SEDDON MEMORIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13396, 20 September 1907, Page 6

SEDDON MEMORIAL.

BURNS AS AN AID. In the Theatre Royal last evening, the Mayor, Mr J. Craigie, furnished the principal jteni of an entertainment in aid 1 of the Scddon Memorial Fund, in the shape of an address on. Robert Burns, other iteme being of a musical character. The Memorial Committee managed tlio affair, furnishing doorkeepers and ushers- There was a. good attendance, dress circle and stalls being well filled, and doubtless many people purchased tickets to help the fund, without attending. Among those present were a. number of old men from the Home, for whom the Mayor forwarded tickets.

Owing to the indisposition of Mr W. Kvuns, who was to liav-a taken the chair, Mr Craigie had to dispense with a. formal introduction. Before proceeding with his address, Mr Craigie said lie thought it by no means unfitting that the name of tlw poet of Democracy should be associated with a. moveirienfc to establish a. memorial to the memory of tire late Premier of tins democratic colony. Burns was preeminently a lover of freedom, and struck many a manly blow on behalf of the ,ngJit3 of manhood, and his writings, and those of men lik-s him-, had done much to bring about the condition of freedom which the British race 'now enjoyed. They had helped democracy forward, and made it possible for Richard. John Ssddon to become 'Premier of a British colony. Burns bilieved in the aristocracy of worth and intellect, and he would have admired Richard John Seddon, as a- man who had f.isen from the people, who without- advantage of birth, wealth or even of education, but by virtue of natural ability and strong individuality, had become not only Premier of Xew Zealand, but also a. man of mark throughout- the Empire. Very likely if Burns and Seddon had been contemporaries they would not have wholly approved of each other. The politician might- not have approved of all that the poet wrote, nor the post of all that- the politician did ; lor. far as evolution had carried mankind, it had not yet' brought it to perfection. But the two men would have undei stood and appreciated each other. (Applause.) Mr Craigie ;;iid ho was pleased to s<=e so large an audience, because, tjie memorial proposed to' be. erected would be not only a wortliv memorial'" t.p the late* Premier, bat a boom,.to the? children wlio r might "be unfortunate enough to have to go to tlie hospital. It should be a pleasure to everyone to assist in providing a sunny, cosy and separate ward for the children. Mr Craigie then proceeded with his address 011 Burns which occupied about 80 minutes. He "was frequently applauded, and at the close one heard many remarks that it was a, fine effort, a- splendid lecture. • < The musical portion of the programme was also very satisfactory. The Pipe Band plave'd the people into the Theatre, and the' Garrison Band provided the "curtain ri'ser," a collection of snatches of Scottish airs. After the lecture came songs by Misses Dewar and Fyfe;- Messrs Newman, De Looze and Mcßride, with Mr Irvin Moon- as- accompanist. Encores were barred, but one was insisted on, for one of Mr De- Loose's songs. Votes cf -thanks were proposed and cai-i-ied to the musicians, to the Mayor lor his addre?s (with cheers adaed), to Mi Beckingham for furnishing the stage prettily- ;in d to other .helpers, and a pleasing entertainment was concluded by. the, male vocalists and committeemen singing -Uilci Turner STIIC.*' ° - " iimbiiiiiiiiiiiii IHBMI HI I Hill Ifl