CIVIC RECEPTIONS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 141, 7 August 1911, Page 3

CIVIC RECEPTIONS.

The Mayor of Auckland '(Mr. C. J. Parr), who has taken a firm stand on the question' of civic receptions, seen by a “Star” representative with reference to the cablegram received from Adelaide last week stating that the Mayor had refused to receive the Sheffield Choir on the ground that they were on a money-making tour, said that while ho did not agree with the Mayor of Adelaide in so far as the Shaffiild Choir was concerned, lie certainly did agree with the principle laid down by that gentleman. He found that there had been a tendency in Auckland to grant civic receptions to almost everybody and everything that came along. Travelling theatricals, lecturers, and others sought to make an advertisement of the Mayoral office in this way. He had stedfastly set his face against granting civic receptions to people who were solely out for .money-making. In the last three months he had already declined ten different applications of the kind. In his opinion civic l welcomes should only bo granted to persons of distinction, such as, for instance, Lord Kitchener, writers of prominence, j such as Hudyard Kipling, or the. Admiral of the station, or people who were really worthy of such high honour. He took it that - when the Mayor, with his Mayoral insignia or from the Mayoral chair, welcomed any person, he should speak for the whole body of tire citizens, and should, therefore, bo very careful before ho committed the city to a civic reception.