obliged.to goto Dunedin. Ho wished, tapliico his room at. the Town Ha.il entirely' at -Mr'. , Hardie's disposal , during his stay, in'"Wellington. The Mayoi'-'was very arixioiis : for, Mr.' Hardie to bo .his guest at his residoricb' ; whilo .in Wellington, but Mr.- Hardie was''iijclinctKto.think it' "ivould ho 'hotter .to 'stayj.'a'tj" olio of the hotels, as. it might enablo'' liirii -'to''meet.m6ro people. He wbuld ! probably arrivo here from Auckland'''on': Friday,..'and'" .would' oiily'.be abi« to stay 'until Monday. -'■■; ' .'" ; ' 1 .It'was resolved that members of thp committee (to which all thosp.preserit were added) should meet Mr. Hardio?>t..< the Manawatu express on Friday' evoriing. ' Tho Chairman expressed his- own intention of'being present. The Mayor would not havo returned from tho South.by.'that time. " ; '" _ It was pr6posed r that; tho' official; reoep'tion should be held' on-Saturday' faft«rnoon ; at 3 o'clock;, .hut.'the'question was then i raised whother the. official reception could be , . Held if". thplHayor'-'was ' : absent; Onc\ gentleman suggested that the positioji:might' bo t met:by calling it a public reception. -'■:-':. '■. .'. :,'.. ■..". ■ Mr. D. • M'Laren. said.. the".poun'cil ;had resolved iii favour of, an; official reception -to tlib..visitor/.-.;,., '".',.'.:■.• "' ■■-.•■■•.■

;.The.'Spcrotary explained that. the meeting could ..' 0n1y..-.makp..- rppreS;bntations.,to ;tho Mnvpr in tho matter..' ':■■ ■;■■■ -r..;.,.-.. j Tho , question "official."'., fecepiton. /crsus "piiriJic'" receptiqii- vrps'disctlssed'Tjy several .speakcrs,Vthpopiuion'.beiiig,qxpressed that a ■lafge'.proportiqn-V<»f: f -tho lnempjSrs'. of tho City Council .would , :.absent 'themselves from, tho • proceedings'.'... .■. ' ." '■'•"■' .The "official" •was.ret,ain&d on the; casting.- vote of -the. '.chairman.', a lid ■ it was resolved, to niakd it a rcooinniendation to tho Mayor'to-hold tho official rtceptioiv at"3'p.m. on : - Eja'turday-: .-.Thoi details, ;were, ..the ','?',.: : v-Tlie: jcestiiig : also .appr-ovod;..of' imend'atidn". ft.bni ing---^. ; «riferta|n ; qii < ,Satj)rday!.ev ; enmg/-''lt/M r as'qxphiuetr 'tli'o'-obicc.£'was'.to' r enabl^v_tKs':yfsitor , psqplo iii- an .linformal- sociable 'wjysV. .."■'.'!■''? ?,. A proposal ■ to .'niakd- a presentation tot-he visitor ,was discu'sc-ed at ; some "length; An illuminated .'address... was siiggfestod; but'Mr J. Hutchesoiv- and,'.- others; held that this ' would riot "be .qppreoiatiSl" by- Sir.' Hardie. .■ .Mr. Mnnro said that Mr'.' Ha-rdio's great fault, was'his modesty.. It would bo'cruel to;him to havo a recital,qf,-his'.yirtufts storing him in tho face every time' bo sot dowu to his'-.dinnqr. .. Hp. .liv.ed.,.a,i : a.ifiwprking- raauj. His hpusb was jinly a'sniall one,; and tliejre was no room for- illuminated addresses in it. They, would be. carefully placed'in "th,o' coal collar, aiitl would not see-.tKe,; light -of- day until, bis death.. .'. . ■■'•" :,'."', .

