VALEDICTORY

Southland Times, Issue 17633, 18 January 1916, Page 6

VALEDICTORY

REV. J. K. A ltd I Lit FAREAVELLEi >. The Ksk street Baptist Church had its holding capacity taxed to the full extent lost evening, on the occasion of the tarewell function which was tendered to the Kev. .1. K. Archer, who is leaving for Wellington shortly to take charge of the Vivian street llaptist Church in that city. Included amongst those present was a large number of persons who belonged to other denominations. .Mr Wm. Lewis presided. The chairman said that he was very pleased to see so many people present to do honour to their retiring pastor, of whom he himself was glad to say a word of esteem. Not only did he esteem Mr Archer, but also Mrs Archer, as the speaker had been associated with her iu Sunday school work. On behalf of the school he wished to express Ins appreciation of the work that had been done by Mrs. Archer, whose efforts would long he fe.lt, and hoped site would enjoy better health than she had done lately. He had received numerous apologies from people who were unable to be present that night. They had all classes represented on tiie platform that night: the wealthy man, the downtrodden worker and the fat middleman, and they had also a Methodist minister :.s well as a Baptist minister. (Laughter). If Air Archer had a difference of opinion with anyone, he would tell it to the person with whom he differed. The speaker had had differences with Air Archer, but they were good friends. The Rev. W. Ready said that lie was delighted to be present that evening, because, first of all, lie had a very warm feeling towards the Baptist Church since ISB7 when he had landed in the dominion, and he gave instances of kindnesses he had received from the hands of Baptist clergymen. He had preached the anniversary sermon in the Invercargill Baptist Church, and Mr Archer had preached in the speaker's church. They all regretted Mr Archer's departure, but it was a world of changes. There were changes happening till round them, and there were at present the vacant chairs of tlieir sons who were at the front doing their duty nobly and well. (Applause). There were changes in tiie church, and with them came a sense of disappointment. Although Mr Archer was going to a wider sphere, the speaker knew that deep down within him ho had a sense of disappointment. When call came, there must have been an individual struggle for Air Archer, and it was not easy for him to decide, although he was going to a tine church, and was following a fine young man. Air Archer was going to the Imperial City, but, nevertheless, he would find it difficult to say if he was sure whether in his day and generation he would bo better in Wellington than in Invercargill. But the church had a prior claim, and Air Archer had to accept the church’s call, and in ■Wellington he might also lie able to apply his Christian principles to tiie social life, of the community there. Tito speaker would not give a rap tor a man who did not give an opinion on the social movement of life if it was his deep conviction. Mr Archer had been built that way. He thought and spoke deliberately and independently, and did hot care whether tiie Town Council was with him or not. (Applause). Air Archer had been doing that effectively and in a Christian spirit, and ever since he had applied his pulpit teaching to the Town Council table, he had gone up in the speaker’s estimation. He had watched Mr Archer closely, who was going in tiie direction he thought was right, and who would work, and fight, and die for those principles, if necessary. (Applause). He was sure that Air Archer was in leaving, especially since he had been placed on the Town Council. But disappointments came to all of them, and he thought that Air Archer would admit that he was disappointed was because in the pulpit he spoke to a circumscribed area, but not so in the Town Council. Often life’s disappointments were God's appointments, and the speaker mentioned that if Charles I. had allowed Cromwell to depart for America there would have been no Puritan movement for religions liberty in England. Goldsmith had been disappointed owing to not becoming a doctor, Wordsworth a soldier. and Charles Dickens an actor, and so with Mr Archer who would like to remain in Invercargill and be a member of the Town Council. God had said he had got to go to Wellington, and his disappointment might prove to be God's appointment, and who knew but that Mr Archer would be more useful in Wellington than in Invercargill. Mr Archer’s religion was practical and broad, he was most natural in and <jut of the pulpit, tend he was not afraid to give his convictions whether they pleased or not. (Applause). People were very often slow in finding a new truth; people could not all see it. and they came to a wrong conclusion. Mr Ready concluded by paying a tribute to Mrs Archer. The Mayor (Mr D. McFarlane), who was the next speaker, said that it rather amused him when he had read in the paper that he was to make a speech in a church; but it gave him great pleasure to be present to say au revolt to Mr Archer. He had been associated with Mr Archer for some time on the Town Council, and had found him to he a great supporter of the speakers. He was sorry that Air Archer was leaving the Town Council, and they could less afford to dispense with his sar-vices on that body than with tiie services of some others. (Applause). Air Archer had always given the speaker his hearty support in regard to tiie conduct of the Council, and lie imped that Air Archer would get on tiie Council in Wellington, for lie would make a valuable member of any public body wherever he went. (Applause). It was not often that they found a clergyman taking a prominent part in public affairs, hut Air Archer filled the dual position better than any man could that tiie speaker knew of. (Applause). He hoped and trusted that Air Archer would have success wherever he went, and he know that that was wish of tiiose present, both in spiritual and municipal affairs. (Applause). Hr. Hansen said that he was there to speak on behalf of a sturdy young infant, the Workers' Educational Association, which, although only ten months’ old, had made itself heard to some extent in Invercargill, and, doubtless, it would go further. He had been associated with Air Archer in connection with that body, and was pleased to he present that night, and to see so many members of the Association present. The Association had been inaugurated ten months pn viously at a very small meeting presided over by the .flavor, and would brieily mention what, was being done by the Association so that they would understand the work that had been done by Mr Archer. The Association had been founded in order to instruct people on such subjects as civics, political economy. and history, and if a study of history were made one had little difficulty in portend ing what was to nappen in the days to come. Any student of the history of past L"i(i or .'Pm years could have foretold the present var. A democratic country must have an nlightened people. Mr Archer had been the most prominent man in the Winkers' Ml ucat iona 1 Association, and had been th" first, lecturer. There had been a great deal of work, and the organisation work had been very heavy indeed, and Mr Archer had done [he lion share. He end had the political economy class, whica had been a popular one, and had been largely attended, and no doubt those who attended had benefited by Mr Archer's instruction. The work done by Mr Archer was practically of Cniversity standard. They had no University in Invercargill, and meanlime they were placed at a serious disadvantage, so that they had been very fortunate in securing the services of Mr Archer, who had consented to lecture unwillingly. lie thanked the officers of tiie church for tl.Ar kindness and broad spirit in allowing; .Mr Archer to take a part in the Assoeiaiion, as it had placed that body in a very much better position. If they had not been aide to secure the services of Mr Archer, the position would have been a difficult one (o fill, Air Archer had carried out his duties as a lecturer as capably as he had tilled Ids posh ion iu lluil church. (Applause). He regretted that they would not hi.r Ids services again, lint trusted that even in .Wellington, where he would have a larger church, Mr Archer would have some time to spare to devote to the Workers’ Educational Association, which would he of great advantage to the Association in Wellington. On behalf of the Workers’ Educational Asro- ■> He, 'the speaker tendered Ids thank's to A : r Archer, both as presidf lit ami lee! nmol the Association during the iii sr ye.-.:. ( Applause). Mr W. Ridd, who al-o spoke on behalf of tin- Workers’ Educational Association, said th.at he esteemed it a privde-c to i e present to do honour to their der r. rtin ■ friend from the Labour viewpoint. Ke stood second to no one in his esteem of Hr Archer. (Applause). He thought

