CIVIC RECEPTIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20233, 17 February 1934, Page 27 (Supplement)

CIVIC RECEPTIONS.

Principles for Honouring Visitors. (Special to the “ Star.”) AUCKLAND, February 16. In the course of an editorial entitled, “ Honouring Visitors,” to-day’s “Star” says:—“ That there was an air of facetiousness about last night’s discussion at the City Council meeting on the honouring of distinguished visitors need not prevent citizens from considering the principles that should govern in this matter. A civic reception by the Mayor is not an honour that should be granted lightly, and in this, as in other directions, Mayors have to learn to say ‘No.’ There will always be interests eager to influence the Mayor in this direction, and he should have a hound’s nose for advertisement and propaganda. Sandow, visiting New Zealand as a showman as well as an educator, was given this excellent advertisement, and did not the Mayor of Southampton extend the glad hand to Jackie Coogan? Where public entertainment is concerned the line should be drawn strictly. “As to Bernard Shaw the Mayor surely does not wish to be taken literally when he says that he will answer a request for a civic reception when it is made to him. Mr Hutchison cannot wish to encourage the deputation habit in this matter. There is no need for anyone to recite Mr Shaw’s claims to this compliment. Whatever one may think of his views he is the most famous, if not the greatest, dramatist of the day, and of all men in England (yes, we are well aware that Mr Shaw is Irish) the best known to the world. Generally speaking if a man is eminent enough to deserve a civic reception there is no necessity for the Mayor to defer his decision until a deputation waits on him.”