AUSTRALIAN PREMIER

Grey River Argus, 28 May 1935, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN PREMIER

EDINBURGH ATTEMPT. Al’ A RELIGIOUS BOYCOTT. (Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, Alay 26. - A lively discussion a*t the Edinburgh Council, followed a motion to" grant Air Lyons the Freedom of the City. Councillor Cormack, representing Protestants, moved the de.h't'on oft Air Lyon?’ nania. because ho was a Catholic. Councillor Cormack warned the Council that if it granted the freedom of the city to Air Lyons, it would lead to a great I’ro'.testant demonstration. “I warn you I will call out thirty thousand more than the number that assembled to oppose the reception to the Catholic Young Alen s Society (April 28th) in order to prevent Air Lyons receiving the freedom:.” he said. He added that Australian Catholic civil servants amounted to 80 per cent.j, postal employee? 70 per cent., Customs 50 per cent, Treasury 40 per cenit., averaging 60 per cent., although Catholics were only 20 per cent of the population. Moreover, Air Lyon? he said, was a friend of Afr Scullin. who boasted to the Pope he had eight Catholic members of the Cabin«. A Labour member ret outed: “A Labour member has no right to dictate to Australia regarding the employee? in the public services.” Another Labour member said that though Edinburgh was a Protestant city, it could not hold an inquisition before it conferred the freedom on an Empire’s son. Only two voted in favour of C?. Cormack’s amendment. Air Lyons will receive the freedom of the city with Air Buchan (Lord Tweedsmuir) and the Maharajah of Patiala, on June 10th