that they thoroughly agreed that the work Mr Archer had done in Invercargill on behalf of Democracy had been surpassed by no one else. It had been appreciated, not only by Labour men, but also by many who did not subscribe to the Labour platform, .and it would yet bear fruit. (Applause I. No one regretted Mr Archer's departure more than those in the Labour mo\ement. When they had induced him to stand for the Town Council they had thought they bad secured a champion against repression. and he was fair to all classes. (Applause). in Wellington he thought that Mr Archer would have greater inlluence in hewing the downtrodden. While they regretted his departure, they were also entitled to congratulate him on the preferment hr. bad obtained. Mr Archer could leave Invercargill with the happy conviction that he had done his duty* and that he had demonstrated that it was a wise thing to have a certain number of Labour members on public bodies. (Applause). lie conveye I his host wishes and hopes lor the future to Mr and Mrs Archer. They all regretted they were leaving, hut realised that it was for the best.

Air J. y. Barnett, who spoke on behalf of the Church, said that Hr Hansen had thanked the church for permitting Air Archer to take part in the Workers Educational Association, hut in all Air Archer's public work he had had the encouragement of the church. The church had permitted him to stand for the Town Council, and when lie had proved successful had congratulated him. — (Applause.) yimihirlj when he became prominent in the Workers' Educational Association the church had congratulated him. The speaker was bound to confess that there had been members of the church who di.l not approve of Mr Archer’s action, an I the church had lost a few people in consequence. But that might happen anywhere. Rev. Mr Ready: Hear, hear! That was a very narrow-minded view. Continuing. Mr Barnett said that it was not a pleasant duly to say good-bye to Air and Mrs Archer. When ho had first heard the news while he was visiting Wellington, he had fairly bubbled over with enthusiasm, but since then ho had been thinking of Invercargill, and ris exuberance had fizzled out when ho thought of what they were going to do without the man Wellington was getting. Therefore, he was not so happy that night. Air Archer would have greater opportunities in Wellington, and, realising that, the, church was quite willing to make the sacrifice involved by the departure of Air Archer, who was not only appreciated by Isis own congregation, hut by the whole denomination of which their church was a part. There were not many men who were held in higher esteem by the denominations as a whole as was Air Archer, His duty that night was in presenting a slight token of their regard to Airs Archer, and in presenting Airs Archer with a handsome epergne, Air Barnett said that that lady had worked unceasingly in tiie interests of the church. Her health had not been good of late, and they all hoped that it would improve. The. man friends of Mrs Archer had asked the speaker to accept the present as a slight token of the high esteem and regard in which she was hold by the members of tiie church. Mr Archer had told them that they were not to make a fuss about him, lout they had, nevertheless, decided to make him a small presentation In presenting Air Archer with a purse of sovereigns Air Barnett said that It would provide sufficient for the purpose of purchasing a mementor of the good feeling they had towards Mr Archer, and the high esteem in which he was held. He had their best wishes for the future. The speaker believed that Mr Archer would succeed in Wellington; that in time his name would be known throughout New Zealand, and the higher he succeeded, and the more influential he became, the gladder the people of Invercargill would be.— (Applause.)

