"CITIZENSHIP."

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 162, 6 July 1918, Page 5

"CITIZENSHIP."

'ADDRESS BY THE MAtOE. " There was a good attimdance' a the ■ Workers' -Educational Association. at Christchurch recently, says the Tress, when-nhe Mayor (Mr E;-Holland( delivered an address on citizenship....; Mr' Holland, aft.r promising to support ttt-e'work of the Associatwn b" y every means in his power,. sa?d,, that citizenship was a subject- which was very hard to define in set. and definite term. His dictionary did not help him. in th matter, for it merely said, * "Citizenship—the etate of , being a citizen; the freedom of a city. possibly they could, get the matter better by taking the negative. Good , citizenship was not represented by the individual who lived wholly to hims.lt and who hoarded up everything he ob- | tained, even if he obtained his goods ; by honest means. It was not represented, by ithe'hermit, live he ever so piou- a life. Nor was it found m theman who accepted all the advantages of art, science, literature, liberty, and | justice, and gave nothing in return. Citizenship was in the very ; "(highest degree, and it was to citizen- j ship that we owed the state of safety, comfort, and freedom which we enjoyed to-day. The good citizen would obey the laws and his main policy would' be to leave the world better than he found it. The speaker congratulated the city of Christchurch on having had many "good citizens, as was < evidenced by the. numerous organisations formed by citizens for the benefit "of markind, and the moral and social uplifting of society. The noble work of Nurse Maude was a case in point—(applause)—and organisations Kke the Y.M.C.A., the Y.W.C.A., the Salvation Army, the Hyman Marks Trust, and the bequests of the late Sir John Hall, * Mrs Townend, the {Rhodes family., and the Oialmetia Ward, were all examples of good citizenship on its highest plane. Every true citizen would be loyal to his home, his city, and his country. The speaker went on to deal with the cooperative nature of municipal work, and. the necessity and importance of it where people were congregated together in "large numbers. He described the activities of the City Council, and its work for benefit of the citizens generally. True citizenship, in -fine, involved sacrifice, and every person -who laid claim to be a citizen should be prepared to mane the sacrifices necessary for the mutual good of all. A member of .the audience stated' that he thought it would be a verygood idea" if the city provided a guide or social secretary,, whose duty it would be to take the children of the schools round and explain the/various activities jof .their city. As matters now were, hundreds grew up knowing li title or nofchinp- of the place they resided in. Mr E. J. Howard said that if all the citizens realis d that the city was really a co-operative concern, in which they were shareholders, it would obviate a ,lot, of the by-law making now necessary. *He believed that it would be an excellent thing ~if children wero allowed to have seeds and seedling.* from the Domains and Gard.ns, so that they could grow them in their own gardens. ■Mr J. B. Struthers advocated the provision by- tbe municipality of pub lie bowling greens. ' The Mayor said he was sure the Domain Board would give seeds to anyone who applied for theni. With regard to the bowling green, he could say that "ihr 'Domain Board contemn 'plated the establishment of a ...public. tennis court, but it look some time to - pome to a decision, ""'