COLLISION OF AUTHORITY

NZ Truth, Issue 985, 11 October 1924, Page 6

COLLISION OF AUTHORITY

Dreadful Impact Too !

Mayor and A. and P. President Fall

Out,

(From "Truth's" Palmerston North Rep.) Some of the more hard thinking- of Palmerston North.'s citizens are inclined to derive more than appears on the surface from a squabble which has cropped up between the Mayor of the Manawafu town, Mr. F. J. Nathan, and Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P., as president of the Manawatu A. and P. Association', j over the reception and farewell of the' Governor-General, who has arranged to open the first Royal Show on November 5. Certain it is that Mr. Nash has for the moment literally, "put his foot m it," through an ' indiscretion m his programme of arrangements, but the point which has set the hard-heads thinking is whether the Mayor is looking so far ahead, as December — or thereabouts — of 1925, and creating a political' atmosphere which may serve him m good stead then. . How the difference started was; the Mayor wrote to Mr; Nash at Wellington, and suggested tha^ they meet there to discuss tentative arrangements m connection with the reception. Mr. Nathan's programme as outlined was that the Governor^ General should, immediately on arrival, on Wednesday, November 5, lay the foundation stone of the war memorial and then proceed to the show. It was proposed that the writer (Mr. Nathan) should entertain His Excellency to lunch on the Thursday, and on behalf of the citizens, present him with a farewell address; he invited Mr. Nash to throw open the oval of the grounds to the public for the address and reply. ' Mr. Nash, m reply to this letter, regretted that, owing to the grand parade taking place at 2 p.m. on the Thursday, he had made a different programme, which provided for the reception, of His Excellency on the Wednesday and the presentation of the farewell address from both the A. and P. Association and the citizens of Paimerston North, the Association having preference on the programme. The reply df the Mayor to this letter was a stinger; Mrl Nathan stating that it was not so much a matter of astonishment as of amusement that Mr. Nash should have had the audacity to suggest that the address from the citizens should take 'second place to that of the Association. < "You are at perfect liberty, of course," the Mayor stated, "to arrange o.ny; programme you think' fit, insofar as it affects the A. and P. Association, but you have no rights whatever, nor j any standing -whatever, m arranging any programme m connection with I the Palmerston North Borough Coun- | ell, unless I am consulted m the matter; and I, as Mayor, decline to take any part m the programme suggested by yourself. . . . Did it not strike you, when you submitted your programme to me, the absurdity ,of bidding 1 the Governor-General farewell twenty-four hours before he -departs from the \ city. . . . Just at this moment the A. and P. Association is appealing for financial assistance to the people of Palmerston North, but I am axraid the attitude it is 1 taking, and the lack of courtesy, it proffers to the city and to His Excellency will not ar-sist the campaigrn m any way. The city "nrill make its own arrangements to bid iarewell to His Excellency."

These letters were placed before the Palmerston North Borough Council on Monday evening, when the Mayor received the felicitations of his councillors m the stand he had assumed. Though Mr. .Nash,., is generally regarded as -a shrewd- politician, it appears that he has made a slip on this occasion, having signed himself president of the A. and P. Association, for bad he signed himself member for the district; '-. Mr.". Nathan wquld not kave had the beautiful opportunity of hopping- into the breach. •