,On rising to respond, Mr Archer was greeted with loud and prolonged applause. He said that in- some ways the meeting was a very trying one for Mrs Archer and himself. The hardest part was to have to listen to the speeches referring tf) them in such kindly terms. ITo would rather be on the Ttotunda speaking on Socialism, especially if there was opposition.—(daughter). However, they greatly appreciated all the. kind things that had been said about them, and also tlie presents they had given them. He had asked them not to make any presents, but to hold the function for the benefit of the church. He was patricularly pleased, however, in regard to the present they had given Mrs Archer, because while he talked Socialism, Mrs Archer practised it.— (Applause.) He was-glad, therefore, that they had given her something beautiful, because he knew that she would never have got it for herself. She would spend her money amongst the poor, and would give her life to the church. He was not much of a minister, but she was the best minister's wife one could have. He did not know what the nurse contained, but with it he would buy something that would remind him of them. He was tremendously disappointed in leaving Invercargill. When tie came here. lie had thought that he was coming to the end of his ministerial life, and he had bought a house in order to feel that he belonged to the town. He did not wisli to "skite,” he he considered that he was making an enormous sacrifice in going to AVellington. Uc loved what were called the common people, and by being elected to the Town Council God had given him the greatest opportunity lie had ever had to serve the common people, His conception of church work was that rightly understood, it ought to include Town Council work, but that was what “some of your blockheads can't see.” He had felt as much at home serving .Te-as Christ at the Council table as when he was conducting a prayer meeting. When the call had come it had had to be settled from the point of view of church work, and his ofecers and his personal friends had he n so impressed that they had magnanimously agreed that lie could not refuse the invitation. That was the beginning and the end of it. Ho had read a statement made by Hilly Sunday, the American evangelist, that if they wanther washerwoman. He was quite prepared, if they asked his wife's washerwoman her opinion of his wife, to take her verdict. He was sorry ho could not call on all his friends to say good-bye, but one reason was Invercargill’s remarkable climate, and he hoped that they would take the will for the deed. He was extraordinarily obliged to the speakers for tueir kind words, and lie wished that ho was worthy of them. He. did not love Xew Zealand quite as much as lie expected lie would, ile did not get over his disappointment at Napier, nor at Invercargill, but in Wellington lie might, lie had come out to Xew Zealand expecting to be a learner in regard to economic questions. Xew Zealand was so boomed at Horn-, that lie had come to believe that it was twenty-live years ahead of the Old Country. lie did not want them to feel hart, hut they were twenty-live years behind the Old Country, lie had been (old, particularly by anti-Socialists: “You will be in your clement in Xew Zealand, Mr Archer. They are all Socialists in Xew Zealand. You will have no opponents there.” And yet. he must tell them the truth, especially in ttie churches lie had found ten limes more ignorance and prejudice regarding Socialism than lie had found in the- old Country, lie mentioned Or Cl if. Curd, a Socialist, and the liov, Sylvester liordf, Aid’., who were leading divines iu the Old Country, and who were prominent in poliCcs there, lie had thought that In- would he regarded as an old fogey in Xew Zealand, twc.-nty-five years behind the times. Me was really going away from Invercargill with a very heavy heart, because lie did think that In- had been Just beginning, not to exorcise sway, but to exercise influence on behalf of the common people. However, the work won Id go on. If they ever visited Wellington Mrs Archer and lie would be glad to see them. They would let by gone;! be bygones: make a fresh stait. and might Cod bless them all. —• ( I,oud applause.) I luring the evening song:; were sung by Miss la-eie. Miss Ashley, and Mr W. G. Martin; a piano solo by ?daster Hay Xelson; a musical monologue by Miss Hichards (encored), and vocal duets by Mrs and Miss Ashlev. and Misses McT„enn and Keny. l!d;>;ei;nnts were handed round, and the .-inging of the 1 *o v, dogy brought the function to a