THE MAYORAL ROBES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20870, 12 May 1931, Page 6

THE MAYORAL ROBES.

J DIGNITY'S ANCIENT MARKS, jj SYMBOLS OF PEOPLE'S TRUST. ORIGIN OF THE TITLE. , ■ || The insignia of office of Mayor which j'j Mr. G. W. Hutchison will don to-mor-jjj row have their origin in very early || times. The robe,--chain, cocked hat and lij white gloves aro -ar from being merely '[j relics of that spectacular age when lace jj and frills were features of masculine j! dress. Each has an ancient significance in which appearance plays no part. jj! The title of Mayor is itself very old, V;. 'dating froni the times when nations arose i;i on t.he ruins of the Roman Empire in the '! West. Tho Latin, Maior, and the Low W . • jj' Latin feminine, Maiorissa, were convenij|! ent term 3to describe important officials j|t of both sexes who had tho superintendij! ienco of others and they wore widely jil used. The post Augustine Maiorinus saw ||| the creation of the Spanish Merinus, ijj whence came CJregum Merinus, the ; ii superintendent of the flocks of tho corporj|| ntion of sheep-owners called the Mesta. |ij From this the sheep, and then the wool, j|] have come to bo known as Merino, a word flj identical in origin with tho municipal J j titlo of Mayor. Early Custom in England. Tt was not until tho 12th century, when jj municipal life was developing rapidly, !( that Mayor appeared as a'title in Eng;t land. ijj The Mayor held office alongside of the My reeves, or bailiffs or sheriffs, whose L' duties were first to tho King as the Ijf Mayor's chief duty was to the community ijj of the borough. London obtained a iij Mayor in 1191 and nine other boroughs |ij had Mayors by the end of King John's !;' reign. By the middle of the 13th cen- | tury the practice was general. :j Although the origin of the robe and || chain worn by the Mayor has been lost, jj Sufficient is known to prove that they | were nsed only as marks of distinction And favour and .were conferred only on j) persons deemed worthy of them. Scarlet [• has always been a colour of distinction, ;j And, for a connection of the scarlet of the jj robe of Auckland's Mayor with antiquity, )| reference need only be made to the robe i of scarlet which Belshazzer conferred on !| Daniel after the prophet had interpreted i] the writing on the wall. Daniel was also i given a chain of gold. Scarlet is not unij . versally in use for mayoral robes, but it | is the most common. The Lord Mayor of ij London has special robes for various oc|j casions. Significance of Chain. In addition to being a badge of disj| tinction and favour, tho mayoral chain j has another significance, that of serviij tude. In ancient days the\wearing of a j collar was regarded as a badge of slavery, ■' tho slaves of tho wealthy wearing collars jj of gold inscribed with tho names of the i| slaves' owners. Perpetuation of tho cusj torn can. be seen in the white collar's of j the clergy, testifying that they are conj ' secrated to a life of service. The Mayoral chain is a reminder that its wearer is also the chief servant of the people. The chain is of gold and, as precious metals I are guarded with care, so also the trust j and confidence reposed in the Mayor I must be his most valuable trust. The cocked hat is so made that it j| points forwards and backwards, reminders Ij that while looking forward with courage [I and determination, the wearer must also ji profit by the experience of the past. The jj sides point upward, directing the Mayors jj eyes to a Supreme Power, and a golden ji stripe is an indication that the days will ij shine on right'and worthy motives. The jj ■ ;white gloves are testimony that the new ! j Mayor commences his term of office withjj out stains of discredit or dishonour, and i; a reminder that he must hand over to jj bis successor the affairs of the city in !! ;is pure and unsullied condition as that Sj -ill which he himself took them over. Auckland Mayoral Chain. ] The use of tho gold chain by Mayors j| ftf the city, of Auckland was introduced j! in 1889 by the late Mr. J. H. Upton, at •j that time Mayor, when he presented to jj the council the central gold pendant. This j the form of a Maltese cross, which j; hangs at the end of the silk ribbon to n which are attached the gold links preI- sented by consecutive Mayors, and these j; bear their names and the years of their j service. Unfortunately, the chain lacks I two links, but it is hoped that these will bo added at an early date. Although Auckland Mayors have worn | the gold chain of office for over 40 i years, it was not until 1901 that the i scarlet robe was introduced. In that year His Majesty the King, who was then the I Duke of Cornwall and York, visited New r Zealand, and it was thought that the | [Mayor of Auckland should bo suitably garbed when he welcomed the Royal visit tors. The robe was secured and worn by \ the late Sir John Logan Campbell, who ! had been ono of the earliest pioneers of I X Auckland Sir John Logan Campbell was J sworn in as Mayor for the special occasion, ; his term of extending only from .April to July of, that year.