LORD BADEN-POWELL

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1931, Page 8

LORD BADEN-POWELL

DEFENDER OF MAFEKING. / - ’ - . ■ . ■ APPRECIATION IN AUCKLAND. The visit of Lord Baden-Powell to Auckland this week recalls, says the New Zealand Herald, that on the occasion of the relief of Mafeking in 1900 the people of Auckland, paid ha striking tribute to Lord Baden-Powell as the defender of Mafeking. ' The circumstances are recalled by Mr. J. W. Shackelford, who writes:—“l would like to remind your readers that Auckland rejoiced when the hews of ” : relief of Mafeking was announced, and certain Auckland citizens, the late Messrs. A. C. Caughey, J. P. Hooton, H. M. Smeeton and W. E. Hutchison, with Messrs. R. S. Abel and J. W, Shakelford, were dining in the old restaurant so well known as Dallan ? s, in Queen Street, and immediately took up a collection of Is each from other gentlemen present and further collected, in shillings only, nearly £3OO, so spontaneous was the admiration of Baden-Powell’s gallantry. The gentlemen named formed them*elves into a committee and arranged with the late Mr. Suefert, whose inlaid work is so well known and appreciated, to execute an escritoire of New Zealand woods with a view of Auckland harbour inlaid. This, with a very handsome silver casket on a solid greenstone mount, was forwarded to Lord (then General) Baden-Powell, in the name of the citizens of Auckland.” The following letter was received from Lord Baden-Powell:—“I wish to express to the citizens of Auckland and to yourselves my deep gratitude for the generous appreciation of such services as my force was able to render in South Africa, and also for the very handsome mementoes with which you have betokened that appreciation. Your AgentGeneral, the Hon. W. P. Reeves, presented me with the casket and escritoire at a banquet given by the Anglo-Saxon Club, as arranged by Mr. Graham Lloyd, last night. Many prominent New Zealanders honoured the occasion by their presence. “I can only say, briefly, that such work as we did in South Africa is in no way worthy of the high recognition which you have accorded it. But the generous good feeling which prompted the people of Auckland to send me these beautiful works of art is strongly reciprocated by me, and, I am sure, by the South Africans and others with whom I was associated in Mafeking. This feeling forms one of the those many ties which now happily exist between the colonies, and are all the stronger for being the natural, unofficial outcome of a high mutual regard. For we, in South Africa, were all agreed as to the particular excellence of the New Zealanders as brave fighting men, who did their duty with marked cheeriness as well as devotion. “Therefore I feel that to be honoured by New Zealand is 1 an honour of more than usual value. And it is not only from Auckland, but from all parts of New Zealand and from all sections of society there that I have received tokens of kindness and goodwill, for which I am deeply grateful. And these particular presents which you have sent to me, will, I need scarcely say, be treasured by me and by my family with the greatest affection and pride. I am delighted to find myself the possessor of so beautiful a casket with its massive greenstone pedestal, and of so rare and unique a work of art as the inlaid escritoire of New. Zealand woods. I beg to thank you, gentlemen, and through you the people of Auckland for your great kindness to me.”