A desk 'of.'N.ow : Zealand wood?, a groenstono crnamelity an .album of ~view?,; ' 'something for!Mrs."..Hardie," 'were [all suggested as .suitable presents. .The iiiTavqur of an illunimated address, was defsafcel. By. 1.5 votes,to .0. .It was. resolved to present Air.-Ha'rdip' with/an,, album, of New .Zealand. viewsV also wit-h'a.small'airticle characteristic of the country 7qr.Mrs'. ■Hardie,,,tho task'.of. .■Selection hping ,lcft,\to; a,.\suli-colnmii[t€fi;ii.'' It was resolved that the Commjttee he responsible for expense's,, arid that the Secrer, tary' be authorised to'.receive' donations or promises.' ~[■■ ■■■, .-,■';'','".:•"' '....- The-,question of . a. public.' address. by, : Mr. Hardie on Sunday or; Monday" was • deferred until after liis arrival.-. -S.. '-. -..: ■'' : --\:

'.Mr. ''A;. B/'AdaiDS.;hibved::. '• That this meeting ' express vits..'.appreciation' ;bf ,'tte stand taken: by His' Wbrßhiji thcVMaypr.in regard '■ to "the : reception of i'-Keir^Hardiei'/' '{This' wasVsecbnded^by:Mr: ;; W.i;H..-Vi'est-. brooke::-. '-■:■ ■■; ; i:-' : .' -""":"-vS f ,-." ; '->,: : ''.■■.-»■;'' : ;-; : D. ;?rLare]psaiid-'that«iits-wo^ld^be : humiliating' i vt'oVypass' , seemed to"-mean: v'.'-Th'aiikV-jJDtf'.'fd'r a •.specialfavour;'., '•■; ; Mr. ;Hardie.: should .■■'ccrtainlyC-'be-rco.e'iye'd officiallj','' rather th'.aii' spjiVej-Tirhb lvaU' b,eeii. sbi-received., : >'tal<e-.iit.las' a "iniafter.;: of ■''.'ctfiirsa'. th'aji' Ji r : .: Hardie. .shp.uld , he received.i,with7' digmty' ah'd ;, .'c6urtesy[ .TheCommittee should tak'c-iip : tHo 'dignified .pp.si- 1 tipn that tlie. city'■■was - doiniif itself -iiiv lion-; pur. iin''receiving ;a. man,of;?Mr! .'Efardio's• pminftnee.-; Heiico,. while' : apprecia'ting- : Mr;Hisr lqp's ; : action;' ■he t hought Vthg'■;ojeeting "shoii fcl■ not pass, any; formal resolutibri; I .' , ■ : ' '■:, ■Mr. iWestbrob'ko , ' contended.^thtrt' ;it -was riglit'to. tliaj)k''a'ma'n 'fpr/dbing-'his.'chity: Sfr/'nislop'fhad. done'Jtsin' , t]j& face;'bf pppnsition':'thatrwquld: 'nltfst rticri: :r-'" : ' ' '-\ ■■"' ':.' .■.■'"■■'•'•? '-".'■ ':''■;;■ ■"■ '■'-. ' ■The.=Chainrian '.said the [Mayor. IM shown great moral courage,'and'.thp stand lip hail tak'eii! , -h'ad.\ dono.". : rnpre'' tKafti/a'hything^ .clkd to remove the that 'had' istert"' iii :risgard ' to" Mr.; , Hardi&'s; position/ It ■.was''.'now■ knmvii'. that tlio.'cntioisnis that liad'.been niajle '■were"'baSed..t)niincorrect .irifbrmatipri. ' ::'. • -^r. , >,■:.■'.. ■■'•■•■■•',''■• ; ■ 'Mr. John Hutqhespn .spoko in-warm - praise qf'Tilr.■ Keir'Harclio , ,Vand.'in.;CDm'mehdatiori of -the- actibu- of .the May6ft'S)iHo ', decla'r'qd that 'the' Mayor's ..letters! w.the' neTwpapers had formed a : complete answcr'.to-the Press;. In regard to Mr. Keir Mardrciiiewas amaii to whom : he" (the speakur)> -would. ..rather leavo all his money than tbV.th.O'.fattest fat rilaii.'that ever wbfe'a'.whiteowaistcdat. '-'■/: ' OivMr. Hutchesbn's; sUggestion:thp'fosolu- , tion' was altered- to read'a's]follows That this .'meeting ■ desires'- to ; ;ekprcssv its', warm appreciation ■ of' the•rable ! .:advocacy. of Worship;. the Major ■ ,ih' defendihg '.Eeir. Hardie against his .detractors;"-:... v ■' '■' -.";.- "' The- resolution "was carried'-'ih this .form, and' other details haying been-arranged' thb lhbeting broke'.up. , . v '"■;.' : .- '•' '• -■ ■