MAYOR STANDS ON HIS DIGNITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18189, 23 June 1927, Page 8

MAYOR STANDS ON HIS DIGNITY.

DID NOT ATTEND LUNCH TO U.S. AMBASSADOR. MANCHESTER. April 27. There was a sensation in Manchester civic circles to-day, says a correspondent, when it was disclosed that the Lord Mayor of the city, Alderman John 11. Swales, had declined to attend the Chamber of Commerce luncheon to Mr A. B. Houghton, thp American Ambassador. The inner history of the refusal has not officially bean made public, but I am authoritatitvely informed that the Lord Mayor's refusal was made purely on the question of precedence. Alderman Derwent Simpson, chairman of the Town Hall Committee, gave me this explanation to-ni’ght. “The Municipal Corporation Act of 1882,” he said, “says something to the effect that the Lord Mayor takes precedence over everyone else in his own town except Royalty. “The Lord Mayor took advice about his invitation to the luncheon, and was advised that unless he was asked to preside or take the chief post on the right hand of the chairman he should not go. Conflicting Views. “As far as I can ascertain,” continued Alderman Simpson, “his attitude seems to meet with general approval. “I think there has been a clash between the views of the management of the Chamber of Commerce and the Lord Mayor, but all the ex-Lord Mayors feel that the action was a right one. “It is not in any way a personal matter. It is a question of the position of the City as represented in the person of the Lord Mayor. “The Anglo-French Society of Manchester, for instance, invited the French Ambasador to dinner only a fortnight ago, and, in making the arrangements, an ex-Lord Mayor said the Lord Mayor should be asked to preside. “This was done, and the Ambassador sat on his right, with Lord Derby on his left.”