EMPIRE LOYALTY

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 17 December 1920, Page 4

EMPIRE LOYALTY

SYDNEY ALDERMEN'S OPPOSITION.

AUSTRALIAN REPUBLIC ADVOCATED.

The town clerk, at the request of the i Loz-d Mayor, mentioned at a recent! meeting of the finance committee of the ! City Council that the Lord Mayor had ' received a requisition signed, .amongst' others, by Mr John Stinson and Sir ' Charles Rosenthal. asking him to convene a public meeting of citizens to pass the following resolution: (1) That this meeting of citizens of New South Wales convey to Mr Lloyd George, .the Prime Minister of England, our sincere appreciation of his services to,the Empire during the stress of war, and our firm conviction that under his able guidance the Empire will yet find a satisfactory solution of *the Irish problem; further, that we stand for | the solidarity of the British Empire, { and are strongly opposed to those who i would advocate its disintegration. | (2) That this meeting of citizens express our warm approval of the steps taken by the Pirime Minister of Australia to counteract disloyalty and sedition within the Commonwealth. "The Lord Mayor," said the town clerk "takes the view (in which I oonour) that the Town Hall should only be given free for meetings of a civic rather than a .national character. If the Lord Mayor convenes the meeting the Town Hall will have to be given free and the advertising done at the cost of "the City Council. That is the (reason why the matter has been referred to the finance committee." 'Alderman Lambert: This will be pure ly a political meeting, and I for one will not be a party to passing a resolution of appreciation of the services of Lloyd George, the man who brought conscription to England. 1 don't think there is any necessity for a. public meeting in any city in Australia to protest against disloyalty. I propose that the Lord Mayor be requested not to convene the meeting. v Alderman Bramston seconded the motion, and in doing so said: ' 'One of the happiest moments of my life will be when I salute the flag of the Republic of Australia." Alderman Mallett, as an amendment proposed that the Lord Mayor be asked to convent the meeting. "Some time ago," he pointed out, "the Labour Party asked and the Lord Mayor agreed to convene a public meeting in regard to having the capital transferred at once to Canberra. That was purely & party meeting, as only Labour speakers were invited, and the hall was given free and the advertisement paid for by the City Council. I don't see how we can make fish of one and flesh of another." Alderman Jackson seconded the amendment. "I don't see,'' he said, how we can dissociate civic from national matters. Had it not been for the ability of Lloyd George and the selfsacrifices of England in defeating the Germans it i s doubtful if we would be meeting here to-night as a free City Council of Sydney. If the loyal people ot this city want to express their appreciation of the services to the Empire of Mr Lloyd George they should have an opportunity of doing so." When a vote was taken there were only nve members present, a?nd the votmg was three for the amendment and two against, the vice-chairman (Alderman Walker) voting with the proposer and seconder in favour.—Sydney Morning Herald.