REV. J. K. ARCHER

NZ Truth, Issue 1062, 1 April 1926, Page 6

REV. J. K. ARCHER

Baptist Parson and Labor Mayor

AN ambitious youth stood at the crossroads of life. The day had come for him to step out into the world and prepare for tho years ahead. An idealist, actuated- by high motives, the lad decided that he had the vocation for the Baptist' Ministry, and his student days commenced. But m those days the opinions o f young John Kendrick Archer (now Mayor of Christchurch) were immature. Many old-: time , prejudices still clung to him. .. Brought- up m a strict English home where Liberalism and Gladstone were almost a fetish, he '■■ thought along the lines of his father and grandfather before him. Labor.! Shades of Ceaaarl — the ■ very n am e gave the good folks m those days the shudders, young Archer included. But as he continued his th,eological studies, so did he increase his knowledge of the world and men. He began to think for himself; the writings of Robert Blatchford helped along the mental revolution i,, ' that was slowly maturing m the mind of the young man, until at last the day arrived when ho cast off the political faith of his fathers, and Labor acclaimed ,a new rtcruil. . . But. did he leave tho Ministry? He did not. His religious zeal burned the more ardently, because he believed — and does to this day — that the policy of Labor is merely an attempt to translate into practice the teachings of religion. Time pjisscd, and the youth, now grown to the full bloom of manhood, came to New Zealand, a wearer of the Ministerial cloth and a naming enthusiast for the Labor cause. That was 17 years ago. Wellington knew him for a time, his utterances and activities, both as a Minister and a staunch Laborite, marking him as a man out of the ordinary. ' Six years ago h« went to Christchurch, where he soon found a niche m the city. He became known; his local body experience . garnered from the years stood him m good stead. He has put up something of a record for the' Dominion by capping his public career m wooing — and successfully — the support of the majority of his fellow-citizens, who returned him at the top of the poll at the last Mayoral elections. This after five short years m the city! ' - ' ' '■ ' ■ ■ Parson arid Mayor. A big job to take on, but as Mr. Archer will tell you, he has so far managed to shepherd his flock at the Colombo Street Baptist Church and at the same time keep a sharp eye "on the civic life of the city. ..-.•.. Ask him if he has any difficulty m reconciling his parsonical self with his Labor ; ego, and he will look at you out of his deep-set, kindly eyes and tell you: "No, sir, because I beMeve that the Labor policy is an attempt to translate the Sermon on the Mount into practice; Labor's ideals aim at practical religion." And, having said that, he leaves the critic dumbfounded. Tho. "big wigs" of Christchurch are not admirers of his, but he is winning his spurs as Mayor. To use his own words; "I do my" best for all sections oE the community. I hf-ve never obtruded my political views m my Mayoral capacity and never will " And that's that. Hobby: Supporting Labor. Vice: Practising 1 its policy. ,