"WHERE ARE THE THOMAS ELDERS OF NEW ZEALAND."

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIIII, Issue 12247, 25 March 1897, Page 2

"WHERE ARE THE THOMAS ELDERS OF NEW ZEALAND."

During the cource of bi? address on Tuesday .evening las', Mr J, Duthie took the Hon the E ramier to task for ihe^rcfieotiohs which he cast on the liberality of the citizens and settler.} of Welling, ton province on the occasion of the ceremony in connection with the opening cf tt-e Wanganni Hospital. It nill be romembered that Mr Seddon, af er eulogisingrffche late Sr Thomas Elder, of Sjoth Australia, for his munificent bt-qapets to public institution's and charities, went on to the lack of this putlie spirit on the part of the wealthy residents of New Zsßlind, particularly with respect to tbis " wretohed Wellington province." Mr pulhie, speaking as o Wellington citizen, expressed tha opinion that the Premier's ramarkawere uncalled for.Wellington, he B*id, was not devoid of public spirited citizens. • They had their Free Library, their , Boys'.. Institute their Academy of Arts, ahd several large soholanhips, provide! by generous oitiz^ns eitber at dmth or during their lifetime. Then again, in the matter of public liberality, Wellington had stood well beforo the olony when called ontoasBist'm relieving the distras occasioned by the disastrous Wairarapa bush fires: During the last three years', too, Wellington subscribed beyond sll others for the alleviation of the distress of the -unemployed. Ia the faoe of these faots, he considered thsfc the Premier, in speaking as he had, had gone very much ont of his way. Was he the man to reproach his fellows for went of liberality. Ho did not wish to do him au injury, and had Mr Saddon himself net courted it, he (Mr Duthie) would have had no occasion to refer to the matter. " I have never, seen his name oh a subscription lißt. if he has done anything of the kind he. has dono it anonymously. He was a man brim fu'l of, symp it ay, and gave all sorts of appl.oantß such' an amount of tympathy tbat. they didn't want nny ' mor >< ; but that, so- far .as he. knew, was all. Barely they had a right to expect that Mr Saddon, who during the labt few years hai been receiving a. larger income ' than probably any oth* mau in the colony, Ehould sat the example, a3 he, above many others, was in a position to aff acd it." ' '.-*'""