MAYORAL RECEPTIONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 13144, 28 November 1906, Page 6

MAYORAL RECEPTIONS.

To "the Editor of ;the " Timaru Herald."

Sir,—Your correspondents " Shamrock" and " Cosmopolitan "- take'istrong exception rto the conduct of the Mayor in tendering an official? welcome to Miss •N'arelle on the occasion' : recent^ ' visit to Timaru. I strongly • suspect r thai the'.tause r <jf their, resentment 6h Mkb ifjarelie's; ■lrish connfiction'^and""of 'her ments, else why; ibave ithey not" protested against all the other receptions n tendered by -the- present Mayor . during " his term of office 1 ? \ Let me inform those correspondents (a 4 "they need educating in the .matr ter) that-the,Mayor has/certain duriaf'tio perform in connection' with his office;, he also has certain privileges which."he can. exercise or not as he chooses. One of 'those privileges, is to . welcome any illus-: -trous stranger that visits Timaru. ;V Of 'course " does :not consider! Miss -iNarelle of any/consequence, as he says there .have : far better artists visited Timaru; IhTreply I must,charitably suppose that neither he nor "Cosmopolitan" attended her concerts in Timaru, for I am sure if they did so, that narrow-minded as they are, tfcsy would never! rush into, print with their rancorous epistles. : If there is a man m Timaru in whose breast, Misfl NarelleV rendering of "Lough Lomond" at the Theatre on Friday night; failed to evoke a thrill of emotion, all I can say is that I pity his miserable heart, as he has a sad burden-carrying around with - him through life,. for never before did I hear that song sung with such feeling or such power of expression, and I don't believe there is a lady on earth to-day could sing it like her. The only time when things Irish are at a premium by men like your correspondents "Shamrock" and '* Cosaiopolitan" ki -when the guns are booming and the Empire is in danger, but when the battle is over and the victory won, poor Paddy is relegated to the scrap heap as being of no further use. Nevertheless I believe there are generous minded Englishmen and Scotchmen in Timaru (and they constitute I believe the majority of its citizens), who honestly appreciate-what the Iri-:h people have done for the Empire, and who deprecate the mean spirit of men

like your correspondents as much as I do. I Those are the people whom the Mayor represents ?u welcoming any stranger to' Timaru, and long may he live to do so. I believe-Mr Cnugie is the best Mayor that 1 ever presided over the "toivn of Timaru. He found it a pig-sty and he has made it a park. Yet he is* severely > reprimanded because he runs'-counter in some of his actions to the miserable ideas of " Shamrock " and " Cosmopolitan."/ '■ ' •■" ""■ I am, etc., r"' 1 * G.CASEY. Claremont, Nov. 27th. ! Sir,—With your kind permission a word in reply to your, correspondent who writes in to-day's issue of your paper under the above heading. He says F. X. Quinn is apparently incensed because " Shamrock " wrote oyer am assumed,name. .._ This is pa mistake.', . So'fapl'as' liknow myself I do not' r lqse my...temper; .but as an Irishj man Is of course, attach- ascertain amount iof reverencsTto the word shamrock. Hence my protest against it bemgp-.used; as an anonymity to cover the specious arguments used by your correspondent.. My protest/has proved fruitful, > because instead of,'.' (Shamrock " we-now have "Cos* mopolitan." I may add I have as much respect for an anonymous writer as I have 1 for- one who wirites over his own "signature, providing he is not making a personal attack. This is undoubtedly what, your correspondent is doing, not/ as I v have said, qn,/Marie. Narelle or her supporters, but p:{ "his' Worship the 'this attack on the Mayor by..endeavouring. to tarnish the fak;fame.ofTa>lady,such as' ■ the one in,; questfoiiv would Require a .reply in. language. : tfiat at if I were' tot use. you,JnSlr Editor, r'wo^dtnpt;feel jus Mr., ,fied in JpublisSng.;; object Mi writing• in the first place :W;asftei endeavour, to show: that " Shamrock "., or " does not represent the.'feelings of,the people of Timajru. ■/'■ :T :\' ;-:■'-•■.-■•■•"■•■■'- .-V- : : .'I am,' fetc:'> '*--.■■■ .. -■.-,:■ .. ~t r>. y *'